Color grading

Build a stable image before building a look. Correction should remain credible with the creative layer bypassed, and every creative decision should have a visible purpose.

Establish the scene

Identify the source type, viewing target, repeated-source or multicam relationships, lighting changes, and hero moments. Do not guess a camera transform from a broad gamut tag or a flat-looking frame. When the source profile is uncertain, compare a conservative interpretation rather than forcing a log conversion.

Capture same-position before frames for hero, middle, late, lighting-change, and match-critical shots. Read references/professional-workflow.md for the detailed colorist order and review rubric. Read references/asset-selection.md only when considering a LUT, PowerGrade, DCTL, grain, overlay, texture, preset, or reference still.

Build the grade

Work in passes: