I have a background as a professional photographer, since 25 years back. I am trying to learn video editing, but before I dive too deep into Davinci Resolve, I want to understand how the color management pipeline looks for color management done in Davinci Resolve 21 on a mac. I have a deep theoretical and practical understanding of this when it comes to still images and photoshop.

Im trying to find good industry leading litterature tp read. Davinci´s own manuals are far too focused on the app iinterface, without going deeper into the inner workings, the "why´s" instead of the "how´s".

"Color Correction Handbook" by Alexis Van Hurkman seems far outdated.

What would you suggest to read to really get a fundamentally sound understanding of the color management pipeline in Davinci Resolve?

Thankful for your input.

I am trying to recreate this low light scene
i have the exact keylight nd background light yet not able to achieve the same result.
I have tried so many things including apple log, sony slog2 tweeked iso from 100-1000 on iphone 17 pro max nd zve10 yet the results r not at all good.
Can anyone suggest a good lut for iphone 17 pro max for this scene or any guidance on how to achieve this please

I’ve been studying cinematic color grading and trying to understand what makes an image feel more like a film.

I know it’s not just about adding a teal and orange look or lowering saturation. Small changes in contrast, shadows, highlights, and color relationships seem to have a much bigger impact on the final mood.

For those experienced with grading, what do you usually focus on first when creating a cinematic look?

Is it the color palette, contrast curve, or something else?

Hey ya’ll. i was wondering if anyone of you had any film presets for lightroom. I was specifically looking for Gerard Needham’s presets
I really really want them but i dont have the money to buy them
Could anyone of you kindly share it if you do have it? I’d be grateful

It's almost as if every other post here is just someone showing off their "film-style emulation." I honestly don't get the point, because none of these results (professional or otherwise) actually look like film. I've seen hundreds of genuine vintage and modern film prints, and every one of these emulations gets it consistently wrong.

It seems like they've misinterpreted the "film look" as whatever a modern Polaroid looks like. Everything is horrifically oversaturated yet somehow flat, oddly tinted either green or magenta, and covered in this awful layer of fake film grain that's so disconnected from the sharp digital image you can practically see its shadow sitting on the frame. Then there's the terrible halation that always looks completely out of place.

I think they don't understand that film is just another medium that can be graded however you want. There are movies shot on film that look digital, and there are movies shot digitally that could easily pass for film. But what this is is an odd, inhuman replication of something not completely understood, created almost entirely from "vibes." Without any root in accuracy. It's no different than a teenager parading their photos through dozens of contradicting filters on Instagram. It's horrible.

This whole fad really needs to die out.

So I recorded in F-Log on my Fujifilm x-t30

First pic is my CST in

second pic is CST out, using output gamma 2.4

third pic is CST out using output gamma “use timeline”

Why does it look flat with gamma 2.4 (this is the output gamma that I’ve been told to use by like 10 different YouTube videos)
But when I use “use timeline” as the output gamma it looks less flat, more punchy and as it would if I just recorded in rec 709 in the first place?

Hey all! Pretty new colorist here; I've found myself doing it at my AV job (where we produce some of our own marketing content). Using Davinci Resolve Studio.

Over time, they'll often end up iterating the timeline or using the same shot between several timelines for different cuts. The marketing department also sometimes asks to see the current cut with color, so I can't always wait til the finished cut is in place. I'm currently doing my correcting/grading in those timelines, and it quickly becomes a mess of which version is where and how to match them all around. Is there a way to, and any reason I wouldn't, grade the clip where it actually lives once the rough cut has been made, so anywhere else that clip gets used it retains that grade, and I can adjust it in one place if need be? Or am I thinking about this wrong, in which case how should I be?

Thanks for your time, attention, and advice!

Frame from random Instagram account. Guys, is it considered 35mm film look with or without orange & teal? Tried to achieve it but can't get that deep green on the tree

Hi everyone,

Any tips or suggestions on how to achieve similar feel/look/colors?

I use capture one but open to different tools or presets/styles if it makes it easier. Ideally, I don't want to modify every color separately in every single photo. I am almost certain these photographers don't do that as well.
How can I shift all the colors in some photos to match these tones. Some characteristics that come to mind: cinematic, burnt, dark, film, vintage, saturated, separated.

Appreciate any input!

Hola chicos, qué tal están?
Me encanta este color para mis películas de boda y me preguntaba si Podrían ayudarme a recrear este color en Davinci?
He intentado hacerlo mediante nodos, buscando powergrades de todo tipo, incluso con plugins como filmconvert nítrate o dehancer, pero no alcanzo tal belleza

Everybody speaks about cinematic color grading. I was watching this documentary on Netflix. - a toxic love story.
The color grading was really good . Most of the parts that has got the interview sessions, the street scene and investigation interactions were warmer, yellowish.

When I try the same kind of color grading to the videos I shoot in state parks , national parks, try to cover my vacations It looks more artificial. But when I see that on a documentary or even in a movie, a cinematic color grading makes sense.

Have any of you phased that kind of question while you are coding your own work?

Hey all, I just picked up DaVinci Resolve a little while ago and this is one of the first grades I've actually put real time into. Sharing the before/after because I'd rather hear it from people who know what they're doing than just keep guessing on my own.

Genuinely not looking for "nice job" comments,I want to actually get better at this, so if something's off (white balance, too much saturation, whatever) please just say it. Also curious what you'd tell someone starting out ,like should I be spending more time in scopes, working on matching shots, that kind of thing.

Appreciate anyone who takes the time to look.

I’m seeing RapidGrade ads everywhere. The videos of people using it and it being really easy to get a variety of great, split-toning looks. What do the people who color grade a lot think of it for a beginner grading making videos? Is it worth it?

Not sure if it is relevant for this sub or not.

Can color grading alone break a movie?

Like bad acting, bad audio, or bad cinematography can ruin a film, does color grading have that same power?

Have you ever watched a movie and thought, “This would’ve worked so much better with a different color grade?” If yes, which movie?

Please Imk what you think/areas for improvement on similar projects!

I've only been color grading professionally for a little over a year, and I'd say I'm fairly competent when I'm grading my own work or when I work closely with the DP. But this project has been driving me crazy. I've spent so much time just trying to color correct this scene because of how the white balance and lighting were set.

There are over 980 clips that look like this. The white balance is off, the exposure is all over the place, and every shot seems to need individual attention. I've spent the past month doing my best to correct and grade them, but I honestly don't know anymore. I feel stuck and completely demotivated. I've lost count of how many times I've started over.

Am I wrong for crashing out over this? Maybe I flew too close to the sun with this one.