How to Use LUTs and Colour Grading in Video Editing: When to Apply Them, Presets vs Custom

If you already understand exposure, white balance, and tone curves from photography, you’re halfway to compelling colour in video. LUTs (Look-Up Tables) can accelerate your workflow and help you translate log footage into a pleasing image, but they can also break your grade if applied at the wrong stage or in the wrong colour space. This tutorial explains when to use LUTs, how to blend presets with custom grading, and how to keep consistency across shots and cameras—using techniques that feel familiar to photographers.

What a LUT Is (and Is Not)

• A LUT is a table that maps input colour values to output values. Think of it like a saved tone-and-colour transformation—similar to a photo preset, but constrained to fixed input/output mappings.
• 1D LUTs affect only one channel at a time (often used for gamma/contrast). 3D LUTs map RGB together and can create complex “looks.”
• Technical vs creative:
  • Technical LUTs: convert footage from one colour space/gamma to another (e.g., Sony S-Log3/SGamut3.cine to Rec.709).
  • Creative LUTs: add style—contrast curve, hue shifts, saturation shaping—akin to a cinematic look.
• A LUT is not adaptive: it doesn’t “know” scene context, exposure errors, or white balance. If your base isn’t correct, a LUT can exaggerate problems.

When to Apply LUTs in Your Pipeline

A robust order of operations prevents clipping, colour shifts, and mismatched shots. Use this “photographer’s mental model” for video:

1. Exposure and White Balance

• Correct exposure using waveform/parade scopes before any creative look.
• Fix white balance for neutral greys and accurate skin tones. Treat this like setting WB and basic tone in a RAW photo.

1. Technical Transform (if needed)

• For log/flat footage, convert to a working/display space:
  • Option A: Technical LUT from your camera manufacturer (e.g., S-Log3 to Rec.709).
  • Option B: Colour Space Transform (CST) plugin/node (preferred in modern workflows because it’s parametric and non-destructive).
• For standard footage already in Rec.709, you can skip this transform.

1. Primary Grade

• Adjust contrast, overall saturation, and midtone balance. Think “global” moves: like the Basic panel in Lightroom.

1. Creative Look (LUT or Manual)

• Apply a creative LUT to add a stylistic curve and colour palette.
• Alternatively, build the look manually with curves, hue vs hue/sat, and colour warper tools for more control.

1. Secondary Corrections

• Targeted fixes: skin tone isolation, sky enhancement, selective saturation, power windows.

1. Output Transform/Monitoring

• If you’re grading scene-referred (ACES or DaVinci Wide Gamut), apply the appropriate output transform (e.g., to Rec.709 gamma 2.4).
• Confirm gamma intent for the delivery platform (broadcast vs web).

Order matters. Put technical transforms before creative looks, and keep monitoring/output transforms last.

Presets vs Custom: Choosing the Right Approach

Both have a place in a fast, consistent workflow:

Presets (LUTs)

• Pros:
  • Speed. Instant baseline for matching cameras or converting log.
  • Consistency. A reliable “house look” for recurring projects.
  • Great starting point for teams.
• Cons:
  • Can clip or distort colours if exposure/WB or colour space isn’t correct.
  • Less flexible; editing after a LUT may feel like fighting baked-in decisions.
  • Some creative LUTs assume a specific gamma/colour space; mismatch yields ugly results.

Custom Grades

• Pros:
  • Full control over contrast curve, colour separation, and skin tones.
  • Adaptable to each shot’s needs; less risk of clipping or hue distortion.
  • You can export your custom look as a LUT for reuse.
• Cons:
  • Takes longer to build.
  • Requires stronger colour management habits and scope literacy.

Hybrid Strategy (recommended)

• Use a CST or camera technical LUT for log-to-Rec.709.
• Apply a creative LUT lightly (20–60% mix) for vibe.
• Finish with custom adjustments per shot to refine skin tones, roll-off, and saturation.

Practical Workflows in Popular NLEs

DaVinci Resolve (Node-Based, Ideal for Colour Management)

Recommended node tree:

1. Balance: WB, exposure, noise reduction (if needed).
2. CST or IDT: S-Log3/SGamut3.cine to DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate or Rec.709.
3. Primary: contrast, pivot, saturation, offset for exposure.
4. Creative Look: apply creative LUT; lower key output to 0.2–0.6 mix.
5. Secondaries: qualifier for skin tones, hue vs hue/sat curves, vignettes.
6. Output Transform: if grading scene-referred (DWG/ACES), add ODT to Rec.709 gamma 2.4.

Tips:

• Prefer CST over manufacturer technical LUTs for cleaner highlight roll-off.
• Use the Color Warper or HDR wheels to fine-tune tonality like you would with tonal ranges in Lightroom.
• Group Post-Clip node can hold the output transform; keep shot-specific corrections pre-group.

Adobe Premiere Pro (Lumetri)

Panel order in a single Lumetri effect:

• Basic Correction: fix WB, exposure.
• Input LUT (if truly needed for camera conversion). Often better: put a technical LUT on an adjustment layer below your creative layer.
• Creative: apply a look LUT and adjust Faded Film, Vibrance, and Shadow Tint/Highlight Tint.
• Curves and Color Wheels & Match: refine contrast and hue balance.
• HSL Secondary: isolate skin tones to protect them from creative pushes.

Tips:

• Use separate adjustment layers: lower layer for technical conversion; upper layer for creative LUT and per-shot tweaks.
• The LUT “Intensity” slider is your friend—avoid 100% unless the LUT was authored for your exact camera/space.

Final Cut Pro

• Use Camera LUT in the Inspector for log conversion (e.g., Sony S-Log3 to Rec.709).
• Add a Colour Board/Colour Wheels and Curves for primaries.
• Apply a Custom LUT effect for creative looks; blend with Mix slider.
• For multiple shots, apply creative LUT on an adjustment layer (a title-based layer or third-party adjustment layer) to keep consistency.

Matching Shots and Cameras

• Shoot a colour checker or grey card at the start of each setup. In grading, align exposure and white balance using the chart.
• Match exposure using the waveform: align midtones and set highlights carefully to preserve roll-off.
• For multi-camera shoots, convert each camera to a common working space (ACES or DWG via CST) before creative looks. This mirrors using camera profiles in photo workflows.

Reading Scopes Like a Photographer

• Waveform (Luma): Like a histogram with spatial weighting; target skin around 45–60 IRE in Rec.709.
• RGB Parade: Spot colour casts; balance channels in highlights and neutrals.
• Vectorscope: Check skin tone line; adjust hue vs hue/sat to keep skin natural while pushing a stylized palette.
• False Colour (if available): Quick exposure references for faces and highlights.

Building a Custom Look (Then Exporting as a LUT)

Try this approach:

1. Establish contrast curve: Use Custom Curves for a gentle S-curve with soft shoulder and toe (film-like roll-off).
2. Shape colours: Reduce yellow/green saturation slightly, enrich cyans/blues for skies, nudge reds toward orange for flattering skin.
3. Manage density: Slightly lift shadows to preserve detail; avoid crushing blacks.
4. Texture: Add subtle grain after the grade for cohesion (think film emulation from photography).
5. Export: In Resolve, right-click a node and Generate 33-pt or 65-pt LUT. Note: Export from a node scoped to the look, not including your CST or output transform unless that’s intended.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

Best Practices

• Calibrated monitoring: Grade on a display with known behaviour. For Rec.709 delivery, set timeline/viewer gamma to 2.4 (dark room) or 2.2 (brighter environment).
• Work scene-referred when possible: Use ACES or DaVinci Wide Gamut; apply output transforms last for resilient colour.
• Keep LUTs modular: Technical conversion separate from creative look LUTs.
• Use LUT intensity and blend modes: Subtlety sells realism; 20–50% often lands better than 100%.
• Protect skin tones: Use qualifiers and parallel nodes to maintain natural skin even with stylized looks.

Pitfalls

• Colour space mismatch: Applying a Rec.709 look LUT to log footage directly produces milky or oversaturated results. Convert first.
• Double transforms: Don’t stack a camera LUT and a CST doing the same conversion.
• Clipping: Some LUTs push highlights beyond legal range. Monitor scopes; use soft clipping or HDR wheels to tame.
• Fixed WB/exposure: LUTs don’t fix capture mistakes; correct before applying the look.
• Platform gamma shifts: Web players may assume sRGB. Test on target platforms to avoid washed-out or too-contrast delivery.

Photography-to-Video Mindset Shifts

• RAW vs log: Log isn’t RAW; it’s compressed dynamic range in an 8/10-bit container. You still need correct exposure at capture.
• Presets vs looks: Just like photo presets, LUTs are starting points. Expect per-shot tweaks.
• Local adjustments: Power windows and qualifiers are your radial/gradient filters—use them to guide attention and protect skin.

Troubleshooting: Why Your LUT Looks Wrong

• Too strong/contrasty: Lower mix to 20–40%, add gentle contrast manually, or place the LUT after primaries.
• Weird skin hue: Check vectorscope; add a parallel node for skin isolation and neutralization, then recombine.
• Crushed blacks/muddy shadows: Lift shadows pre-LUT, or adjust LUT output via curves after application.
• Desaturated highlights: Some LUTs reduce highlight chroma; add hue vs sat to restore saturation above ~70 IRE.
• Banding: Grade in 32-bit float; add tiny film grain to dither.

Example: From Flat Log to Stylized Rec.709

1. Balance: Set WB using a grey in the scene; push exposure so skin reads ~55 IRE.
2. CST: S-Log3/SGamut3.cine to DaVinci Intermediate/DWG.
3. Primary: Add contrast (10–20), pivot to keep midtones natural, saturation to taste (+10).
4. Creative Look: Apply a Kodak-like LUT at 35% mix.
5. Secondaries: Isolate skin; nudge hue toward the skin tone line, reduce sat in greens.
6. Output: DWG to Rec.709 gamma 2.4. Check on a calibrated display and a phone.

Final Checklist

• Exposure and WB corrected before any LUTs.
• Technical transform (CST or camera LUT) applied once, early.
• Creative LUT blended subtly; skin tones protected.
• Scopes used throughout; confirm delivery gamma.
• Consistency across shots established via chart and group/post-clip nodes.

With the right order of operations and a thoughtful blend of presets and custom work, LUTs can speed you from flat capture to polished, photographic colour—reliably and repeatably across projects.