Making footage look right.
WHAT CORRECTION DOES
Makes footage accurate: correct exposure, neutral white, consistent between shots.
WHAT GRADING DOES
Applies a deliberate look.
WHY CORRECTION COMES FIRST
A look applied to inconsistent footage exposes the inconsistency.
WHAT TO MATCH ACROSS SHOTS
Brightness Colour temperature Contrast
WHY MATCHING MATTERS MOST
Cuts between mismatched shots are jarring even to untrained viewers.
WHAT SCOPES PROVIDE
Objective measurement of levels and colour.
WHY NOT TRUST YOUR EYES
Screens vary, and eyes adapt to whatever is in front of them.
WHAT TO CHECK
That no important detail is pure black or pure white.
WHAT FLAT PROFILES ARE
Footage recorded with reduced contrast, preserving detail for grading.
WHAT THEY REQUIRE
Grading, since they look wrong untouched.
WHAT TO AVOID
Grading before the edit is locked Heavy looks that date quickly Skin tones that drift unnatural
WHY SKIN TONES SPECIFICALLY
Viewers detect wrong skin immediately, without knowing why.
WHAT TO VIEW ON
A screen that is reasonably accurate, and at least one ordinary phone.
WHY A PHONE
It is where most viewers will watch.
