Understanding Color Grading

What is Color Grading

Color grading is a powerful and transformative video editing tool that allows you not only to improve the quality of your video, but to set the mood for your entire production. Achieve cinema-quality color effects, mimicking hollywood films like the Matrix, Inception, and more using color grading controls in Pinnacle Studio and take your video project to the next level.

Color Grading vs Color Correction

Color Grading and Color Correction are two similar terms, occasionally used interchangeably. Generally, color correction refers to adjustments made to a video to improve the quality of your footage. These include corrections made to compensate for issues like underexposed subjects, unnatural skin tones, irregular lighting, and other problems that may have occurred during filming. Color Correction is often the first step in a color grading process, addressing basic challenges with the footage before the full color profile and creative adjustments have been made. Color Grading is a broader term, and while it sometimes includes corrections, it also applies to adjustments that are made for stylistic effect. Changing the color of an object, shifting the hue to set the mood in a scene, and making alterations to keep the tone of video clips consistent across a project are all examples of using color grading.

Explore Color Grading, Video Masking, and more pro-caliber features with Pinnacle Studio

Color Grading with Pinnacle Studio

The current four color grading control panels included in Pinnacle Studio’s color grading toolkit offer similar but unique ways you can adjust the brightness, tone, hue and additional color levels in your video project. These four color grading control panels are listed along the top of the ‘Editor’ window under ‘Color’:

By default, each of the color grading control panels open with a keyframing window immediately to the right of the settings where you can choose to fine tune your adjustments to evolve over the duration of your clip. You can instead choose to display one of four ‘Video Scopes’ to view additional information about the color in your clip. Each of the following Video Scopes display information about the brightness of colors in your clip in a different way, offering unique uses:

With this toolkit of powerful color grading features, you can not only color correct your footage, but apply cinema grade color grading adjustments to completely transform the tone and mood of your video project. Explore the potential uses for each color grading control panel and learn how to color grade your next production for pro-quality results!

Learn how to correct white balance, adjust the tone of shadows and highlights independently across colors within your video, even instantly change the color scheme of a project using these color grading tools! See an overview of using the color grading controls in Pinnacle Studio in the tutorial below.

Why use Pinnacle Studio to edit your video?

Pinnacle Studio’s powerful collection of tools provide editing precision, and empower you with complete creative control. The color grading adjustments you make to your video project are fully keyframable, giving you the power to fine tune every detail of your edits. Pinnacle Studio also features a growing number of timeline efficiencies to streamline your workflow, including easy duplication of your color grading customizations across clips.

Pinnacle Studio offers pro-quality tools beyond color grading including video masking, 360 video editing, over 1500 visual filters and effects, and more! Take a look at all the features offered by Pinnacle Studio and start editing like a pro today.

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