What Is Colour Grading?

Colour grading is the post-production process by which a colourist stylizes the colour scheme of the footage by “painting” on top of what they’ve established through color correction. During colour grading, colorists use editing software to stylize the footage emphasizing the visual tone and atmosphere of a movie, and making it look more cinematic. Colorists use colour grading to adjust contrast, colour balance, white balance, black level, saturation, and luminance.

What Is the Purpose of Colour Grading?

Colorists use Colour grading for artistic purposes to ensure that the film's Colour palette conveys a specific atmosphere, style, or emotion. For example, a colorist might use more red in dramatic moments to represent passion, anger, and power. Colour grading can even clarify elements of a film's narrative, perhaps adding a distinct tint to flashbacks or scenes that take place in a different location to differentiate them from the rest of the film.