Colour & Finishing
COLOUR GRADING.
Correction first, look second. Every camera matched, every skin tone believable, and a grade that stays consistent from the first shot to the last.
The service
CORRECTION FIRST. LOOK SECOND.
Most footage that looks cheap is not badly shot — it is ungraded. Two cameras drift apart in white balance, one interview is a stop under, the log footage never got a proper conversion, and the whole video reads as amateur even though every individual shot was fine.
The work happens in that order. First correction: exposure balanced, white balance matched, log and raw material converted properly, noise handled before it gets amplified. Then shot matching, so a cut between the A-cam and the B-cam stops being visible. Only then the look — built for your brand and your platform rather than pulled from a LUT pack.
Skin tones get their own attention, because that is where the eye catches errors first. A grade that makes the background beautiful and the presenter slightly green is a failed grade.
Grading is included in every CutLab edit, but it is also available on its own: send a locked cut or a finished timeline, and get it back graded and ready to publish.
Included
WHAT THE GRADE COVERS.
EXPOSURE & BALANCE
Every shot corrected to a consistent baseline before any creative work starts — the part that actually removes the amateur look.
SHOT MATCHING
Multiple cameras, mixed lighting and footage shot days apart, matched until the cuts between them become invisible.
LOG & RAW CONVERSION
Correct handling of S-Log, V-Log, C-Log, BRAW and ProRes RAW — proper transforms rather than a LUT dropped on top and left there.
SKIN TONES
Faces isolated and corrected so people look like themselves under any lighting, which is where most grades quietly fail.
LOOK DESIGN
A grade built for your brand and kept identical across every video, instead of a different mood each time.
FINISHING
Noise reduction, sharpening, vignettes and stabilisation where needed, then export in the codec your platform expects.
Process
HOW IT RUNS.
SEND THE CUT
A locked edit, an XML or AAF with the media, or the raw footage if the edit is ours. Proxies are fine to start with.
REFERENCE PASS
One or two reference stills or a video whose look you want. Without a reference, we propose one and you pick.
GRADE IN 48H
Correction, matching and look applied across the full timeline, delivered as a graded master you can watch end to end.
REVISIONS & DELIVERY
Adjustments by timestamp. Final delivery in the codec and colour space your platform needs.
Specifications
FORMATS & DELIVERY.
| Software | DaVinci Resolve Studio, with node-based grades kept tidy enough to hand back if you ever want them. |
|---|---|
| Turnaround | 48 hours for standard projects. Feature-length or heavily windowed grades are scheduled in advance. |
| Source formats | BRAW, ProRes RAW, all common log profiles, H.264, H.265 and phone footage. Mixed-camera projects are routine. |
| Delivery | ProRes, DNxHR or H.264 masters in Rec.709, HDR on request, at 1080p, 4K or higher. |
| Project handover | Graded Resolve project files or a rendered master — your choice, stated in the quote. |
| Revisions | Agreed before work starts — normally two rounds on the full timeline. |
FAQ
GRADING, ANSWERED.
How much does colour grading cost?
It is quoted by runtime and condition of the footage. A single-camera talking head graded from clean log material is quick; matching four cameras shot under changing light is not, and the quote reflects the difference rather than hiding it.
Can you grade footage I edited myself?
Yes. Send a locked cut, an XML or AAF with the media, or a rendered master. Sending the project file gives the most control, but a rendered file still works.
Do you work with log and raw footage?
Yes — S-Log, V-Log, C-Log, N-Log, BRAW and ProRes RAW are all handled with proper colour transforms rather than a LUT dropped on top.
Can you match footage from different cameras?
That is the core of the job. Mixed cameras, mixed lighting and footage shot on different days get matched until the cuts stop being visible.
Will the grade match my brand?
We build the look from your references and brand colours, then reuse it on every future project so your videos stay recognisable.
Do you deliver in HDR?
Yes, on request. Say the target — Rec.709, HDR10 or Dolby Vision — and delivery is prepared for it.
SEND ONE TIMELINE.
Send a cut you are unhappy with the look of. You get it back graded within 48 hours and can compare it against the original.
GET YOUR QUOTE →