Mark Spencer – Advanced Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve 17/18

*** Proof of Product ***

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Exploring the Essential Features of “Mark Spencer – Advanced Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve 17/18”

• Use Windows and Qualifiers
• Grade with the HDR palette
• Isolate subjects with Magic Mask
• Streamline color management
• Grade skin and improve facial rendering
• Work with raw and log footage

Who this Tutorial is for:

This tutorial was designed for beginning to intermediate Resolve users who want to work faster while improving the look of their footage. This tutorial assumes a basic familiarity with the DaVinci Resolve 17/18 user interface. Users who need a foundational understanding of DaVinci Resolve should watch DaVinci Resolve 18 Core Training.

Software Version: DaVinci Resolve 18 or later.

Run Time: 7 hours 6 minutes

Type of Tutorial: Beginner

Project Media: Project media is included.

Advanced Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve 17/18

1. Introduction

2. Opening a Resolve Archive

• Opening an Archive
• Grading Workflow Steps
• Balancing Shots
• Shot Matching
• Secondary Grading
• Creating a Look

3. Setting Tonal Range & Contrast

• Picking Black & White Points
• Refining Contrast with Master Wheels
• Adjusting Contrast & Pivot
• Adjusting Contrast Controls in Settings

4. Setting Contrast with more Flexibility

• Using Curves
• Pop-out Curve Palette
• Unganging Luminance
• Adding Control Points
• Curves vs. Wheels

5. Balancing Colors

• Adjusting Tonal Range with the Custom Curve
• Balancing Color with Curves
• Adjusting Tonal Range and Balancing Color with the Primaries Wheels
• Normalizing a Shot with Color Match

6. Understanding Log & Color Wheels

• Using Primaries and Log Wheels on a Gradient
• Adjust Log Master Wheel Ranges
• Combining Primaries Wheels and Log Wheels Corrections

7. Building a Shot Matching Strategy

8. Organizing with Flags & Filters

• Changing Default Flag Color
• Flags and Clip Instances
• Filtering the Timeline with Flags
• Markers vs. Flags

9. Matching Shots with Shot Match & Color Bars

• Automatic Shot Matching
• Adding a Shot-Matching Node
• Matching Shots with Stills
• Creating a Keyboard Shortcut for Labeling Nodes
• Wiping a Still
• Resizing Shots
• Shot Matching with the Color Bars

10. Shot Matching with Curves

• How to use the RGB Parade when Matching Shots
• Wiping a Timeline Clip
• Shot Matching with Curves
• Understanding Lum Mix
• Matching the Skies
• Comparing Shots with a Split Screen
• Multiple Playhead Split Screen Mode

11. Controlling the Viewer’s Eye

• Working with Power Windows
• Correcting Outside a Window
• Creating Shallow Depth of Field with Tilt-Shift Blur
• Creating a Vignette Effect with a Power Window
• Saving a Window Grade as a Preset
• Using a Depth Matte to Isolate Areas for Correction

12. Sharpening & Tracking Key Elements

• Using the Blur & Sharpen Palette
• Evaluating Sharpening
• Isolating Sharpening with a Power Window
• Tracking a Power Window
• Manually Tracking in Frame Mode

13. Fixing Overcast Skies

• Using a Qualifier
• Grading the Qualified Sky
• Replacing a Sky
• Creating and Connecting an Alpha Output
• Clip Resizing
• Using the Sky Replacement Effect
• Using a Gradient Power Window
• Combining Qualifiers and Power Windows
• Adding Atmosphere

14. Warping Colors to a Target

• The Color Warper Palette
• Working with Hue and Saturation Graph
• Refining Selections with Mesh Density
• Using Tools, Range, and Auto Lock
• Selecting Skin Tones
• Working with the Chroma-Luma Graph

15. Face Refinement

• Applying the Face Refinement Effect
• Facial Feature Analysis
• Checking and Adjusting the Matte
• Improving Skin Quality
• Face Refinement Color Grading Parameters
• Retouching Parameters
• Blending in Facial Adjustments
• Face Refinement on a Different Subject

16. Adjusting Skin Tones Manually

• Color Grading Workflow Review
• Grading Skin Tones with HSL Curves
• Using the Hue vs. Hue Curve
• Using the Hue vs. Sat Curve
• Using the Luma vs. Sat Curve
• Using the Sat vs Lum Curve
• Softening & Sharpening Skin

17. Importing an XML Timeline

• Understanding Conforming
• Creating a New Project
• Importing an XML File
• Reviewing the Imported Timeline and Media

18. Syncing an Offline Reference

• Importing a Reference Movie
• Linking the Reference Movie
• Displaying the Reference Movie
• Addressing Media Offline Warnings
• Changing Reference Movie Starting Timecode
• Matching Color Spaces

19. Conforming a Timeline

• Replacing a Missing Clip with Conform Lock
• Comparing Shots
• Using Wipe Modes to Compare Clips
• Viewer Wipe Modes
• Transforming a Clip with a Difference Wipe
• Stepping Through Clips

20. Reconforming to HQ Footage

• Proxy vs. Full Quality media
• Disabling File Media Path Lock
• Reconforming from Media Storage

21. Generating Proxy Media

• Settings for Creating Proxy Media
• Generating & Confirming Proxies
• Linking to Proxies Generated Elsewhere
• Playing Proxy Media
• Creating a Proxy-Only Archive for Remote Editing
• Using the Blackmagic Proxy Generator

22. Color Managed Workflow

• Rec. 709 and Log Gamma Curves
• Using a LUT with Log-encoded Clips
• Using the Color Space Transform OFX Node
• Color Space Transforms vs. LUTs
• Setting up Resolve Color Management
• Setting the Input Color Space Manually
• RCM Preset Detailed Settings
• Working with the DaVinci Wide Gamut Preset
• RCM & Color-space aware grading tools
• Summarizing Color Management

23. Working with Local Versions

• Reading Stills Numbering
• Applying a Grade from a Still
• Creating a Cross Process Look
• Renaming Local Versions
• Creating Multiple Local Versions
• Resetting Nodes and Grades
• Applying a Bleach Bypass Look
• Selecting Local Versions
• Using a Split Screen to compare Versions
• Local vs. Remote Versions

24. Appending Grades & Nodes

• Shot Matching before Applying Looks
• Appending a Node Graph
• Copying Individual Nodes from a Still
• Copy/Pasting Individual Nodes
• Copy/Pasting Specific Attributes

25. Using Shared Nodes

• Shared Nodes Explained
• Saving a Shared Node
• Applying Shared Nodes
• Modifying the Grade on a Shared Node
• Adding a Vignette via a Shared Node
• An Alternate Method for Applying Shared Nodes
• Using Split Screen to Adjust Multiple Shared Nodes

26. Saving Grades for Other Projects

• Using the PowerGrade Album
• Creating Project Memories
• Using Unmix
• Applying PowerGrade Album Stills
• Exporting Stills
• Importing a Still
• Exporting with a Display LUT
• Workflow Options for Working with Stills

27. Rippling Grades from Shot to Shot

• Understanding Node Numbering
• Rippling Node Changes
• Rippling Node Changes to Groups

28. Copying Grades Using ColorTrace

• Comparing Starting Timelines
• Starting Color Trace
• Setting the Source Timeline
• Effects and Definitions
• Automatic and Manual Modes
• Color Trace Color Coding
• Copying the Grades
• Manually Matching Clips
• Verifying the Grade

29. Copying Grades Using the Timelines Album

• Setting the Target
• Using the Timelines Album

30. Using Remote Versions

• Remote vs. Local Versions
• Loading the Remote Version
• Creating a Remote Grade
• Setting All Clips to use Remote Versions
• Clip-based Undo
• Grading Remote Versions
• Excluding a Clip from a Remote Grade
• Renaming a Remote Version

31. Applying Remote Grades to a New Cut

• Reviewing the Ungraded Stringout
• Fast Review
• Setting the Timeline to use Remote Grades
• Apply a Grade with PowerGrade Album Presets
• Importing an Edited Timeline
• Auto-grading Imported Timelines with Remote Grades

32. Understanding Node-Based Corrections

• The Anatomy of a Node
• Understanding Node Order
• Color, Luminance and Saturation Across Nodes

33. Adjusting Contrast & Luminance on Nodes

• Crushing the Shadows
• Attempting to Recover Lost Shadow Detail
• Is Color Information Really Lost?

34. Dominant Color Grades & Surrounding Nodes

• Creating a Cold Look
• Exempting Skin Tones from a Look Grade
• Impact of a Look Grade on Qualifying
• Refining the Qualification
• Limiting Qualifier with a Power Window
• Node Order Impact on a Qualified Grade Before a Look Grade

35. The Parallel Mixer Node

• Working with the Parallel Mixer Node
• Morphing into a Layer Mixer Node
• Adjusting a Grade for the Layer Mixer Node
• Mixer Nodes Summary

36. Visualizing Mixer Nodes

• Adding a Generator and Making it Gradable
• Creating 3 Layer Mixer Nodes
• Mixing Colors with Power Windows
• Understanding Layer Mixer Nodes
• Changing Layer Mixer Composite Modes
• Reordering Layer Mixer Nodes
• Understanding Parallel Mixer Nodes

37. The Layer Mixer Node

• Creating a Stylized Look
• Grading the Water
• Isolating the Water
• Grading the Foliage
• Grading the Foreground Elements
• Sharing a Matte Between Nodes
• Isolating and Grading the Towel
• Creating and Working With Compound Nodes

38. Applying Transparency to Video Tracks

• Stacked Clips in the Edit Page
• Adding an Alpha Output
• Keying a Shot with the 3D Qualifier
• Finessing the Matte
• Eliminating Spill
• Eliminating the Boom Mic
• Grading the Foreground

39. Importing & Using an External Matte

• Importing and Associating an External Matte
• Adding the External Matte Node
• Passing Transparency to the Output Node
• Tracking to a Background Plate
• Creating a Compound Clip for Grading

40. Making Corrections with the Magic Mask

• Isolating a Person
• Tracking & Refining the Mask
• Isolating Skin with Magic Mask and a Qualifier
• Isolating Clothing
• Isolating Multiple Elements
• Isolating Objects

41. DaVinci Resolve Processing Pipeline

42. Using Scene Cut Detection

• About Scene Cut Detection
• Creating a New Project and Running Scene Cut Detection
• The Scene Detect Window
• Analyzing the Video Clip
• Checking and Adjusting Cut Points
• Removing Dissolve Cut Points
• Working with the Cutoff Line
• Adding Cuts to the Media Pool
• Adding Cut Clips to a New Timeline in Correct Order

43. Timeline Resolution & Aspect Ratios

• Flagging and Filtering Key Clips
• Adding a Saved Vignette Window
• Changing Timeline Resolution
• Ways to Leverage Resolution Changes
• Upscaling with Super Scale
• Down-scaling for Playback Performance when Editing
• Applying Blanking

44. Reframing Individual Clips

• Sizing Clips with Input Sizing
• Output Sizing
• Other Sizing Options
• Compositing with Node Sizing and a Mixer Node

45. Removing Objects with Patch Replacer or Node Sizing

• Using the Patch Replacer Effect
• Tracking the Patch Replacer
• Replacing Objects with Node Sizing
• Tracking the Power Window
• Blending the Patch by Softening and Grading

46. Using Object Removal

• Tracking the Object
• Applying the Object Removal Effect
• Scene Analysis
• Improving the Result
• Adding Localized Blur

47. Keyframing

• Animating Sizing with Keyframes
• Activating Animation
• Adjusting Keyframes
• Adjusting Dynamic Attributes
• Animating Color Corrections
• Emphasizing Time of Day with a Grade
• Static Keyframes
• Keyframing Resolve FX

48. Applying Noise Reduction

• Where in the Node Tree to Apply Noise Reduction
• Working in the Motion Effects Palette
• Working with Temporal Noise Reduction
• Setting Temporal Threshold
• Working with Spatial Noise Reduction
• Changing Noise Reduction Node Order
• Noise Reduction and Playback Performance
• NR available as ResolveFX on Edit page

49. Using Render Cache

• Source and Sequence Caching with Smart Cache
• Node Caching
• Understanding the User Cache Mode
• Manually Caching Node Trees
• Configuring Cache Quality
• Clearing a Cache
• Render Cache Order Changes

50. Creating a Group

• Grouping Clips
• Changing the Thumbnail Image
• Filtering Clips by Group
• Grading Grouped Clips Individually
• Groups and the Classic Grading Workflow

51. Apply Base Grades to Pre-Clip Group

• Understanding the Current Group
• Identifying a Representative Group Clip for Grading
• Normalizing a Group in Pre-Clip Mode

52. Adjustments at the Clip Group Level

• Setting Clip Mode
• Balancing and Secondary Corrections in Clip Mode
• Comparing Clips with a Wipe

53. Creating a Look at the Post-Clip Group Level

• Setting up for a Post-Clip Group Grade
• Importing and Analyzing a Reference Shot
• Grading to Match a Reference
• Returning to Clip Mode to Adjust a Grade
• Using the Sat vs. Luma Curve

54. Applying Timeline Level Grades

• Adding Film Grain
• Adding Blanking in Timeline Mode
• Adding a Data Burn-in

55. Adjusting RAW Settings at the Project Level

• Identifying RAW Clips
• Debayering RAW Files
• Debayering at the Project Level
• Grading Log-encoded Clips to Rec. 709
• Grading Rec. 709-encoded Clips
• Recovering Clipped Luminance Data
• Changing RAW Settings at the Clip Level
• Copying Custom RAW Settings
• Using Color Management with RAW Footage

56. Working with BlackMagic RAW

• What is BlackMagic RAW?
• Importing a .braw Clip
• Setting RAW Project Settings
• Working in the Camera RAW Palette
• Understanding Gamma Options

57. Using the HDR Palette

• HDR Palette vs. Wheels and Log Panels
• HDR Palette and Zone Graph Overview
• Setting up RCM for Log and RAW clips
• Zone-based Corrections
• Adjusting Zone Range and Falloff

58. Using Lightbox for Quality Control

• Using the Lightbox to Review Grading Status
• Filtering the Lightbox
• Reordering Clips
• Creating Custom Filters
• All-project Smart Filters

59. Render Workflow & Presets

• Setting the Video Output Format
• Understanding Render Presets
• Customizing a Video Preset
• Setting the Timeline Render Range
• Adding a Job to the Render Queue and Rendering

60. Custom Renders & Saving Presets

• Modifying the Custom Preset for Dailies Delivery
• Saving Customized Render Settings as a New Preset

61. Configuring a Timeline for Digital Cinema

• What is a DCP?
• EasyDCP Plugin
• DCP-compliant Aspect Ratios, Frame Sizes & Rates
• Changing Timeline Resolution to be DCP-compliant

62. Rendering a DCP

• Render Settings for DCP Delivery
• Setting the Composition Name
• Output Destination Requirements

63. Using Commercial Workflow to Export Versions

• Version Rendering Options
• Setting the Render Range
• Render Settings for Versions
• Enabling Flat Pass
• Rendering Versions

64. Advanced Render Settings

• Setting Quality
• Setting Keyframes
• Cinemascope
• Setting Data Levels
• Data burn-in
• Enable Flat Pass
• Showing All Jobs in the Render Queue

About the Author: Mark Spencer
 
Mark Spencer is a bay-area based producer, editor, teacher and writer. Mark is also an Apple-certified instructor for Final Cut Pro and Motion 5 and the author or coauthor of 5 books on Motion, including the Apple Pro Training Series Motion 5, all from Peachpit Press.

Please see the full list of alternative group-buy courses available here: https://lunacourse.com/shop/