Colour Grading

In film production, Colour Grading is a post production process which involves enhancing the colour of the images onscreen in some manner. This can range from subtle differences, such as White Balance, to a stark change in colour (blue to red).

Example of Colour Grading, Transporter 2

Often when filming a scene, the shot will not look exactly as we had pictured in our minds. Camera quality itself and lighting can make all the difference during production, but these can be remedied in the editing process. Adobe Premiere Pro is able to support a plug in that delivers colour correction, as shown in the image above.

Another colour grading example.

Even higher end cameras can be enhanced with colour grading. As you can see here the quality of the image is superb, but the lighting is flat and doesn't set the mood of the subject. The colour grader has enhanced the image by heightening the contrast, darkening the overall image and saturating the colours within the shot. This has made for a more dramatic looking, and potentially painting-esque shot that appears far more cinematic than its previous incarnation.

In conclusion, what I have learnt about colour grading is that it can make a drastic difference to the overall mood and appearance of your film project. No matter if you have a low quality camera, or a professional standard one, colour grading is essential for making your images more cinematic and less lo-fi.