Spend any time watching Resolve tutorials and you’ll see many different ways in which colorists approach the creation of the same looks. Some create a look with just a few simple nodes. Others build a seemingly convoluted node tree designed to achieve the same goal. Neither approach is right or wrong.
Often what can all be done in a single node is spread across several in order to easily trace back through your steps when changes are needed. It also makes it easy to compare the impact of a correction by enabling and disabling a node. A series of nodes applied to a clip can be saved as a PowerGrade, which is a node preset. PowerGrades can be set up for a certain look or can be populated with blank (unaltered) nodes that are organized for how you like to work. Individual nodes can also be labeled, so that it’s easy to remember what operation you will do in each node.
The following is a simple PowerGrade (node sequence) that can be used as a starting point for most color grading work. It’s based on using log footage, but can also be modified for camera RAW or recordings in non-log color spaces, like Rec 709. These nodes are designed as a simple operational sequence to follow and each step can be used in a manner that works best with your footage. The sample ARRI clip was recorded with an ALEXA camera using the Log-C color profile.
Node 2 (LUT) – This is the starting point, because the first thing I want to do is apply the proper camera LUT to transform the image out of log. You could also do this with manual grading (no LUT). In that case the first three nodes would be rolled into one. Alternately you may use a Color Space Transform effect or even a Dehaze effect in some cases. But for the projects I grade, which largely use ARRI, Panasonic, Canon, and Sony cameras, adding the proper LUT seems to be the best starting point.
Node 1 (Contrast/Saturation) – With the LUT added to Node 2, I will go back to Node 1 to adjust contrast, pivot, and saturation. This changes the image going into the LUT and is a bit like adjusting the volume gain stage prior to applying an effect or filter when mixing sound. Since LUTs affect how color is treated, I will rarely adjust color balance or hue offsets (color wheels) in Node 1, as it may skew what the LUT is doing to the image in Node 2. The objective is to make subtle adjustments in Node 1 that improve the natural result coming out of Node 2.
Node 3 (Primary Correction) – This node is where you’ll want to correct color temperature/tint and use the color wheels, RGB curves, and other controls to achieve a nice primary color correction. For example, you may need to shift color temperature warmer or cooler, lower black levels, apply a slight s-curve in the RGB curves, or adjust the overall level up or down.
Node 4 (Secondary Correction) – This node is for enhancement and the tools you’ll generally use are hue/sat curves. Let’s say you want to enhance skin tones, or the blue in the sky. Adjust the proper hue/sat curve in this node.
Node 5 (Windows) – You can add one or more “power windows” within the node (or use multiple nodes). Windows can be tracked to follow objects, but the main objective is a way to relight the scene. In most projects, I find that one window per shot is typically all I need, if any at all. Often this is to brighten up the lighting on the main talent in the shot. The use of windows is a way to direct the viewer’s attention. Often a simple soft-edged oval is all you’ll need to achieve a dramatic result.
Node 6 (Vignette) – The last node in this basic structure is to add a vignette, which I generally apply just to subtly darken the corners. This adds a bit of character to most shots. I’ll build the vignette manually with a circular window rather than apply a stock effect. The window is inverted so that the correction impacts the shot outside of the windowed area.
So there’s a simple node tree that works for many jobs. If you need to adjust parameters such as noise reduction, that’s best done in Node 1 or 2. Remember that Resolve grading works on two levels – clip and timeline. These are all clip-based nodes. If you want to apply a global effect, like adding film grain to the whole timeline, then you can change the grading mode from clip to timeline. In the timeline mode, any nodes you apply impact the whole timeline and are added on top of any clip-by-clip correction, so it works a bit like an adjustment layer.
©2021 Oliver Peters
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