It’s easy to shoot video- the tedious part comes when you sit down and edit the footage! Editing can be a long process, and it’s helpful to have tools at your disposal that streamline the process and save you some headaches. LUTs are one of those tools.
LUT stands for ‘look up table’. It’s essentially a preset color ‘filter’ that you can apply to a piece of footage. To create a LUT, you can take a still from your footage, import the image into Photoshop, and adjust your settings in Properties until you’re satisfied with the look. You can then save the LUT and apply it to an entire piece of footage.
LUTs make color grading easier, faster, and more consistent. They’re a great tool to have at your disposal!
A few quick LUT tips:
- Before applying a LUT to footage, ensure that settings like white balance and exposure are calibrated correctly. If you skip this step, it can affect the look of your LUT.
- If you’re making a LUT for footage that has harsh light, make sure that you’re comparing your LUT to the brightest and dimmest frames and finding a balance between the two so the footage looks as good as possible.
- Make sure to clearly name your LUTs so you can stay organized and work efficiently while color grading! This can prevent a lot of confusion and pain.
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