Correction first, then grading
Colour correction makes footage look natural and consistent: whites look white, skin looks like skin, and two cameras match. Colour grading then gives the whole video its style, such as warm and soft for a wedding, or cool and punchy for a tech review.
The usual steps
- Balance exposure and white balance on each clip.
- Match shots so a cut does not jump in colour.
- Apply the look: contrast, colour shifts and saturation.
- Check skin tones and review on more than one screen.
Tools you will meet
DaVinci Resolve is known for its colour tools; Blackmagic Design describes its colour page as Hollywood’s most advanced colour corrector and offers a free version (Blackmagic Design). Premiere Pro and CapCut also include grading tools, and many editors apply ready-made looks saved as LUT files.
For short-form clients, a consistent grade across every reel is part of the brand. Many editors save one look per client and reuse it.