Adobe Premiere Pro Color Grading Tutorial 2024

Hey everyone, welcome back to a brand new article. Today, we'll dive into Adobe Premiere Pro and color grading techniques to transform a raw shot from this to this. I'll walk you through, step by step, exactly how and why I adjusted the settings to achieve such stunning results. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Step 1: Initial Setup in Premiere Pro

Firstly, import your shot into Premiere Pro. For context, this particular shot was filmed using a Sony ZV1 in SL log 3 with a 24-70 f2.8 lens from Sigma. We'll be color grading without a conversion LUT or any of my cinematic LUTs.

Cinematic LUTs Pack

Before we dive deeper, a quick note: I have a comprehensive pack of cinematic LUTs designed to simplify and speed up your color grading. If you want to quickly achieve professional-grade results, you can purchase them using a discount code linked in the description.

Step 2: Basic Adjustments in the Basic Correction Tab

Navigate to the Color panel by clicking on the 'Color' tab at the top of Premiere Pro. We start in the Basic Correction tab:

Decrease Shadows: Darkens the shadow areas.
Increase Contrast: Enhances the overall contrast.
Increase Highlights: Brightens the highlight regions.

This combination brings back contrast and color, making the image more vibrant and true-to-life. You can see a significant difference when you toggle the Lumetri Color effect on and off.

Step 3: Tone Curve Adjustments

We add an S-curve in the tone curve to refine the contrast further:

Add Three Points: One in the Shadows, one in the Midtones, and one in the Highlights.
Adjust the Shadows: Lower them slightly for richer tones.
Increase the Midtones and Highlights: Refines the overall look.

Step 4: White Balance Adjustment

After setting contrast, check and adjust the white balance:

Correct any tint issues: If the image looks green, like ours here, adjust the slider towards the magenta side.

Step 5: Advanced Color Adjustments in Curves

Move to the Curves panel for detailed color adjustments:

Hue vs. Hue: Adjust specific color hues like making greens more vibrant and reds stand out more.
Hue vs. Saturation: Fine-tunes saturation levels for different colors.
Hue vs. Luminance: Adjusts brightness levels for selected colors, making greens darker and reds more pronounced.

Step 6: Color Wheels & Match

In the Color Wheels & Match panel:

Highlights: Add blue tones to the highlights for a cooler effect.
Shadows and Midtones: Experiment with slight adjustments to change the overall mood.

Step 7: Vignette and Masking Techniques

Add a vignette to focus on the subject:

Decrease Vignette Value: Darkens the edges of the frame to draw attention to the central subject.

Use masks for precise adjustments:

Create a Custom Vignette: Adjust the Shadows around the mask to refine the vignette effect.
Desaturate Distracting Areas: Create masks around specific areas and desaturate them for less distraction.

Final Adjustments

Review the entire shot by toggling Lumetri Color off and on frequently. Make any final tweaks in the Basic Correction or Curves panels.

We've transformed our shot from a flat, uninspiring clip to a visually stunning and vibrant image.

Keywords

Adobe Premiere Pro
Color Grading
Basic Correction
Tone Curve
White Balance
Advanced Color Adjustments
Vignette
Masking Techniques
Cinematic LUTs

FAQ

Q1: What camera and settings were used for this tutorial?

A1: The shot was captured using a Sony ZV1 camera in SL log 3 with a 24-70 f2.8 lens from Sigma.

Q2: Do I need to use LUTs for color grading?

A2: No, you can manually adjust color settings as shown in this tutorial. However, using LUTs can speed up the process.

Q3: How can I make sure my white balance is accurate?

A3: Set the basic contrast and highlights first, then adjust the white balance using the tint and temperature sliders until your image looks natural.

Q4: What is the purpose of using masks in color grading?

A4: Masks allow you to make precise adjustments to specific areas of your shot, enhancing details and minimizing distractions.

Q5: How do I check if my color grading is consistent?

A5: Frequently toggle the Lumetri Color effect on and off to compare the graded footage with the original.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for following along! I hope this tutorial helped you understand color grading in Adobe Premiere Pro. If you’re new here, consider subscribing for more. And if you want to fast-track your color grading process, check out my cinematic LUTs linked below. Happy editing!