Turn your raw footage into stunning visuals with professional color tones.
🛠️ 1. Import Your Footage
- Open Final Cut Pro X.
- Create a new library/project.
- Import your footage by clicking File > Import > Media.
- Drag clips to the timeline.
🎞️ 2. Apply a Custom LUT (Optional)
If you’re working with LOG footage (from Canon C-Log, Sony S-Log, etc.):
- Go to the Effects Browser.
- Search for “Custom LUT” and drag it onto your clip.
- In the Inspector panel, choose a LUT from the dropdown or import your own.
- Example: Apply a Rec.709 LUT to normalize flat footage.
🧪 3. Open the Color Inspector
- Select your clip in the timeline.
- Click the magic wand icon (or use shortcut Command + 6) to open the Color Inspector.
- Click the pop-up menu (Color Board icon) and select:
- Color Wheels
- Color Curves
- Hue/Saturation Curves
- Or Color Board (basic mode)
🎚️ 4. Start Basic Corrections (Color Wheels)
Use Color Wheels for easy control:
- Exposure – Adjust shadows, midtones, and highlights.
- Saturation – Boost or reduce color intensity.
- Color Balance – Shift colors in shadows, midtones, or highlights (e.g., warmer midtones for a golden hour look).
🎨 5. Refine with Curves (Advanced Look)
- Use Color Curves for precise tonal control.
- Drag points on the curve to adjust contrast.
- “S-Curve” = More cinematic contrast.
🌈 6. Use Hue/Saturation Curves (Optional Precision)
- Go to Hue vs Sat, Hue vs Hue, or Luma vs Sat.
- Isolate and tweak specific colors (e.g., make greens pop or desaturate skin tones).
🔄 7. Use Masks & Color Effects (Optional)
- Use the Draw Mask or Shape Mask tool to apply grading to only part of the frame.
- Example: Brighten only a subject’s face or darken a background.
🧪 8. Adjust White Balance (If Needed)
- Select the clip, then go to the Inspector > Balance Color.
- Choose “White Balance” and use the eyedropper tool to pick a neutral point.
👀 9. View Before & After
- Toggle color corrections on/off with the checkbox in the Color Inspector.
- Use Split Screen in the viewer for before/after comparisons.
📤 10. Export Your Graded Video
- Click File > Share > Master File (or use YouTube, Vimeo presets).
- Choose high-quality export settings (H.264 or ProRes for best quality).
✅ Bonus Tips:
- Use Scopes (Waveform, Vectorscope, Histogram) to ensure proper color exposure and saturation.
- Save your favorite grades as Presets to reuse.
- Avoid over-saturation — keep it natural unless you’re stylizing on purpose.
- Try LUTs from sites like Triune Films, Motion VFX, or create your own LUTs in DaVinci Resolve and import them into FCPX.
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