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COLOUR WORKFLOW
FIRST First, we need good footage to start with.
Use the app's histogram to ensure correctly exposed footage at the
time of shooting, i.e. no blown-out highlights, no crushed blacks.

FILM WELL Use a flat(ish) colour profile to avoid baking too much contrast and
saturation into the image. We can add this back in step 2.
ON THE DAY
Avoid spikes at the far left or right
of the histogram when shooting.
In most situations you want to see
something like this.

SECOND We colour correct BEFORE we colour grade.

Adjust contrast if required by using the histogram to bring black
point to 0 and white point to 100.

COLOUR Adjust saturation as desired.

Correct white balance if required by adding or removing blue from
CORRECTION the image.
Now we have our starting point for the colour grade.

BEFORE
'Stretch' histogram by adjusting
contrast so that blacks sit on 0
and whites on 100 (this assumes

AFTER
your image has black and white in
it...almost all shots do). Then
adjust saturation and white
balance if required.

THIRD Make adjustments in your editor or apply a LUT. Grading is the finesse you apply
to an already great clip.

COLOUR GRADE BEFORE AFTER