Color Grading 101

Charles Haine is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who has worked in the motion picture industry since 1999. He has been teaching color grading since 2008. That same year, Haine founded the production company Dirty Robber, which has gone on to success in feature films, shorts, and commercials. Haine has also colored music videos for bands like My Chemical Romance and Fitz and The Tantrums, spots for brands like BMW, Ford, McDonald’s, Chevy, and ESPN, and countless short and feature films including Leslie Libman’s DisCONNECTED and Adam Bhala Lough’s Hot Sugar’s Cold World. Haine is currently an Assistant Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, and was formerly an Associate Professor at Los Angeles City College. Haine is the author of The Urban Cyclist’s Handbook in addition to another book published by Routledge, Business and Entrepreneurship for Filmmakers. He is currently the tech editor at NoFilmSchool.com.

"Color Grading 101 is an easy introduction to color grading for new and aspiring colorists. It is full of excellent advice for embarking on a career as a colorist and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the responsibilities and craft of our profession."—Kevin Shaw, President of Colorist Society International"Color correction is often the most misunderstood stage of the filmmaking process. It can be daunting, confusing, and even in some cases, completely forgotten. This reputation often derives from its traditionally over-complicated explanation and arduous approach by its masters. In Color Grading 101, author Charles Haine walks readers through this crucial post production process in a way that is grounded, universal, and personable. Whereas most books on the subject matter are geared solely towards aspiring colorists, this work is intended to serve a multitude of crew members on all levels."—Matthew J. Pellowski, Film and Television Director and Showrunner"Everything you wanted to know about color grading but were potentially afraid to ask! A great ‘101,’ helping anybody interested in color grading to get to grips with an often-misunderstood area. Written with panache and a ‘no-nonsense’ style!"—Charlie Watts, Avid Certified Instructor; Principal Lecturer and Course Leader, School of Film, Media and Communication, University of Portsmouth

• Introduction: "Why Doesn’t My Footage Look as Good as Other People’s?"Overview: What is Color Grading, Exactly?Tech 1: Hardware, Software, MonitoringArt 1: The Story as GuideQuiz 1Tech 2: Codecs and PipelineArt 2: Color PlanQuiz 2Practice 1Tech 3: Basic Primary Grading Art 3: Basics of Additive ColorQuiz 3Practice 2Tech 4: MatchingArt 4: History and GenresQuiz 4Practice 3Tech 5: Curves, Shapes, and KeysArt 5: Protecting Skin TonesQuiz 5Practice 4Tech 6: Tracking and KeyframingArt 6: Clients and Decision MakingQuiz 6 Practice 5Tech 7: Plugins, Noise Correction, and Heavy ProcessingArt 7: CommercialsQuiz 7Practice 6Tech 8: Mattes, Alpha, Composites, and CleanupArt 8: Music VideosQuiz 8Practice 7Tech 9: LUTs and TransformsArt 9: Portfolio BuildingQuiz 9Practice 8Tech 10: Onset Workflow, Panels, Dailies and Online/Conform Art 10: Building a BusinessQuiz 10Practice 9ConclusionIndex