color correction versus color grading? at DVinfo.net

Nathan Quattrini · December 1st, 2007, 10:07 PM

Whats the difference? Different techniques? I`m a little confused

Jared Meyer · December 1st, 2007, 10:52 PM

To me, color correction means correcting errors in the colors from scene to scene and ensuring consistency throughout. Grading refers more to the creative "look" that gets applied (if there is one).

The terms are pretty interchangeable at this point though. Color correction and color grading can both refer to any color work done in post, whether corrective or creative.

Cole McDonald · December 2nd, 2007, 01:30 PM

They use the same filters, just in different ways. In color correction, you're trying to match shots and correct subtle shifts in white balance and exposure to give yourself a stable platform upon which to "grade" your shots.

The Panic room 3-disk box set has great post production BTS that covers this as does the Se7en BTS (this one is on youtube somewhere...can't find it though) and the King Kong (PJ's version) has ggood stuff on it in the BTS where they do tons of correction including very complex "windowing" of just eyes with rotoshapes that ring the eyes back up after the grading for the scene drops the life out of them.

Andrew Kimery · December 2nd, 2007, 04:22 PM

I think of it as using color correction to "zero out" the images so the whites, blacks, and colors are consistent through out then the color grading is applying the "look" you want. I don't think the terms are interchangeable though. For example, at a place I used to work many times an AE would do color correction in preparation for the on-line editor who would do the color grading.

-A

Glenn Chan · December 2nd, 2007, 06:10 PM

Some people use the terms interchangeably... and it's not like there is an official terminology police.

2- It helps to understand that some people use the terms differently.

(Much like "DI" and "linear". Some people use DI to refer to any color correction or color grading, whereas some people only mean that in context of a film-out; as in, not video output. Linear might refer to video gamma or linear light.)

David Mullen · December 2nd, 2007, 06:52 PM

It's something of a crossover term from film. In the U.S., shot to shot correction when printing film is called "timing", whereas in the U.K. and some other countries, it's called "grading" -- but it means the same thing.

In video, traditionally it has been called "color correction" but now film terms like "timing" and "grading" have crept in. It all means the same thing more or less.

December 1st, 2007, 10:07 PM	#1
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	color correction versus color grading? Whats the difference? Different techniques? I`m a little confused __________________ Cinematography Site

December 2nd, 2007, 01:30 PM	#3
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	They use the same filters, just in different ways. In color correction, you're trying to match shots and correct subtle shifts in white balance and exposure to give yourself a stable platform upon which to "grade" your shots. The Panic room 3-disk box set has great post production BTS that covers this as does the Se7en BTS (this one is on youtube somewhere...can't find it though) and the King Kong (PJ's version) has ggood stuff on it in the BTS where they do tons of correction including very complex "windowing" of just eyes with rotoshapes that ring the eyes back up after the grading for the scene drops the life out of them. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

December 2nd, 2007, 06:52 PM	#6
David Mullen American Society of Cinematographers Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 123	It's something of a crossover term from film. In the U.S., shot to shot correction when printing film is called "timing", whereas in the U.K. and some other countries, it's called "grading" -- but it means the same thing. In video, traditionally it has been called "color correction" but now film terms like "timing" and "grading" have crept in. It all means the same thing more or less. __________________ David Mullen, ASC Los Angeles

December 1st, 2007, 10:52 PM	#2
Jared Meyer New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Napa, CA Posts: 9	To me, color correction means correcting errors in the colors from scene to scene and ensuring consistency throughout. Grading refers more to the creative "look" that gets applied (if there is one). The terms are pretty interchangeable at this point though. Color correction and color grading can both refer to any color work done in post, whether corrective or creative.

December 2nd, 2007, 04:22 PM	#4
Andrew Kimery Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 352	I think of it as using color correction to "zero out" the images so the whites, blacks, and colors are consistent through out then the color grading is applying the "look" you want. I don't think the terms are interchangeable though. For example, at a place I used to work many times an AE would do color correction in preparation for the on-line editor who would do the color grading. -A

December 2nd, 2007, 06:10 PM	#5
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Some people use the terms interchangeably... and it's not like there is an official terminology police. 2- It helps to understand that some people use the terms differently. (Much like "DI" and "linear". Some people use DI to refer to any color correction or color grading, whereas some people only mean that in context of a film-out; as in, not video output. Linear might refer to video gamma or linear light.)