COL 101: An Introduction to Color Grading with Resolve

Our three-day intensive workshop is a great introduction to Resolve software. This class is ideal for first time users, you do not need to be a Colorist or have had previous grading or Resolve experience. The class mixes the operational side of Resolve with some practical real world training on workflows, basic color theory, grading approaches and techniques.

DAY ONE: 

• Introduction to Resolve
• A complete demo of the system, looking at every area of the new software and how it works with the control surface.
• Setting up your Resolve
• Loading the software and getting started. How to create a new customized user, and get all the config settings correct before you kick off. 2K, HD, what if you only need SD?
• How to get your images in
• Importing and conforming both film and digital material using an EDL/XML/AAF

• Scene cut detector and manually creating a timeline.

• Basic Color Theory
• Looking at the waveform, vectorscope, and histogram.
• How different Colors interact with increased saturation/contrast and why some colors complement each other more than others.
• RGB v YUV correction in Resolve
• Primary Correction/Grading with Curves
• Primary correction is very important. It’s the base of any “cool look”.
• Get it right and it will simplify your whole color correction process.

DAY TWO:

Serial and Parallel nodes

• You’ll use them all the time, how do they work and when do you use each one.

Secondary Correction

• Keying is a very important part of what we do as colorists. Learn how to key in Resolve using either HSL RGB or LUM. Is it best to key a color or adjust its Secondary curve?

Power Windows

• Each node has 4 Power Windows, the classic DaVinci Circle, Linear square, Polygon and a Bezier Power Curve.
• How to use each one, and why do we decide to use one over the other?
• Repositioning, Key-Framing and Auto Tracking

Keyframing

• Using the pan, tilt, zoom and rotate controls, just how far can we zoom in on a film or digital image? Keyframing in the timeline and auto tracking explained.

Resolve workflows

• Including Film, Red, Canon, Arri Alexa, Sony F3 and other digital files.
• Resolve works with lots of formats, get to know the pros and cons of each format.

DAY THREE:

Layer and Key mixer nodes

• These nodes offer lots of flexibility. See how to combine them with the other Resolve nodes to complement tour grades. How to mix between the nodes.

Looks and Styles

• How to create looks and styles within Resolve that will give you a great start to your session. Here are just a few we will look at……
• Orange and Teal.
• Cross process
• Bleach Bypass
• Schindlers red coat
• Duotones
• Day for night

Versions and the gallery/Powergrade.

• What are versions, setting up the gallery including importing and exporting stills.
• Making your own Powergrade looks.

Rendering and Output Options

• The grade is finished but how and where do you render it to?
• Playing out to tape.

Note:

• The course will be ICA certified with all students getting a certificate.
• Each student has their own workstation.