Color Grading

Overview

The Color Grading system in ACT 3 AI allows creators to adjust color, contrast, and tone across scenes, shots, or entire projects. It works alongside Style Presets and the Rendering System to ensure consistent visual mood and professional-quality output.

Key Features

• **LUT Support:** Import and apply industry-standard LUTs (.cube).
• **Preset Styles:** Built-in looks for cinematic, natural, vintage, and high-contrast.
• **Custom Adjustments:** Fine-tune exposure, contrast, saturation, highlights, shadows, and temperature.
• **Shot Matching:** Match colors between multiple shots for continuity.
• **Global vs Local:** Apply grading per shot, per scene, or across entire projects.
• **Integration with Style Presets:** Use presets as a base, then refine with grading controls.

How to Use

1. Open your project in the Editor Workspace. 2. Switch to the **Color Grading** panel. 3. Choose a style preset or import a LUT. 4. Adjust sliders for exposure, saturation, highlights, and shadows. 5. Apply globally or limit to a single shot or scene. 6. Preview changes in the Preview Pane before rendering. 7. Send to the Render Queue for draft or final rendering.

Best Practices

• Use LUTs for brand consistency across campaigns.
• Apply grading globally for a unified look, then adjust locally for key shots.
• Combine with lighting adjustments in Set Design for realism.
• Always preview at draft resolution before committing to 4K renders.
• Save custom looks to the Asset Library for reuse.

Troubleshooting

• **Colors look washed out** → Check if LUT intensity is too high.
• **Inconsistent look between scenes** → Apply global grading or match shots manually.
• **Preset not applying** → Verify LUT file format (.cube supported).
• **Render doesn’t match preview** → Ensure “Include Color Grading” is enabled in Export Settings.

Example Use Cases

• A film noir project with desaturated, high-contrast grading.
• Marketing ad campaigns using consistent brand LUTs.
• Social media videos with vibrant, high-saturation grading.
• Fantasy projects using cinematic teal-orange or pastel styles.

Integration

• Style Presets – use as baseline looks.
• Rendering System – applies grading during final rendering.
• Export Distribution – ensure exports maintain grading.
• Preview Pane – test grading before committing to credits.

See Also

• Style Presets
• Lighting
• Rendering System
• Render Queue
• Preview Pane
• Export Distribution
• Asset Library

Contact Us if you have any problems using color grading or LUTs.