My Journey Into Color Grading

Before & After

What is Color Grading?

As my journey into the creative world naturally led me to filmmaking, I found myself paying closer attention to the details in other people’s work—whether on Instagram, YouTube, or in the movies I was watching. I noticed that I would feel different emotions depending on how a frame looked.

Eventually, I realized it wasn’t just the cinematography—it was the color grading that gave those images their emotional weight and atmosphere.

Scenes in films like Joker (2019), or more recent releases like Superman (2025) and Fantastic Four (2025), carry a distinct emotional tone that comes as much from the grade as from the performances or dialogue.

Color grading is the art of shaping how a film feels by adjusting color, tone, and contrast. It’s not just about making footage “look nice.” It’s about mood, emotion, and storytelling. A well-graded scene can create tension without a word being spoken—or warmth without a single smile on screen.

My Curiosity Sparked

I’ve always been fascinated by the visual arts, but color grading felt like a hidden layer of storytelling most people never think about. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t unsee it. I started paying attention to how different films used color palettes: the cool blues in thrillers, the golden warmth in romances, the muted grays in war films.

Eventually, I decided I didn’t just want to notice color grading—I wanted to do it. I downloaded DaVinci Resolve, opened it up… and immediately felt like I was staring at the cockpit of a spaceship. So many buttons, knobs, and nodes. It was intimidating, but also thrilling. That’s when my real journey began.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Understanding Color Theory

One of my first breakthroughs came with color theory. Suddenly, the color wheel wasn’t just an art class diagram—it was a map of emotion. I began to understand why orange-and-teal looks so cinematic, why complementary colors create tension, and how a subtle shift toward green can make a scene feel uneasy.

Software Proficiency

Mastering the tools was another mountain to climb. At first, I pushed every slider too far—oversaturated reds, crushed blacks, neon skin tones. But those “mistakes” taught me more than tutorials ever could. Over time, the interface stopped feeling overwhelming, and I started to appreciate just how powerful software like Resolve really is.

Experimentation is Key

I quickly learned there isn’t one “correct” grade. Some of my best discoveries came from happy accidents—like when I overcorrected shadows and accidentally created a moody, high-contrast look that worked better than what I originally planned. Color grading is equal parts science and play.

Reference and Inspiration

Whenever I felt stuck, I’d turn to films and shows I admired. I’d pause a frame and study it: What’s the dominant color? How are skin tones handled? Is the contrast soft or bold? Treating movies like textbooks has been one of my best teachers.

Feedback and Collaboration

I’ve always leaned toward wanting more feedback than I usually received. I believe it’s one of the fastest highways to growth—especially when you can filter out the noise and focus on the useful insights. Feedback has pushed me out of my bubble and forced me to see my grades from the audience’s perspective, which is often very different from my own.

Attention to Detail

If there’s one thing grading has taught me, it’s that small details matter. Skin tones, consistency between shots, the balance between highlights and shadows—tiny adjustments add up. The difference between an amateur grade and a professional one often lives in those subtleties.

Conclusion

Color grading has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding creative skills I’ve pursued. It has deepened my appreciation for filmmaking and given me a powerful way to express emotion through visuals.

I’m still learning every day—through tutorials, trial and error, and sometimes just by pausing a movie frame and studying it longer than most people would. What excites me most is that there’s no finish line. Each project is an opportunity to push boundaries, try new looks, and keep refining my eye.

Along the way, working with different footage has also taught me what makes a shot feel truly cinematic—how lighting sets the mood, how composition guides the story, and how all those choices connect back to the grade. These lessons are slowly preparing me for the day I step into a project where I’m responsible for more than just post-production.

For me, color grading isn’t simply about making images look good. It’s about shaping stories that feel right—stories that connect with people on a deeper, almost invisible level. And that’s what keeps me hooked.