LumaFusion Color Grading 101

Gear suggestions for color correcting with an iPhone or iPad. Links to the gear are at the end of this section.

Update: LumaFusion has finally added video scopes to their app. See info on this in Section 7 of the course.

Different gear configurations depending on the job and and how/where you're working.

Update: LumaFusion has finally added video scopes to their app. See info on this in Section 7 of the course.

For those of you who have an iPad Pro (or are considering upgrading to an iPad Pro) this is one way to setup a home studio around the device.

This would be ideal for both video & audio production using LumaFusion along with a variety of other mobile filmmaking apps. And this of course includes doing color correction & grading.

But as has been stressed in this course... You do NOT need the latest, greatest device to successfully use LumaFusion.

The iPad Air 2 featured in the main lessons works very well along with any number of iPhones, so definitely don't feel as though you need to upgrade. But if you do upgrade or buy a new device this is one way to build a nice home studio.

Note too: This setup could also work with older iPads, but some of the accessories would be different (see the product links at the end of this section).

Before you start color correcting make sure your device is ready for undisturbed work.

How to setup a project and then an overview of the main color correction tools in LumaFusion. Note that this tutorial was done using LF 2.2, but the controls etc. work the same in later versions of the app (and a short update for LF 3.0 has been added).

A note on using the Levels control: In this lesson I mention that I don't use Levels much and I prefer Curves, which is true. But just to clarify... Both levels and curves allow you to adjust the black, white and gray points of an image, which together adjust contrast and exposure. Levels are just a simpler (but in my opinion, less powerful) option than curves where you have full control over tonal adjustments. That's not to say don't use them though. It'll just depend on your footage and how you prefer to work.

Three-step color correction/grading process... Step 1: Correction

Three-step color correction/grading process... Step 2: Matching Shots

Three-step color correction/grading process... Step 3: Creating a Look

Getting started with LUTs in LumaFusion including basic color theory, using built-in LUT options and installing your own. Note that this tutorial was done using LF 2.2, but the controls etc. work the same in later versions of the app.

Basics of working with LUTs in LumaFusion.

General overview of using vignettes to enhance a shot (while using LUTs too), and then how to copy the final look to other shots.

Additional videos and information related to getting started with LUTs:

• Installing & Using LUTs (this is an earlier version of the app, but it is still the same process)

• Adjusting LUT Intensity (for Davinci Resolve and LumaFusion)

• What are LUTs and why do you need them? (info from our website)

• LUTs Best Practices (info from our website)

A more detailed look at a real-world color grading example using LUTs and also adding keyframes. Note that this tutorial was done using LF 2.2, but the controls etc. work the same in later versions of the app.

Grading demo using LUTs for a traditional look versus a more stylized look. And, how you stack LUTs in LumaFusion (hint: you can't).

A custom color grade demo using LUTs and the color correction tools in LumaFusion. This is a shot-by-shot process, which can definitely be tedious! But that's what make color grading so much fun. :)

Typically it's best to keep skin tone looking natural, even if you're creating a stylized look. And sometimes depending on the shot and camera used it might be necessary to sharpen an image.

For finishing a color graded look you might want to letterbox (or pillar box) and we think it's really best to use aspect ratio overlays that have the precise dimensions preset versus trying to simply crop.

Make sure and download two sample aspect ratio overlays we have included here for free. And if you'd like the complete pack of overlays they are for sale on our website (https://www.iphoneographers.tv/product-page/aspect-ratio-overlays-pack).

Adding gradients to the sky can add style and in some cases help fix problems like overexposure or covering gloomy clouds. There are a couple ways to do this. You can create a solid title in LumaFusion and soften the edge, then position it where you like (and adjust the opacity or blending mode, as desired) - or, the better way is to import a pre-made gradient (PNG with a transparency).

We have included three free gradients for you to download.

A popular look these days for videos is "faded", which can also give it a vintage feel. Using LUTs is one way to get started creating a look like this, but you can also do it yourself and create a custom look by adjusting the levels, gamma and contrast controls.

In LumaFusion you can color correct pretty much any kind of footage including stuff shot with a Sony a6400 and S-Log3. Here we show how to color grade the shot manually first (where you must use the Levels control) - and then graded with a LUT.

It's typically best to do your color correction and grading in a dimly lit room (or area) so you can best see the screen and colors. And, it's a best practice during production to always shoot a color checker or chart to help with the color correction process in post.

Links for several purchase options are included at the end of this section below.

This XML export feature is pretty great and opens the app to more filmmakers using desktop or laptop systems to finish their projects. Currently this is only optimized to work with Final Cut Pro X on a Mac - however, it will also work with Davinci Resolve (and then you can export an XML from there to other NLEs like Premiere Pro).

In the early days of non-linear editing (mid 90s to early 2000s range) often an offline edit was done first, then an online to finish a job (and it's still done this way, especially on movies, but not as much on other kinds of projects). So now you can use LumaFusion as an offline editor (say on location or on an airplane) and then finish the edit in FCPX on a traditional computer.

Relating this to color correction & grading... You could do your offline edit in LumaFusion (and get PICTURE LOCK - meaning your edit is locked and done) and along the way do a temp color grade using LUTs. Then, take that project into FCPX and do the final color grade. The temp color work you did in LumaFusion will not transfer - however, the LUTs will be the same and so you can apply those again and then finish your grade and effects. This way you have more tools to work with (like video scopes) and more control over the final look using FCPX. And, this is also how you might do a proxy workflow using Frame.io or your own (for example, if the original files were ProRes or RAW and they were transcoded to MP4).

If you're planning to do an offline edit in LumaFusion and/or use FCPX to master then it's best to bring your footage into the iPad using an external drive source (such as an SD card).

In this video you'll see two ways to import:

Option 1 will save the media directly into LumaFusion and then can be found in the "Imported" directory.

Option 2 will create a link to the SD card and within LumaFusion it will be listed in the folder you selected on the SD card (while it's connected), and then it will save any media you actual edit into LumaFusion (into the "External Media" folder in the Files app). And this media will also be viewable in LumaFusion when the SD card is not connected within the Downloaded Media folder.

UPDATE 7/29/21: Now in LumaFusion 3.0 if you have a USB-C iPad Pro or Air you can now edit FROM an SSD. This is big news and will really change how many of us work with the iPad. If you have a Lightning iPad or of course an iPhone then nothing changes. -BC

If you're planning to do an offline edit in LumaFusion and/or use FCPX to master then it's best to bring your footage into the iPad using an external drive source (such as an SSD).

Please note: The additional Lighting cable that goes OUT of the USB-3 adapter to power the wired SSD is plugged into a larger 12w power adapter and then an A/C outlet (just like you would with an iPad charging cable). But you could also use a USB battery power bank (not all will work, but most of the larger ones should).

This feature is NOW available LumaFusion

• Learn more about Frame.io here: https://frame.io/integrations/lumafusion/

This app integration is a great way to work if you're using LumaFusion as an "offline" editor and/or doing temp color correction on set - especially if you're using LUTs. Any LUTs applied to footage can be easily reapplied in the "online" session, whether in FCPX, DaVinci, Premiere, etc. LumaFusion color correction effects will not transfer to other apps, however, they can still be used as a reference to show how the final grade will look (for example, to show a director or DP on set).

Note: Frame.io is a third-party subscription service and so it is not included standard with LumaFusion and is an additional cost. Also, it can be used on its own or with other editing apps as well, so it's a fairly robust system and primarily geared towards more advanced users.

New features added to LumaFusion 3.0 that improve the app for color grading and finishing. And please note, to edit from an SSD you need either a USB-C or Thunderbolt port (M1 version) on the iPad.

LumaFusion has finally added video scopes to their app. Yippee!

If you're just beginning to learn how to color correct & grade you may not need these tools just yet, but as you move forward and do more advanced work they will become indispensable (in particular for broadcast work, but really for anything that needs accurate colors and levels).

Watch this informative overview tutorial from LumaFusion.

LumaFusion is an all around great app, but it does have some limitations - especially as it relates to color correction (and in particular using it in a more professional environment).

So in this video we discuss some of those limitations along with wishlist features that we hope they add in future releases. By the way, there are others we could mention, but for the purposes of this color grading 101 course these are the main ones we focused on.

Note: The release of LumaFusion 3.0 addressed many limitations of the app. There are still some, but this was a very nice update and so make sure you're running the latest version.

These are sample before & after shots using our FiLMiC Pro LUT packs to show how different footage can look. These shots were not color graded in LumaFusion (used Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve), but since LUTs were used you definitely could use LumaFusion and get very similar results.

All shots were color corrected & graded by Blake. If you're interested in the LUT packs you can learn more at the link below.

These are sample before & after shots using our FiLMiC Pro LUT packs to show how different footage can look. These shots were not color graded in LumaFusion (used Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve), but since LUTs were used you definitely could use LumaFusion and get very similar results.

All shots were color corrected & graded by Blake. If you're interested in the LUT packs see link below.

This is a narrative directing/editing sizzle reel from Blake, which he also did color grading (not in LumaFusion). These projects were shot on a wide variety of formats including high-end cinema cameras, DSLRs and smartphones.

This is a short film example that was shot on an iPhone XS Max with FiLMiC Pro LogV2 and color corrected & graded by Blake. This was original produced for the Moment Invitational Film Festival.

This is a short film example that was shot on an iPhone 8 Plus with FiLMiC Pro Flat and color corrected & graded by Blake. This short won the 2018 FiLMiC Pro contest in the Fiction category.

This is a short film example that was shot on an iPhone XS Max with FiLMiC Pro Flat (and a Blackmagic Pocket 4K shooting raw for some of it) and color corrected & graded by Blake.

Before & after color grading for the short film "The Movie Star".

This was shot on both an iPhone XS Max and a Blackmagic Pocket 4K. The iPhone footage was FiLMiC Pro Flat and the Blackmagic was BRAW. Note that the Blackmagic footage had what's called a "one-light" color correction added to it before the final grade. Otherwise the raw footage would look very desaturated and milky and is hard to watch and edit with.