How to Fix the Dreaded “Video Look” Using DaVinci Resolve
Most of us are after a more cinematic aesthetic in our grades, and one of the keys to achieving this is to gain a more detailed understanding of the fundamental visual characteristics associated with film.But simply knowing what we’re after isn’t always enough. If we’re going to successfully navigate the full breadth of color grading’s creative landscape, we also need to be able to recognize what we’re not after.
For most of us, this is the dreaded “video” look, and while it’s easy to spot in its extreme expressions, it can often sneak into our grades in little ways, subtly compromising our creative vision. So today we’ll be looking at some of the concepts and visual characteristics that tend to accompany the video look. And what we can do when we encounter them.
Setting up color management
Before we dive in, I want to stress the importance of working in a color-managed environment inside of DaVinci Resolve, meaning that you’re using color space transformation to accurately map what the camera captured into what my display can reproduce, rather than grading things by hand from their log state.
If you need more information on this, check out my ACES Explained series, which is an excellent primer on the subject. But for now, let’s get right into these concepts and the visual characteristics that we want to upgrade.
Avoiding single-dimensional contrast
The first concept to explore is the idea of contrast as a single-dimensional variable, by which I mean thinking of contrast solely in terms of being high, medium, or low. Let’s explore what it looks like to tackle a grade with this mindset and the results that we might get out of it.
Let’s say, here on this image of a dancer, that you want to go for a high contrast look. You want to get those hot highlights and deep shadows and really make the image pop.
Select the red channel and Opt/Alt-click to create a pinned control point around the middle of the line. Then, create a wider rainbow in the upper part of the graph. Repeat this process for the green channel as well so you end up with a custom curve graph that looks like this.
The easiest way to accomplish a high contrast look in Resolve is with the Primaries – Color Wheel tab. You’d start by lowering the Lift wheel towards the floor, making the dark tones of the image darker.
Questions to keep in mind
If you’re concerned about falling into more of a video aesthetic in your grades, keep these techniques in mind and give them a try. Ask yourself, “Am I thinking too much about my contrast simply in terms of high, medium, or low?” Or, “Am I thinking too much about just saturation and not paying enough attention to how I might separate the colors that are present in my frame?” Asking these questions will almost always lead to more polished, more organic, and more filmic results in your grades.
As you put these concepts into practice, you’ll start cultivating a creative roadmap for grading different types of imagery. And as you continue to explore this world, you’re going to find that there’s a lot more to it than a simple film versus video dichotomy. It’s the areas between and beyond that are where the real treasure lies.
