YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing platform. It hosts an unimaginable number of videos and a portion of these videos are tutorials. One type of tutorial that YouTube is especially useful for is the color grading tutorial. When it comes to editing the best videos, color grading is a must. This is because color grading is what gives videos heart and emotion.
And if you know how to color grade well (and have a monitor that displays colors accurately), you can give your videos a look that stirs emotion and appeals to the senses.
Before we get into my favorite color grading tutorial, it’s important to understand a vital distinction. Have you ever wondered, “whats the difference between color correction and color grading?” The distinction is simple but important.
First, color correction refers to the process of fixing colors on raw video. This could include matching colors of footage between different cameras or adjusting color temperature. This is important to do first because when you start color grading, you need your footage to start from the same baseline. Finally, color grading refers to the process of stylizing footage. This includes giving footage that cinematic look!
So, let’s get into it. Here are the 10 best color grading tutorials you can find on YouTube.
10 Best Color Grading Tutorials on YouTube
Do you want to learn professional color grading techniques? One way to do so is to pay for a color grading class. My preferred way of learning new things is studying free videos on YouTube. Color grading, for instance, is a concept covered in depth in many great color grading tutorials on YouTube. Take a look at the best of these tutorials below. I guarantee you’ll learn something!
1. Daniel Schiffer
Daniel Schiffer is a professional videographer and editor. He’s also an excellent teacher. For instance, in the color grading tutorial above, he explains his color grading process in great depth. Daniel also excels at interacting with fans. His page is full of fun videos including edits of fan footage, Fiverr challenges and more. All of his videos are clear, straightforward and extremely informative. And best of all, they’re free!
For those who are interested, Daniel uses Color Finale 2 to color his footage. In fact, so do I! You can learn more about the best color grading software here.
2. Peter McKinnon
Next, Peter McKinnon. Peter provides some of the best color grading tutorials you’ll find on YouTube. The video above, for example, shows how to give videos that beautiful cinematic look. Peter is a professional videographer who explains everything in great detail. Not only does he provide great educational videos, he also sells LUTs and other preset packs. Purchase a preset pack from Peter McKinnon here.
3. Parker Walbeck
Parker Walbeck is a professional filmmaker and video editor. He also has some of the best free color grading tutorials on his YouTube channel. Parker uses his field experience to make difficult subjects easier to understand. And color grading is certainly no exception! It also helps that he’s backed by an awesome team of fellow creatives.
4. Color Grading Central
Do you want to learn how to color grade just like a Hollywood colorist? The professional filmmakers at Color Grading Central can help. Thousands have learned how to color grade like a pro from Color Grading Central. Tutorials cover a range of platforms, too. You’ll find color grading tutorials for DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X. So if you’re looking for a YouTube channel completely dedicated to color grading, Color Grading Central is a must-follow.
5. Cinecom.net
Whether you want to learn music video editing or just want to create awesome VFX work, this is your place. Cinecom.net provides tutorials covering a wide range of topics including storytelling, After Effects and much more. And, of course, color grading. Here you can learn the best color grading hacks and tips from passionate video editors.
6. Justin Odisho
For those who want to learn advanced color grading techniques, Justin Odisho is a must. The above tutorial is actually about color correction. But visit his page and you’ll see that there is no shortage of educational material. Justin puts together amazing color grading tutorials that are easy to follow, deep and helpful.
7. Premium Beat
Most video editors will know Premium Beat for… their beats! But the Premium Beat YouTube channel has much more than music. The above color grading tutorial is just one example. You’ll find some of the best, compelling, and amazingly helpful color grading tutorials here. And you’ll also find a wide selection of other useful tutorials that video editors love.
8. Sydney Baker Green
Sydney Baker Green might be the best channel for DaVinci Resolve color grading tutorials. DaVinci Resolve is quickly becoming a favorite for its in-depth color correction and color grading tools. Sydney’s channel is a great place to help you learn. Over 25,000 subscribers love Sydney’s work and I vouch for it too!
9. Of Two Lands
Creators interested in editing travel videos must follow the French Australian couple behind Of Two Lands. They also provide tons of useful gear reviews and tutorials on other video-related topics.
10. Jeven Dovey
Learn the best tricks to get your colors looking epic with the color grading knowledge of creator Jeven Dovey. Jeven uses his experience to help his 600,000+ subscribers learn how to become better storytellers and videographers. Some of my favorite work from Jeven include those on color. The above color grading tutorial is an excellent place for beginners to start.
In conclusion, finding a YouTube tutorial for color grading is extremely easy. And extremely cheap. Take advantage of the tools available to you, keep practicing and you’ll be color grading like a pro in no time.
But before you can start color grading, you need to have the right equipment. And one important piece of gear to have for color grading is a high-quality editing monitor. Did you know that there is no monitor available that 100% accurately displays all the colors that the human eye can see? Because of this, it’s important to have a color grading monitor with a wide color space and high resolution. Check out this post of the best monitors for accurate colors in video editing.
And if After Effects is something that interests you, check out these 10 free After Effects tutorials!