Color grading transforms flat, raw footage into cinematic imagery. Premiere Pro's built-in Lumetri Color panel handles everything from basic correction to advanced look development.
The Lumetri Workflow
- Basic Correction — Fix white balance (use the eyedropper on something neutral), set exposure, adjust contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks
- Creative — Apply a Look (LUT) as a starting point, adjust intensity with the Faded Film slider and Vibrance/Saturation
- Curves — RGB curves for precise tonal control, Hue Saturation curves for targeted color adjustments
- Color Wheels — Shadows/Midtones/Highlights color balance for split-toning and mood setting
- HSL Secondary — Isolate and adjust specific colors (skin tones, sky, product colors)
Adjustment Layer Technique
Create an Adjustment Layer (File > New > Adjustment Layer), place it on a track above your footage, and apply Lumetri Color to the adjustment layer. This grades everything beneath it uniformly — perfect for maintaining consistency across an entire scene or sequence.
Pro Tip: Shoot with a Color Chart
Include a color chart (X-Rite ColorChecker) in your first frame of every setup. In Lumetri, use the eyedropper on the gray patches to nail white balance instantly, then delete the chart frame. This alone saves 15-20 minutes per project on color correction.