Color grade your content with LUTs

No, they all have their own definition, uses, and benefits. While LUTs, presets, and filters can all help with color manipulation, they do so in different ways. Knowing the difference between these functions can help transform your media to align with your vision.

• What do LUTs stand for in video? – The term LUT is an acronym for “Lookup Table.” A LUT is essentially a formula that you can apply to an image or video footage that will re-map the existing color composition. By introducing a LUT to your media, you can enhance or adjust the color or tone of your image. You can opt for a LUT that focuses on illuminating one specific color or one that brings out a wide range of colors. You can also add LUTs in layers, allowing you to adjust the opacity to achieve the perfect color-corrected look. Regardless of the custom LUT you choose, you can use them to convey a specific mood or atmosphere within your media for a more cinematic and homogenous approach to your project. LUTs can be useful tools while learning how to animate pictures or how to make motion graphics.
• What are presets in video? – While a preset can contain a LUT within it, you wouldn’t refer to a LUT as a preset. The term “preset” refers to a custom, cohesive look you can apply to images or videos. While a preset sounds similar to a LUT on the surface, the main difference comes from the color qualities they modify. While LUTs focus primarily on overall color and tone, presets can rework more advanced color functions such as curves and RGB attributes. Presets may work in your favor if you’re looking to achieve an overall level of consistency for multiple media projects such as an Instagram page or a YouTube channel.
• What are filters in video? – Filters typically initiate a range of fundamental changes in a video or image, including exposure, brightness, and saturation. You can think of filters as more of an overlay, while LUTs and presets change the very chemistry of color within an image or video.

When creating your artistic vision, knowing the difference between LUTs, presets, and filters will work to your advantage as you learn to manipulate the attributes that will yield the best results. LUTs can also remedy the quality of your video footage, such as correcting a subject's skin tone and other basic correction for video color.

Technically, you can apply LUTs to your media whenever you’d like, but it’s in your best interest to use LUTs after you’ve gone through your color correction process. This is because LUTs are used for grading rather than correcting colors in an image.
You’ll want to ensure your footage looks as natural as possible to reduce any risk of discoloration. Luckily, with Runway’s suite of intuitive color-correcting tools, you can prep your clips to take on color in no time.

There are countless individual LUTs, but they tend to fall under one of two categories: conversion and creative. Depending on the color grading you’re looking for, you can find the perfect LUT to fit your needs:

• Conversion LUTs – These can help you accomplish objectives, including correcting colors, enhancing details, and maintaining continuity. For example, with a conversion LUT, you can adjust LOG—or flat—footage from a milky tone to a more vibrant one. This practice can ensure you maintain the sharp details from your LOG footage while introducing standard color back into each scene.
• Creative LUTs – These help you achieve cinematic looks that can effectively display mood. Creative LUTs can offer any number of looks to your video. Whether you’re hoping for a vintage nostalgia feel, a sense of eerie, dramatic tension, or a romantic glow, a creative LUT can help you achieve your desired effect on the final cut.
LUTs can help you through multiple steps of your editing process. Opting for a conversion LUT before implementing your creative LUT can help your video footage look sharper, brighter, and more dynamic.

During your LUT research, you may have stumbled across LUTs designated as 1D or 3D. Both of these LUTs can prove incredibly useful in your editing process, but knowing how to use them correctly can help yield the best results for you and your project:

• 1D LUT – 1D LUTs use direct, 1:1 values to adjust the color grading of individual pixels—for example, from 10 to 150. In a 10-bit video clip, you’ll have 1024 values to remap using this 1:1 system. A 1D LUT can come in handy if you’re looking to create color consistency or convert LOG to linear footage. However, when it comes to creating visuals that match the real-world dynamics of colors, 1D LUTs are not quite as effective as 3D LUTS.
• 3D LUT – 3D LUTs offer a more complex and stylish effect because they manipulate multiple color qualities. A 3D LUT can modify a color’s hue, saturation, and brightness. As a result, 3D LUTs can help your footage pop since the colors will change and morph as your footage does, rather than adjust according to a linear scale.

Remember, you can always layer your LUTs. So you can feel free to use a 1D LUT to correct balance before adding a 3D LUT on the top to maximize color luminosity on the final cut.

Once you know the answer to the question, “what are LUTs?” you may begin to ask yourself, “so where can I find them?”
Part of the beauty of LUTs is their easy accessibility. You can discover new and exciting LUTs in various places to spice up your latest project, including:

• Editing software LUTs – Many editing platforms provide specialty, free-to-use LUTs. Reduce editing time by selecting a LUT within your editing software instead of uploading from a third-party source. At Runway, you can browse through our selection of stylistic and comprehensive LUTs to find one that can take your film to the next level. We also have several video templates you can use along with the LUTs.
• Downloadable packages – In addition to built-in, readily available LUTs, you may want to search for something hyper-specific to create a unique look. Since LUTs are essentially formulas, you can upload any LUT into an editing software that understands the algorithm, from technical LUT, video LUT, calibration LUT, creative LUT, cinematic LUTs, etc. Feel free to browse the internet for free downloadable LUTs packages. From there, all you need to do is upload them to Runway to make your vision a reality.

With so many Lookup Tables available, you can create an entire LUT pack to revisit whenever you please.