Of Course Material
1
Hours
Video Lessons
1
Modules
1
mastering The Artistry of Color Correction
& Blackmagic's Resolve
mastering The Artistry of Color Correction
and Blackmagic's Resolve
Join a Complimentary Mini Class with Natasha Leonnet
Dive into the art of color grading in this immersive mini class led by Natasha Leonnet, where you’ll explore the foundational techniques that define exceptional color correction. Through practical exercises like creating a personal color diary and hands-on demonstrations in DaVinci Resolve, you’ll learn to see color with greater precision and understand how to communicate your creative vision effectively. This class reveals how mastering primary color corrections can transform your work, giving you the tools and confidence to craft images that are uniquely yours, all with a focus on practical steps and real world applications.
What This Mini Class Covers
- Understand the Power of Primary Color Correction
Get a deep dive into why primary corrections are the foundation of every great grade and learn how to achieve cleaner images, better color separation, and balanced skin tones using your linear primaries.
- Develop a Refined Color Vocabulary
Learn how to describe and communicate color effectively to align creative visions with directors and cinematographers. This essential skill will help you navigate one of the most challenging aspects of color grading: clear artistic collaboration.
- Elevate Your Perception of Color
Practice a focused exercise, the “color diary,” designed to help you see and interpret subtle variations in hue, saturation, and luminance. This process lays the foundation for developing an artist’s eye for color.
- Master Resolve’s Monitoring Tools
Explore the histogram in DaVinci Resolve and learn how to use it to analyze contrast and exposure in both color and black and white. This practical knowledge will help you approach your grades with greater precision and intent.
Everything You Need to Start your Career as a Master Colorist
Access 20+ hours of training designed and led by senior colorist Natasha Leonnet.
Connect with a vibrant community of students and aspiring colorists, participate in monthly group calls, and access exclusive resources and opportunities through our platform.
Comprehensive Training
Master color correction with over 20 hours of immersive, expert-led training by Natasha Leonnet.
Up-to-Date Content
Stay ahead with regularly updated lessons, including video tutorials that address your specific questions.
Monthly Group Calls
Engage with Natasha and fellow students during monthly live group calls for personalized guidance and insights.
Premium Learning Kit
Receive a mailed box containing a study book as well as all the tools necessary to best follow the course.
Community Access
Join an exclusive community of aspiring colorists to network, collaborate, and explore job opportunities.
Certification
Earn an official certificate validating your skills and expertise of Resolve upon course completion.
Meet Your Instructors
Natasha Leonnet
Senior Colorist Natasha Leonnet has over twenty years of experience and has worked with many of the industry’s most acclaimed filmmakers. She won the HPA Outstanding Color Grading Award for both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and has received ten other nominations for her contributions to Billie Eilish: Happier than Ever, Candyman (2021), Mulan (2020), First Man, Hidden Figures, Whiplash, Labor Day, Love & Other Drugs, Get Low, and Defiance. Most recently, she worked on Cocaine Bear, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and the music video Seven by Jung Kook feat. Latto.
She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Natalie Kingston
Natalie Kingston is an award-winning director of photography whose recent work on the triple Golden Globe-nominated and four-time Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ crime drama, Black Bird, earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Outside of film, Kingston also lenses music videos. In 2021 she shot “Break” for Julia Stone ft. St. Vincent, which premiered at SXSW the same year. Similarly, she collaborated with Billie Eilish on the “You Should See Me In A Crown” live performance and a music video for “Bitches Broken Hearts.”
A Selection of Natasha's Work
Course Overview
Mastering the Artistry of Color Correction
Course Material
1
Hours
Video Lessons
1
Modules
1
Build a Solid Foundation with your Primary Color Correction
Learn to use printer lights and linear primaries to build a beautiful basis for every grade which ensures consistency and balance across all shots.
Navigate DaVinci Resolve’s Professional Workflow
Learn how to set up databases, manage media, and configure your color management for seamless, professional-grade project workflows.
Craft Cinematic Lighting with Precision
Enhance depth and atmosphere by using windows and the Key Mixer to seamlessly replicate on-set lighting and elevate your visual storytelling.
Grade with Precision Using Industry Standard Scopes
Confidently analyze and refine your grades using the Parade, Waveform, Vectorscope, and Histogram for a flawless color consistency.
Build Advanced, Non-Destructive Node trees
Master complex grading workflows with the use of serial, parallel, layer, and key mixer with complete creative control.
Prepare Professional Deliverables for Any Platform
Master professional rendering workflows and QC processes to deliver polished, high-quality results for theatrical, streaming, and broadcast formats.
class Highlights
Highlights from the
Core Training
Module 12: Digital Lighting with Natasha Leonnet
- Master Digital Lighting with Custom Window Shapes: Learn to create and manipulate linear, circular, polygon, curve, gradient, inside and outside windows to shape light and create shadows, mimicking on set lighting techniques in DaVinci Resolve.
- Blend Lighting Adjustments Seamlessly: Create invisible corrections by fine tuning window placement and edge softness, ensuring smooth transitions, in high resolution theatrical or streaming formats.
- Adapt Your Light to Varied Cinematographic Styles: Adjust window softness and contrast dynamically to match the cinematographer’s original lighting design and enhance dramatic or naturalistic scenes without disrupting the inherent visual language.
- Create Targeted Lighting Effects with Layered Nodes: Combine windows with layer mixers and hierarchical grading to build complex lighting effects, controlling how each shape interacts with others for precise, scene-specific adjustments.
Module 12: Digital Lighting with Natasha Leonnet
- Master Digital Lighting with Custom Window Shapes: Learn to create and manipulate linear, circular, polygon, curve, gradient, inside and outside windows to shape light and create shadows, mimicking on set lighting techniques in DaVinci Resolve.
- Blend Lighting Adjustments Seamlessly: Create invisible corrections by fine tuning window placement and edge softness, ensuring smooth transitions, in high resolution theatrical or streaming formats.
- Adapt Your Light to Varied Cinematographic Styles: Adjust window softness and contrast dynamically to match the cinematographer’s original lighting design and enhance dramatic or naturalistic scenes without disrupting the inherent visual language.
- Create Targeted Lighting Effects with Layered Nodes: Combine windows with layer mixers and hierarchical grading to build complex lighting effects, controlling how each shape interacts with others for precise, scene-specific adjustments.
Module 16: Creating Your Own Lighting Package
- Simulate Realistic On-Set Lighting with the Key Mixer: Learn how to replicate complex lighting setups by blending multiple window shapes (linear, circular, polygonal, and gradient) using the Key Mixer which can enable you to create dynamic and natural lighting effects that align with the cinematographer’s creative intent.
- Master Parallel vs. Serial Node Configurations for Lighting Effects: Using Natasha’s favorite node tree, understand the critical differences between parallel and serial node structures and how each impacts the intensity, layering, and blending of your color and contrast corrections.
- Build Hierarchical Lighting Rigs with Layer Mixers: Design sophisticated lighting effects by combining windows and nodes in both layer and key mixers, allowing for precise control over how corrections stack and interact, resulting in more natural and cinematic images.
Module 18: Reframing the Image with Sizing
- Master Sizing Tools for Reframing: Understand how to effectively use Input, Edit, Node and Output Sizing in DaVinci Resolve to adjust framing while preserving quality of the image across different resolutions and formats.
- Create Beauty with the Key Lock Function: Eliminate visual imperfections with this colorists’ secret weapon.
- Use Reframing to Enhance Visual Storytelling: Employ precise scaling, panning, and tilting to subtly shift focus and highlight key elements to help strengthen the visual narrative.
Module 16: Creating Your Own Lighting Package
- Simulate Realistic On-Set Lighting with the Key Mixer: Learn how to replicate complex lighting setups by blending multiple window shapes (linear, circular, polygonal, and gradient) using the Key Mixer which can enable you to create dynamic and natural lighting effects that align with the cinematographer’s creative intent.
- Master Parallel vs. Serial Node Configurations for Lighting Effects: Using Natasha’s favorite node tree, understand the critical differences between parallel and serial node structures and how each impacts the intensity, layering, and blending of your color and contrast corrections.
- Build Hierarchical Lighting Rigs with Layer Mixers: Design sophisticated lighting effects by combining windows and nodes in both layer and key mixers, allowing for precise control over how corrections stack and interact, resulting in more natural and cinematic images.
Module 18: Reframing the Image with Sizing
- Master Sizing Tools for Reframing: Understand how to effectively use Input, Edit, Node and Output Sizing in DaVinci Resolve to adjust framing while preserving quality of the image across different resolutions and formats.
- Create Beauty with the Key Lock Function: Eliminate visual imperfections with this colorists’ secret weapon.
- Use Reframing to Enhance Visual Storytelling: Employ precise scaling, panning, and tilting to subtly shift focus and highlight key elements to help strengthen the visual narrative.
The Course Breakdown
Module 1: An Introduction to the Artistry of Color Correction
- An Introduction to the Art of Color Grading – One of the Most Important Tools in Visual Storytelling
- Writing with Color – A Color Diary and a Beginning Study of Color
- A Case Study in Creating the Impression of Contrast Through Color: the Films of Wes Anderson
Module 2: Creating a Custom Workspace - Understanding and Customizing the Resolve’s Interface
- An Introduction to the GUI and the Palettes
- Michel Pastoureau’s Writings on Color and Your Color Diary – A Case Study of Blue
Module 3: The “How Tos” of a Simple Timeline Setup
- An Introduction to Blackmagic’s Resolve, its Interface and Each Menu
- How to Create a Database
- How to Setup a New Project
- How to Navigate System Settings
- How to Navigate User Settings
- How to Navigate Project Settings
- How to Navigate Color Management and Look Up Tables (LUTS) for Absolute Beginners
- How to Import Media into Your Project
- How to Use a Couple of Options in Creating a Timeline: XML, EDL, etc
- How to Set Up a UI Layout Which Reflects Your Needs
- How to Load One Serial Node
- How to Use Pre and Post-Group, Clip and Timeline Grading
- How to Use the Gallery
- How to Create Multiple Versions
- How to Save Your Project
- Natasha’s LUT Philosophy 101
Module 4: Aspect Ratios, Resolutions and Blanking
- An Overview of Aspect Ratios
- Setting Your Timeline Aspect Ratio
- A Case Study of Mixed Aspect Ratios and Resolutions: Lucy in the Sky
- The Input Resolutions Vs the Output Resolution
- Your Color Diary: A Case Study of Red
Module 5: The Most Important of Grades - The Primaries
- Why Is Your Primary Color Correction the Key to a Successful Grade?
- A Technical Explanation of Printer Lights and How to Program Your Numeric Keypad
- Resolve’s Art of Printer Lights
- A Case Study of Printer Lights – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- An Efficient Use of Resolve’s Linear Primaries
- A Case Study of Linear Primaries – Transformers
- A Powerful and Complex Combination: Resolve’s Printer Lights and Primaries in Tandem
- How to Mitigate Skin Tones and Overall Saturation Using Your Simple Primaries
- The Great Lie of the Vectorscope – the Skin Tone Indicator Line
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study in White
Module 6: Seeing with Precision - Using Your Scopes
- How to Read Your Scopes in Parade Mode
- How to Read Your Scopes in Waveform Mode
- How to Read Your Scopes in Vectorscope Mode
- How to Read Your Histogram
- The Importance of Using Scopes in Achieving Seamless Visual Continuity
- A Definition of the CIE Chromaticity Scopes
- A Case Study of Contrast – Looking at Examples of the Work of Four Fine Art Photographers Through Your Histogram – Robert Capa, Ansel Adams, Harry Callahan and Cindy Sherman
Module 7: Resolve’s Hidden Gems - The Complete Primaries Menu
- The GUI Differences Between the Primaries – Color Wheels, Primaries, Color Bars and the Primaries’ Log Wheels
- The Beauty and Precision of Painting Your High and Low Lights with Resolve’s Log and Range Controls
- An Explanation of the Highlight and Shadow Controls
- Midtone Detail – A Cinematographer’s and Actor’s Best Friend
- An Explanation of the Saturation Control and How Saturation Can Become a Tool to Emphasize the Tone of the Story
- An Explanation of the Color Boost Control vs the Saturation Control
- An Explanation of the Hue Control
- An Explanation of Contrast and Pivot
- An Explanation of Temperature and Tint
- An Explanation of the Luminance Mix Control
- To AutoBalance or Not to Auto Balance?
- If You Auto Balance, Should You White Balance? A Further Explanation of Temperature and Tint!
Module 8: The Gallery and Memories - Two of the Most Crucial Advantages of the Digital Grade
- An Explanation of the Image Wipe Controls Including Reference Sizing
- The Difference Between Monitoring Continuity For Commercials and All Other Genres Including Features, Episodic and Music Videos
- A Brief Discussion of Josef Albers’ Book “Interaction of Color” and Its Implications of Understanding the Challenge of Achieving Perfect Continuity
- A Quick Exploration of the “Interaction of Color” App and How It Can Help Our Understanding of the Relationships Between Colors and Our Perception of Continuity
- Your Color Diary: A Case Study of Skies
Module 9: When Middle Grey Is No Longer in the Middle - Shooting a Grey Card and a MacBeth Chart for Your Grade
- Our Interview with Cinematographer Emmy Award Winning Natalie Kingston
- The Wisdom of the Grey Card and the Color Chart
- Grey Card and Color Chart Shooting Requests for Your Cinematographer
- Leading with Grey: Color Correcting the Charts
- More Testing Fun: Revisiting Auto-Balance
Module 10: All the Nodes We Can Easily See - Node Trees and Creative Color Correction Through Node Choices
- Natasha’s Favorite Node Trees, Serial and Parallel Nodes and an Introduction to Non-Destructive and Destructive Color Grading
- The First Node Menu
- The Second Node Menu
- The Third Node Menu
- Pre-Group, Clip, Post-Group and Timeline Grading Scenarios
- Your Color Diary: A Case Study of Green
Module 11: Curves or Primaries? - When To Use Curves vs Primaries
- The Whys and Whens of Custom Curves
- Natasha’s Favorite Curve Menu: Hue vs Hue & the Hue vs Sat and Hue vs Lum Menus
- Luminance vs Sat
- Sat vs Sat
- Sat vs Luminance
- One Approach to Underwater Skin Tones
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study of Yellow
Module 12: A Window Is a Shape by Any Other Name - Digital Lighting
- Creating Linear, Circle, Polygon, Curve, Gradient and Outside Shapes Part I
- Creating Linear, Circle, Polygon, Curve, Gradient and Outside Shapes Part II
- A Dive into the Invisible – The Transform and the Softness Menus
- Invoking the Cinematographer’s Eye with Windows
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study of Black
Module 13: A Window on the Move - Tracking vs Keyframing
- Auto-Tracking for Beginners
- Advanced Hacks For Auto-Tracking
- Mastering the Craft of Manual Keyframing
- The Nuance of Keyframing – Invisibly Blending into Your Cinematographer’s Style of Lighting
Module 14: Resolve’s Ultimate Paint Brush - The Qualifier
- Natasha’s Favorite Qualifier – The 3D Qualifier
- Exploring the HSL Legacy Qualifier
- Exploring the RGB Legacy Qualifier
- Exploring the LUM Legacy Qualifier
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study of the “Half Color” – Grey
Module 15: Hierarchical Grading with the Layer and Key Mixers with a New Look at Nodes
- Hierarchical Grades with Layer Nodes
- A Brief Explanation of the Node Keyer
- A Beginner’s Guide to (the Almost) Hierarchical Nodes of the Key Mixer
- Decluttering with Compound Nodes
- Decluttering with the Clips Button
- Organizing Using Clip Selects
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study of a “Half Color”
Module 16: Creating Your Own Lighting Package to Support Your DP Using the Key Mixer
- Natasha’s Instant Flagging Rigs
- The Moon and the Sun – Natasha’s Instant Lighting Rigs
- The Colorist and the Cinematographer in Symphony – Two Different Approaches to Node Trees
- Your Color Diary: A Case Study of a “Half Color” – Brown
Module 17: Blurring, Sharpening and Throwing the Image
- An Easy Plunge into the Blur, Sharpen and Mist Controls
- Suggested Uses for Resolve’s Blur
- Suggested Uses for Resolve’s Sharpening
- Play Mist For Me – The Mist Control
- A Misaligned Blur: Using Resolve’s Blur as a Creative Tool
- Your Color Diary – A Case Study of a “Half Color” – Orange
Module 18: Reframing the Image with Sizing
- The Difference in Framing Terminology Between the Set & the Color Bay
- An Explanation of Edit Sizing
- An Explanation of Input Sizing
- An Explanation of Output Sizing
- An Explanation of Blanking Controls
- An Explanation of Node Sizing
- Defying the Impossibility of Perfection with the Key Lock Function
- A Re-Visit of Reference Sizing
- Your Color Diary: A Case Study of a “Half Color” – Purple
Module 19: The RGB Mixer
- A Brief Introduction to the RGB Mixer
- When Black and White Has a Hue – Choosing Your Black and White with the RGB Mixer
- Day for Night Magic with the RGB Mixer
Module 20: The High Dynamic Range Menu - A Different Palette
- Creating Different Colors with Resolve’s HDR Controls
- From Black to Specular – Controlling Your Contrast Curve with More Steps
- A Complete Dive into the High Dynamic Range Menu
Module 21: Reinventing Your Color Curves - Changing Your Grade with the Color Warper
- An In Depth look at the Color Warper
- Your Color Diary: Translating Your Digital Diary Into Watercolors and Acrylics
Module 22: The Camera Raw Palette and Working in Kelvin
- Negative Film Stocks Translated into Standardized Digital Capture – 3200 Kelvin Tungsten vs 5600 Kelvin Daylight
- A Dive into Resolve’s Camera Raw Menu
- Guarding Against Potential Mistakes – the Debate of Raw vs Debayered Material
- The Crucial Importance of the DIT
Module 23: Nobody Puts a Colorist in a Corner - Color Management
- Colorist Self Sabotage 101 (Or How to Kill Your DPs Dreams) – The Warning Signs and Dangers of Broken LUTS
- The Different Roads to Locating your LUTS in Resolve
- Camera Default LUTS and how to import them into Resolve
- Understanding Film Emulation LUTS
- How to Create Your Own Test Patterns to Better Visually Understand LUTS
- How to use the Color Space Transform Node
- Using the CST Node for Converting LUTs for other Delivery Spaces (HDR & Theatrical)
- Organizing a Unified Color Space with Pre and Post Groups
- Making Your Custom LUT with Your Cinematographer
- The Impact of Your Chosen LUT on Skin Tones, Locations, Production and Costume Design – The Importance of Testing
- Resolve’s DaVinci YRGB Color Management System
Module 24: The Last Step: The Render & QC Process
- How to Insert Data Burn-ins and Presets
- Audio Buses and Formats
- Create Color and Edit Review Files
- How to Render Final Deliverables (TV and Theatrical)
- How to Render for Online and Streaming Platforms
- QCing your files
Start Your Journey Today
Core Training
ONE-TIME PAYMENT
$
2000
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20+ Hours of Comprehensive Classes
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Access To Our Private Community
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The Physical Study Book
-
Downloadable Exercise Files
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Monthly Group Calls
-
Certificate of Completion
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Lifetime Access to the Classes and All Future Updates
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Email and Community Support for Your Questions
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Beginner-Friendly: No Previous Knowledge Required
Core Training
PAY IN 4 INSTALLMENTS OF
$
500
-
20+ Hours of Comprehensive Classes
-
Access to Our Private Community
-
The Physical Study Book
-
Downloadable Exercise Files
-
Monthly Group Calls
-
Certificate of Completion
-
Lifetime Access to the Classes and All Future Updates
-
Email and Community Support for Your Questions
-
Beginner-Friendly: No Previous Knowledge Required
Echoes of Success
Reviews from Our Students and Professionals
The Most In-Depth Color Grading Course I’ve Taken!
Natasha breaks down complex techniques in a way that’s easy to understand. The balance between technical skills and artistic insight is unmatched. My grading workflow has completely transformed!
Alex R.
Freelance Colorist
A Game-Changer for My Career!
This course gave me the tools and confidence to approach color grading like a professional. Learning how to use Resolve’s tools the right way has elevated my work beyond what I thought was possible.
Jordan M.
Cinematographer
An Immersive Learning Experience from Day One!
Receiving the course materials, especially the numeric keypad for printer lights, made such a difference! The entire learning process felt more professional and immersive.
Michael H.
Film Editor
A Complete Learning Experience!
The moment I unboxed the course materials, I knew this wasn’t just another online class. The numeric keypad made learning printer lights feel natural, and it brought a professional touch to every practice session.
Sofia T.
Freelance Colorist
30 Days Money Back Guarantee
We stand by the quality of our course with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can request a full refund within 30 days, provided you have not watched more than 15% of the course content. This ensures you have ample time to evaluate the course which allows us to offer a fair policy to all students.
FAQ
Are there any prerequisites for the course?
There are no prerequisites for the course. It is designed for both beginners and those looking to enhance their skills.
Is it possible to pay in installments?
Yes. We offer a flexible payment plan to help you manage the cost of the course in installments.
How long will I have access to the course materials?
You will have lifetime access to all course materials, including updates and any new lessons added to the curriculum.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Upon successfully completing the course and passing the final exam, you will receive a certificate of completion, which will validate your proficiency and color grading skills.
Can I get personalized feedback on my projects?
Yes. You can participate in monthly group calls to ask questions and receive feedback on your projects or course content. Priority will be given to course-related questions and support. To ensure the best feedback, it is recommended that you submit your queries prior to the call so that they can be reviewed in advance.
Which software will I need for the course?
The course uses DaVinci Resolve, which you can download for free. We will provide all the necessary materials and resources, including any additional tools required, to ensure you have everything you need to properly follow the course.
Is there a community where I can interact with other students?
You will have access to a private online community where you can connect with fellow students, share ideas, and receive support.
What if I have questions or need help during the course?
You can reach out via email, in our private community or during the monthly group calls. If a question is commonly asked by several students, we may create and upload a dedicated class on the topic to ensure that everyone has access to the pertinent information.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes. We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the course and have watched less than 15% of the content, you can request a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.