10 Essential Film Edits and Their Techniques

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Picture your favorite movie scene and identify its unique qualities. Chances are that the standout feature involves the coloring in the scene. Filmmakers and photographers employ different techniques to create the perfect combination of color, music, and dialogue. The result is iconic movie moments that transcend generations.

You can also achieve similar effects with your videos, with a little help from video editing software and clever customizations. Below is all you need to start your journey to become one of the video industry greats. You will discover all about cinematic LUTs, their effects in your videos, and where to get the best cinematic LUTS for your next project.

The role LUTs play in a movie

Look Up Tables or LUTs are preset color grading files you use in post-production. You can apply them for any type of footage from equipment such as smartphones and professional cameras. Additionally, they are compatible across different video editing software including Adobe Creative Suite, DaVinci Resolve, and Filmora (more about this later).

Furthermore, LUTs fall under two broad categories that signify their function. They are as below:

1. Conversion LUTs

You use these for the technical aspects of video editing. For example, you can apply them to your iPhone footage to make it compatible with TV displays. Conversion LUTs mainly address issues such as:

Video resolution
Video calibration
Red eyes
White Balance
Color formats

As such, you will only use conversion LUTs at the initial stage of post-production to ensure your video is compatible with the intended display device.

2. Creative LUTs

Creative LUTs allow you more creative freedom with your footage since they focus on the artistry aspect. Depending on the setting, you will also hear them referred to as film or cinematic LUTs. Additionally, creative LUTs allow you to further customize your videos to achieve various objectives as you shall see below.

Filmmakers use the best cinema luts to fulfill the following roles:

• To complete film projects with a tight deadline

Sometimes the studio may require the film before the agreed timeline. As such, you do not have enough time to complete the finer details of color correction and color grading. Cinematic color LUTs allow you to apply preset finishes to achieve the desired outcome quickly. For example, you can use FIlmora’s Game of Thrones LUT to quickly apply a cool effect to your video.

• It provides a foundation to develop your unique creative style

You can use LUTs to establish the base of your video editing style. For example, you can apply cinematic color LUTs from Ridley Scott movies and refine them to formulate your creative identity. As such, your work becomes instantly recognizable, and your reputation grows.

• They are crucial to maintaining the studio’s high production value

Every production house strives to maintain a certain level of production value. As such, they grow an audience, ensuring that their films always generate income upon release. Using a shared library of cinematic luts, the studio maintains consistent video production quality.

• To inspire a specific feeling and theme

Did you know you can distinguish film genres by their color grading techniques? For example, warm color grading is synonymous with romantic comedies, and deep blue color schemes are for sci-fi movies.

• To translate a set of colors to another video editing software

Most films undergo editing across different software to ensure a perfect finish. However, you may encounter a situation where some hues are incompatible across their software. Studios use cinematic luts to overcome this challenge resulting in continuity in the post-production process.

• Conversion of Log footage

Conversion cinematic luts help film editors convert log footage to the simpler Rec709 format. Log footage offers you a higher color dynamic range to work with but is very difficult to color grade. As such, video editors apply cinematic color conversion luts to maintain these attributes while working in an easier format.

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How To Use Luts in Filmora

Filmora is a video editing software ideal for beginners and professional filmmakers. You have access to an interactive interface that simplifies your video editing process. Here is how you can use LUTs in Filmora.

Download Filmora to your device and complete the installation process.
Load the video to your workspace and click on it in the timeline. Ensure the clip is active so that your color LUT application is successful.
Open the Color Correction tool to access your LUT library. You will find this option from the Tools dropdown menu.
Click on the 3D Lut option and select the LUT you want to use. You can also use custom LUTs with Filmora by choosing the Load New LUT option to open your device’s Internal Storage. Then, navigate to your cinema lut directory to identify your desired LUT.
Finalize the process by clicking OK on the browser window. You can apply different LUTs to your video by repeating the process.

Apply Cinematic Luts

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Conclusion

● The information above is enough justification for the importance of cinema LUTs in video editing. Additionally, you have links to helpful LUT resources to start your journey to video editing supremacy. You can try them out using Filmora to achieve Hollywood film finishes.

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