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Video color correction and how to use a LUT

Fix a flat or color-shifted video with auto adjust, color wheels and curves, import .cube LUTs and match the color between clips.

Color work is two jobs: first make the picture correct (exposure, white balance), then, if you like, give it a mood (warm, cinematic, faded film). In Weditra both live in the same place, and the colours you see in the preview are the colours that get exported.

1. Start with one click

  1. Select the clip on the timeline.
  2. Open the Adjust tab in the right panel and press Auto adjust in the Quick fix section. It tries to correct colour casts and flat, washed-out footage.
  3. Watch the result in the preview. If you don’t like it, undo and carry on by hand.

The Color panel on the left also holds ready-made looks. Click one and it’s applied to the selected clips. It’s a fast starting point, and you can fine-tune afterwards.

2. Fine control: the Adjust tab

  1. Open the Adjust tab in the right panel.
  2. The Basic sub-tab has separate Color (temperature, saturation) and Light (exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows) sections; Advanced inside a section opens extra settings.
  3. For deeper control, in Professional mode, there are Color wheels, Curves and HSL sub-tabs. The wheels are separate for shadows, midtones, highlights and overall.
  4. Changes show in the preview straight away.

A rule of thumb: fix light first (brightness, contrast), then colour. Move the temperature until something white looks truly white, and stop when skin looks natural.

3. What is a LUT and how do you use one?

A LUT is a table that packs a colour look into one file. Cinematic, documentary or warm ready-made looks are usually .cube LUT files.

  1. In the Basic sub-tab of the Adjust tab, go to the LUT section.
  2. Press Import LUT (.cube) and choose the file.
  3. Lower its strength with the intensity slider; full strength is often too much.
  4. To try another one, use Choose another LUT, and to take it off, Remove LUT.

If a LUT file can’t be found (for example after moving a project to another computer), Weditra says the LUT file wasn’t found and shows the preview without it; you can find the file again. The file must be reachable to export.

4. Make two clips match

Clips shot with different cameras or in different light jump in colour when they sit side by side. Color match in Adjust › Basic makes a clip’s colours resemble a sample clip you pick. The result is added to the clip as a LUT, and you adjust its strength there. You can spread a look you’ve tuned to every clip with Apply to all. If the footage has several shots, there’s also a button that splits at scene changes and matches them.

5. More colour tips

  • To correct only one area, add a shape in the Mask sub-tab of Adjust; colour settings then show only inside the shape.
  • Professional camera files (such as ProRes and DNx) play without waiting; preparation continues in the background, and preview colours match the export.
  • Checking on a well-set monitor is the safest route; phone screens can show colours differently.

More on the Pro tools page.

FAQ

Do preview and export have the same colour? Yes. What you see in the preview is what the exported file looks like.

Can I use my own LUT files? Yes, you can import files in .cube format.

Is the original video changed? No. Settings sit on top of the clip and the original file is untouched.

Weditra is free with no watermark. The Windows version is in the works; see the Download page.

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