Cinematic Color Grading Assistant
Generate LUTs, analyze palettes, and validate broadcast standards for color grading
What You Can Do
Plan comprehensive grade structures for multi-scene sequences, extract and analyze color palettes from reference imagery, generate technical LUT specifications for custom creation, and validate your grades against broadcast and cinema standards (ITU-R BT.709, DCI-P3, Rec.2020). This skill handles the analytical and planning work that precedes timeline color correction, helping you make faster aesthetic decisions and ensure technical compliance across projects.
Features
Analyze reference images and footage to identify dominant colors, secondary tones, and mood frameworks for your grade
Design hierarchical color adjustments organized by scene, character, or narrative intent with technical specifications
Create detailed technical descriptions for custom 1D and 3D LUT creation in DaVinci Resolve, Baselight, or Nuke
Check your grade specifications against ITU-R BT.709, DCI-P3, Rec.2020, and HDR compliance requirements
Diagnose color shifts, contrast issues, and format adaptation challenges across different camera codecs and dynamic ranges
Generate detailed, collaborator-friendly notes for directors, cinematographers, and VFX supervisors
Translate established grading styles across different camera formats, sensors, and creative requirements
Build branded or thematic color systems for commercials, episodic content, or visual consistency across projects
Example Output
Example 1: Palette Analysis from Reference Input: Description of a moody thriller scene Output:
Primary Palette: Deep teal shadows (#1a4d5c), warm desaturated skin tones (warmth +8), cool highlights (#e8dcc8)
Secondary Palette: Amber practical lights (2900K equivalent), desaturated cyan accents
Mood Framework: 85% desaturation in shadows, lifted blacks at 5%, skin tone protection with 12° hue shift toward magenta
Example 2: Broadcast Compliance Check Input: Grade specifications for delivery across SDR and Rec.2020 formats Output: ✓ Luma range: 0–100% (legal, within 7.5–100 IRE) ✓ Skin tone placement: 40.5 IRE (broadcast-safe) ⚠ Shadow detail in shadows below 10 IRE—compress for cable broadcast ✓ Chroma burst: 75% saturation (safe for downconversion)
Example 3: LUT Specification for Custom Creation Input: Cinematic look brief (warm, contrasty, VFX-safe) Output: Technical 3D LUT curve map with input/output node specifications, shadow crush points, midtone saturation boosters, and highlight rolloff parameters ready for implementation in your grading software.
What's Included
- SKILL.md instruction file with full workflow prompts:
- Color Palette Analysis Template: structured format for extracting mood, dominant colors, and secondary tones from reference imagery
- Grade Structure Planning Framework: hierarchical color adjustment checklist for organizing shadows, midtones, highlights, and selective ranges
- LUT Specification Worksheet: technical form for documenting 1D and 3D LUT parameters ready for color science implementation
- Broadcast Standards Checklist: compliance verification guide for ITU-R BT.709, DCI-P3, Rec.2020, and HDR formats
- Grading Collaboration Notes Template: professional documentation format for sharing decisions with directors and VFX teams
Who It's For
- Professional Color Graders — Specialists using DaVinci Resolve, Baselight, or Nuke who need rapid planning and technical validation
- Colorists in Post-Production Houses — Editors grading for broadcast, commercial, and cinematic delivery across multiple formats
- VFX Supervisors — Technical leads ensuring color consistency and broadcast compliance across VFX-heavy sequences
- Cinematographers & Directors — Creative leads planning grade direction and communicating color intent to grading teams
- Content Producers — Branded or episodic production leads building consistent color systems across large projects
Best For
- Planning and structuring complex multi-scene color grades before timeline work
- Analyzing reference imagery and extracting actionable color palettes and mood frameworks
- Generating technical specifications for custom LUT creation and implementation
- Validating grades against broadcast, cinema, and HDR compliance standards
- Troubleshooting color science issues, format conversions, and cross-codec color shifts
- Documenting grading decisions for team collaboration and project archival
- Building branded or thematic color hierarchies for commercial and episodic content
- Adapting established grading looks across different cameras, sensors, and dynamic ranges
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