Video Editing Starter · free course

Free course · Lesson 4 of 5

Color Grading & Motion Graphics

In this lesson you will

  • Correct exposure and white balance
  • Add readable titles and captions

Color Correction is the technical step of fixing white balance, exposure, and contrast so the footage looks natural and consistent across all shots. Color Grading is the creative step of applying a look or mood — warm tones for a hopeful story, desaturated blues for a serious documentary. Motion Graphics (lower-thirds, title cards, logo animations) add professional polish and help communicate information visually.

  • Color Correction first, grading second. Fix the technical issues before adding a creative look. Use the waveform monitor and vectorscope in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere to check exposure and skin tones scientifically.
  • Primary correction: Adjust Exposure (Lift/Gamma/Gain) to balance shadows, midtones, and highlights. Set White Balance using the eyedropper on a neutral grey area.
  • Lower-thirds are text overlays identifying a speaker or location. Keep them simple — clean sans-serif font, semi-transparent background bar, 3-4 seconds minimum on screen. Adobe Premiere's Essential Graphics panel makes this quick; DaVinci Resolve's Fusion tab gives more control.
  • In CapCut Desktop, use the Colour Adjustment panel for quick corrections and the Text overlay for simple lower-thirds. For pro-level grading, DaVinci Resolve (free version) is the best choice.

Practical Skill: For an NGO awareness video shot on a smartphone in mixed lighting, start with the Scopes panel. If the waveform shows the image is concentrated in the lower third (underexposed), raise the Gamma (midtones) first. Grade with a subtle warm tint (+300K to +500K) for a hopeful, human-centric feel. Add a simple lower-third bar (80% opacity black bar, white sans-serif text) to identify speakers.

TemplatePrimary Color Correction Sequence Checklist
Worksheet
==== PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION WORKFLOW (DaVinci Resolve / Premiere) ====   Step 1: ANALYSE THE FOOTAGE  [ ] Load the clip into the Colour workspace (Resolve) or Lumetri panel (Premiere)  [ ] Enable the Waveform Scope → check if exposure is balanced        • Well-exposed: waveform spread evenly from 0 to 100        • Underexposed: waveform clustered in lower third (0-40)        • Overexposed: waveform clustered in upper third (60-100)  [ ] Check Vectorscope → skin tones should fall along the      diagonal line between Yellow and Red (the "skin tone line")   Step 2: FIX WHITE BALANCE  [ ] Use the White Balance eyedropper on a neutral white/grey area      (white shirt, grey wall, paper)  [ ] If no neutral area exists, adjust Temperature (Tint) sliders manually:        • Too warm (orange):  Lower Temperature slider        • Too cool (blue):     Raise Temperature slider        • Skin looks green:    Raise Tint toward Magenta        • Skin looks pink:     Lower Tint toward Green  [ ] Target: Skin tones look natural; white objects look white.   Step 3: ADJUST EXPOSURE & CONTRAST  [ ] Lift (Shadows):     Set to 0-10 range  (deep blacks, no crush)  [ ] Gamma (Midtones):   Adjust so waveform centre is around 40-50  [ ] Gain (Highlights):  Set to 85-95 range (bright whites, no clip)  [ ] Contrast:  Slight "S-curve" — raise highs by +5, lower lows by −5  [ ] Saturation: Start at 50-60% for natural look; adjust to taste   Step 4: MATCH SHOTS (for consistency across a scene)  [ ] Select the reference clip (best-exposed shot) → click the      "Still" icon to save a grade snapshot  [ ] Select a clip to match → right-click viewer →      "Match to Reference Frame" (Resolve) or Auto-Match (Premiere)  [ ] Fine-tune manually if the match is not perfect   Step 5: ADD A CREATIVE GRADE (optional, after correction)  [ ] Lift (Shadows):         −2 to −5 for a filmic look  [ ] Midtone Detail:          +5 for sharper perception  [ ] Highlight Warmth:       +300K to +500K (add amber to highlights)  [ ] Shadow Coolness:        −200K to −400K (add blue to shadows)  [ ] Overall Saturation:     45-55% (documentary/natural)                              60-80% (vibrant social media) ==== LOWER-THIRD TEMPLATE BLUEPRINT ====  (Create in Premiere Essential Graphics or DaVinci Fusion)   Duration on screen:       4 seconds minimum (6 seconds if long name/title)  Font:                     Sans-serif (Inter, Montserrat, Roboto)  Font Size:                36px (Name), 24px (Title)  Font Colour:              White (#FFFFFF)  Background Bar:           Dark blue (#1D448A) at 80% opacity  Bar Height:               60px (Name), 44px (Title)  Animation:                Slide in from left over 8 frames                            Hold for 3.5s, slide out over 8 frames  Safe Zone:                Keep text inside the "Title Safe" guides                            (20% margin from screen edges)

Practice exercise

Correct two mismatched shots so they look alike, then add a lower third and check every caption against the audio.

Key takeaways

  • Correct before you create a look
  • Scopes measure what eyes misjudge
  • Always review auto-captions
In the full program Module 4: Colour Correction and Titles See how this topic is taught in depth, with practical activities and an assessment.

Free self-study lesson — no certificate. For the full instructor-led program, see registration options.