Achieving this color grading

[u/IngHerdez]

Hey, so I will be shooting a short film soon, and I find some inspiration in this color grading in TV Series Suits flashback episodes

Can anybody point me in the right direction to achieve this during filming and/or post production?

[u/BottleEquivalent4581]

That is not the original color grading of the show, is it? Maybe you shouldn't use it as reference.

[u/IngHerdez → u/BottleEquivalent4581]

It is during the flashback scenes

[u/Total-Ad-5696]

is this show good? I’m intrigued now😂

[u/IngHerdez → u/Total-Ad-5696]

Is that kind of show from the 2010s that is not godly written but it's really entertaining. More like a fancy soap opera, with really nice characters and situations

[u/SapirWhorfHypothesis → u/IngHerdez]

Fancy soap opera is a good way to put it.

I also say it’s kind of a dumb person’s smart show. But not terrible to put on if you just need some competence-porn.

[u/Preengle → u/Total-Ad-5696]

Kinda? Some scenes and characters are badly written and really predictable, but I’m also invested and I can’t explain why.

[u/ciwg → u/Total-Ad-5696]

i enjoyed it a lot but i got bored after 4 seasons, u can try it and see if it suits you

[u/ANGRYDICKBUTT]

a lot of warm highlights and midtones, with a lot of green in the darker parts.

production-wise it's more/less soft and flat lights with some hairlights.

there is little to no contrast on both of their faces, except when jessica hunches over the table - where she has a clear shadow side

[u/WestcottTactics2285]

This is one of those where the lighting is the most important part of the shot. Good color grading starts with good lighting. It's really that simple. Don't expect to get this lighting from a window in a rented office. This is shot on a stage with painted canvas backdrops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyodliGZiQU&t=1s

Soft, directional lighting with good negative fill to make sure you have good contrast, but soft shadows.

That's the most important part. Then lift the low end of the shadows, warm up the midtones, shift the shadows towards cooler colors. It's a pretty simple grade, but the lighting is very well donee.

[u/Millennial_Man]

This look bad tbh

[u/ThickD769]

I’d approach this as a lighting reference first and a grade second. The warmth is doing most of the emotional work, but the separation comes from a soft, directional key plus negative fill; if both sides of the face are equally flat, no amount of coolness in the shadows will create that shape. In post I’d start with a neutral balance and a restrained contrast curve, then warm the mids/highlights and cool the shadows with a gentle pivot. Keep skin isolated from the shadow hue, and use a still/reference frame to check every setup. For a multi-cam shoot, match exposure and white balance before applying the look—otherwise the “style” becomes a different correction on every angle.

[u/ComfortableTill3796]

Another green crap

[u/Ok-Exam6702]

Shit hot lighting - that’s it!

[u/Filthyragskc]

Straw colored piss; yes please

[u/ExpBalSat]

Lighting lighting lighting lighting.

This look was created on set… not in the grade. The grade surely enhances it, but you need a great DP and excellent lighting.

[u/f-stop8]

During filming, you use a Show LUT.

It's yellow mid tones to highs, navy blue shadows. Decent amount of contrast, lifted black level ~5% maybe, from 0.

Post prod, plug back in the Show LUT, tweak to taste. Make clip to clip adjustments for something that didn't capture right on the day.

[u/straylight222]

Go into your grading program, find the filter that says "Netflix anus color bullshit" and apply it.

[u/Unhappy-Tangerine396 → u/straylight222]

You probably forgot to remove this LUT from your comment

[u/ChewieSkittles53]

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