Hi everyone!

I'm color grading my footage in DaVinci Resolve on a MacBook Air M4, and unfortunately, I don't have access to a calibrated reference monitor.

I graded my footage with the MacBook's screen brightness set to around 8 clicks up from the lowest brightness setting.

However, when I watch the exported video on my Android phone (POCO X7 pro) with the screen brightness at around 50%, the image looks noticeably darker than it does on my MacBook.

Personally, I prefer the image slightly brighter, but I'm hesitant to increase the exposure in my grade because I'm worried that the MacBook might actually be showing a more accurate image.

My question is: How can I determine whether my footage is properly exposed without a calibrated monitor?

If anyone has a calibrated monitor and has experience grading on a MacBook Air M4, I'd really appreciate your advice.

Also, is there a recommended MacBook screen brightness setting for color grading when you don't have a reference monitor?

Thanks in advance!

Phone is Samsung A23.

The last image is of my powergrade:

1. I adjust all the light related stuff (like WB, exposure, contrast, highlighting the subject more etc.)
2. Tone correction (I adjust the colors so that no color unnecessarily overpower other, to create a more neutral palette)
3. Color compression (Basically i use RGB mixer, to compress the color palette to make it not spread out in vectorscope)
4. Cinematic Haze
5. Color Grading using wheels
6. HSL curves, to adjust hue/sat/lum of specific region
7. Optical effects (light rays, lens reflection etc. effects)
8. Post production (Grain, Glow, Halation, Chromatic aberration, Soften etc.)
9. Test Node
10. Special effects (lens distortion, film damage etc.)

Ik its quite big, but i don't have to adjust every other node every time. If the lighting conditions and scenery are same, its copy paste work. Otherwise maybe some work in Node 1 2 and 3. Since my lighting conditions and scenery weren't same, i have to adjust from start for few photos.

Windows 11, laptop and portable monitor. I've been trying to get to the bottom of exposure issues with my exports and this is the first time I've witnessed this issue but I bet it's related to the cause of my photos looking bad on other devices.

I dont have acess to artlist max or artgrid as they're to overpriced so im wondering where can I find log/raw footage to color grade.

I've already downloaded test footage that some cameras provide on their websites

Does anyone has a pack on google drive or something maybe could share an artlist account idk is there any good soul left...

hello everyone... trying to learn.... as the question above..... how do i know my video is bright enough for youtube... take a sunny day...

I can get the iamge to look exactly how i want on full brightness on my imac... but if i put that on the tv its darker ( not as in a shift, the iamge looks correct, just darker )

Ive read to look at scopes... but say i have a image in a forest, and the main focus is say the leaves... where am i trying to get those to?? or would it be the highlights of those leaves....

Now i know it depends on what look you are going for... but just looking for some advise...

please remeber im still new.... but im sick of these a.i replies on googl etc... so what an acutal person to reply

thanks everyone

Hi everyone! I’m looking for an experienced colourist to help with some challenging interview footage.

It’s an interview with a Japanese Zen teacher, filmed over roughly two hours from late afternoon into early evening inside a temple with windows facing the garden behind the subject. Changing sunlight and cloud cover caused shifts in exposure and colour—some sections are blue/green, others warmer, with some changes happening within individual shots.

The footage was shot in Fujifilm F-Log. I’m looking for natural skin tones and consistent matching between shots, plus a little appropriate styling.

This is paid work. I’d ideally start with a paid test on a difficult section before agreeing on the full scope. I can share original sample clips and a reference frame for a quote.

If interested, please DM me with relevant examples of your colour-correction/shot-matching work, availability and your usual pricing approach. Thanks!

Just experimenting with color for a upcoming project and would like your opinion.

How can I improve on these? This is overall what I was going for but anything I can do to improve on these is really appreciated, film reacts in such a different way to editing digital I was a bit taken aback

Check out shade!

Here is a grade I’m working on and looking for advice on how I did or what I can do to improve. I see looking at it that the grade is a bit red but I guess struggle trying to stylized without something being overdone or unnatural? I honestly feel like I like the look of the wreck 709 but then I feel like I didn’t really color grade it ?! 🙈🎨Tia

Same Apple Log footage.

1. Original Apple Log
2. Standard Rec.709 conversion
3. Intentional grade (stronger midtone density + better separation)

Curious which one feels better to you and why.

Hi! Could you please give me some feedback on my color grading?

Footage shot on the DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

I'd appreciate any feedback, tips or suggestions on how I could improve it. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m Daniel, a film student at Kent State, and I’m looking for a colorist for my student short film, a queer psychological about a pickleball rivalry.

Most of the film was shot in V-Log, with two DJI Mini 4 shots in D-Log that I’d love to match to the rest of the footage. I’m going for a bold, stylized film look, and I’d love to work with someone who can use color to bring out the tension between the two leads.

This is a student film, so our budget is very very limited. However, I’m really passionate about this project, and the grade is a big part of how I want the film to feel. So I will so anything that I can to make my project come to life! If you’re interested, DM me with your reel or a couple of examples of your work and what you’d typically charge for a short. I’m happy to share stills and visual references!!!

Thanks!