Avid or AE : Color Correction

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Tools are tools- both AE and Avid have now excellent color correction tools. What makes the difference is the person using them. So use a colorist- but if you plan on doing it yourself, use the one you’re most familiar with.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior Compositor/VFX Artist

[Walter Soyka]

[Tudor "Ted" Jelescu] “Tools are tools- both AE and Avid have now excellent color correction tools. What makes the difference is the person using them. So use a colorist- but if you plan on doing it yourself, use the one you’re most familiar with.”

Agreed. A great camera doesn’t make a great photo, and a great oven doesn’t make a great cake.

Workflow drives my decision for where to color correct. I only do color correction in After Effects when it makes sense — like for more design- and compositing-driven projects. If you do grade in AE, make sure you have video scopes (such as the scopes in Color Finesse, or Scopo Gigio or Test Gear).

For editorial-driven projects, I think a dedicated coloring toolset and workflow (such as with DaVinci Resolve or Apple Color) is important. If these are not available, using the tools built into your NLE will usually be flexible than AE if you need to go back and make editorial changes in the middle of grading.

Finally, color grading really requires a solid understanding of reading video scopes and a broadcast monitor for critical evaluation.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
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