What is a LUT: Learn How To Take Your Videos to the Next Level
Color grading is a powerful tool that can transform your footage and bring your storytelling vision to life. One of the easiest and most effective ways to start color grading is by using Look Up Tables, or LUTs. Whether you’re a filmmaker, editor, or content creator, understanding LUTs can help you add a unique, professional touch to your videos with minimal effort. In this article, inspired by insights from Wistia Studios, we’ll dive into what LUTs are, how they work, and how you can use them to elevate your video projects.
What Exactly is a LUT?
The term “lookup table” might sound a bit technical or mathematical, but at its core, a LUT is a simple concept. Digital images are made up of pixels, and each pixel contains color information. A LUT functions much like a spreadsheet that maps every possible color in your footage to a new color value. In other words, it tells your video editor or color grading software: “This original color should be displayed as this new color.”
Think of LUTs as filters or presets that can be applied to your footage. They instantly change the look and feel of your video by shifting colors in a consistent, predefined way. This makes them incredibly useful for quickly achieving a specific aesthetic or mood.
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Two Main Uses of LUTs
In practice, LUTs are commonly used in two distinct ways:
1. Creative LUTs
Creative LUTs add a unique style or artistic look to your footage. For example, a creative LUT might push the blues in a scene toward cyan or deepen shadows to create a moodier atmosphere. Applying these LUTs can dramatically change the visual tone of your video, helping your content stand out and better express your brand or storytelling style.
2. Conversion LUTs
Conversion LUTs are used to transform flat, desaturated footage shot in a log color profile back into a normal, vibrant color space. Many cameras allow you to shoot in log, which captures a wider range of color and brightness information but results in footage that looks bland and washed out straight from the camera.
When you shoot in log, your camera is actually recording more detail in the highlights and shadows than usual. This extra information gives you more flexibility to adjust exposure and color in post-production without losing quality. Conversion LUTs help you quickly bring this flat footage back to life, making it look natural and balanced.
Why Shoot in Log?
Shooting in log is especially beneficial for mission-critical videos where color accuracy and flexibility matter most. Because log footage preserves more detail and latitude, you can fine-tune your color grade extensively during editing. This means if a shot is slightly overexposed, underexposed, or has challenging contrast, you can still correct it effectively.
However, working with log footage does require more time and effort in post-production to get the colors just right. For faster projects, shooting with a default color profile and then applying a creative LUT in post can be a great way to add visual flair without extra grading work.
How We Use LUTs at Wistia
At Wistia, we’ve embraced LUTs across nearly all our videos. For example, we use creative LUTs on our show business and brand wagon videos to give them a distinctive look. For many of our product videos, we apply conversion LUTs to our log footage to ensure colors are vibrant and consistent.
When speed is essential, we shoot with a default color profile and add a creative LUT during editing to enhance the visual style quickly. For more important videos, we prefer shooting in log to leverage the maximum flexibility in post-production.
Get Started with LUTs: Download Our LUT Pack
To help you experiment with color grading and add some professional polish to your work, we’re offering a LUT pack featuring some of our favorite looks from recent projects. These LUTs are an excellent starting point for both creative and conversion purposes.
Download LUT pack here:
Conclusion
LUTs are an accessible and powerful way to take your videos to the next level. Whether you want to add a creative color style or convert flat log footage to a beautiful, natural look, LUTs can save you time and help you achieve stunning results. By understanding how LUTs work and when to use them, you can personalize your videos and elevate your storytelling with color grading.
So next time you’re editing, consider experimenting with LUTs you might just find the perfect look that brings your vision to life. And if you’re hungry for more, don’t forget to grab that free LUT pack and start playing with color today!