Video summary

The Seven Levels of Color Grading

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main Ideas / Concepts

  • The video’s central premise is that color grading can be understood as “levels.”
  • Knowing which level a given project/look belongs to helps build taste faster and improves decision-making on real assignments.
  • The presenter frames the levels as subjective (“my take,” “humble opinion”), encouraging discussion rather than arguments.
  • He also promotes a grading tool (Rapid Grade) that provides customizable, inspired look presets for DaVinci Resolve (DaVinci Wide Gamut).

Method / Framework: “Seven Levels of Color Grading”

Level 1: Cliché

  • What it is
    • A starting-off-point look that is very “on the nose.”
    • Often tied to obvious popular blockbuster aesthetics.
  • Typical examples referenced
    • Transformers, Bad Boys, The Expendables
    • Teal-and-Orange looks
    • “Cinematic Hollywood looks” LUT packs (described as among the earliest LUT purchases people make)
  • Key lesson / limitation
    • Visually “pretty,” but doesn’t feel realistic (e.g., highlights blown out, oranges too strong).
    • Doesn’t age well over time—useful as a beginner stage, but limited for lasting taste.

Level 2: Non-look

  • What it is
    • The opposite direction from cliché—trying to be subtle, clean, “realistic,” or mundane.
  • Tone / critique
    • Labeled pretentious and described as the “most pretentious” level.
    • Even when aiming for realism, it can become boring and forgettable.
  • Examples referenced
    • Nomadland
    • Power of the Dog
    • F1 (referenced in a negative / “not good enough” way)
  • Key lesson
    • If it’s too invisible, it can fail to emotionally engage; beauty may exist, but the grade can still feel like it doesn’t commit.

Level 3: Cinematography First

  • What it is
    • Color grading takes a back seat.
    • The goal is letting cinematography lead the frame and the audience experience.
  • How it’s justified
    • Requires strong cinematography so the grade doesn’t need to “perform.”
  • Examples referenced
    • A “night sequence” from Sakario (as spelled in subtitles)
    • Comparisons to Game of Thrones: Season 8 Episode 3 (mentioned as a widely criticized meme)
    • The Hateful Eight (Robert Richardson / film aesthetics)
    • The Revenant (Emanuel Lubezki referenced as “legendary”)
  • Key lesson / philosophy
    • The colorist’s role is largely supportive—don’t overpower the image.
    • Emphasis on protecting detail (mentions shooting in log and Roger Deakins’s approach to preserving information).

Level 4: Signature

  • What it is
    • The opposite of “cinematography first”: grading first, but in a good way.
    • A look with clear personality that doesn’t block storytelling.
  • Core characteristics
    • The grade feels like it has a distinct emotional / stylistic identity.
    • Often enhances story themes (or helps achieve a stylized world).
  • Examples referenced
    • 300 (described as “a painting”)
    • Mad Max: Fury Road
    • Joker (emotion/Arthur’s mental state “painted on screen”)
    • The Matrix
    • Transformers / Bad Boys / teal-and-orange (cited here as serving a purpose—even though they’re also used earlier in Level 1)
    • Children of Men (presented as the presenter’s favorite in this category)
  • Key lesson
    • A signature look can be bold because it’s integrated with the story and tone, not just a LUT-style effect.

Level 5: Dance

  • What it is
    • Color grading and cinematography meet in the middle and “dance together.”
    • Neither is a passenger; both are actively contributing.
  • Examples referenced
    • Knives Out (technical, widely praised; the presenter references “Yedlin” as the key figure behind translation of technical work to the image)
    • Succession
    • Saltburn
    • The Wolf of Wall Street
  • Key lesson
    • The grade supports story and cinematography in a harmonious way.
    • The presenter praises technical execution that holds up on any screen (small TVs to expensive monitors).

Level 6: Peak Cinema

  • What it is
    • A serious, top-tier level emphasizing creative peak and usually associated with major auteur filmmaking.
  • “Default guess” idea
    • People will immediately think Christopher Nolan.
  • Examples referenced
    • Oppenheimer (described as visually possibly “10/10” even if the presenter didn’t love it as entertainment)
    • Additional Nolan-associated films are implied
    • Poor Things is also highlighted as a different kind of peak (more indie/chaotic liberties)
    • The Odyssey (presented as a “third example,” with strong emphasis on the theater/IMAX experience)
  • Key lesson
    • Creativity is “all-time high,” frames look like art, and the result feels like a miracle of craft rather than just a polished grade.

Level 7: Final Boss

  • What it is
    • Even above peak cinema because it’s still fundamentally about color grading delivering an unmatched transformation.
  • Core defining trait
    • The grade helps create a new world (period pieces, futuristic settings, entirely different realities).
    • Directors and teams go “all out,” aiming for intense, world-building color transformation.
  • Examples referenced
    • Dune (Denis Villeneuve referenced; Greg Fraser referenced)
    • Blade Runner 2049 (Roger Deakins referenced)
    • Chernobyl (HBO miniseries)
  • Key lesson / why it’s “final boss”
    • Not just style—the grade is intricately aligned with world/setting:
      • No typical display limitations (contrasted with “Rex 709” not looking like it)
      • Massive attention to contrast, skin tones, palettes, and nuance
    • Chernobyl is praised for managing realism/period constraints while still feeling alive and detailed.

Overall Takeaways / Implied “Lessons”

  • Beginner-friendly looks (cliché / LUT vibes) can be stepping stones, but they quickly limit growth.
  • “Non-look” realism can become emotionally empty if it becomes too neutral.
  • Great grades often depend on balancing roles:
    • Level 3: grade supports cinematography
    • Level 4: grade leads but still serves story
    • Level 5: a true balance (“dance”)
    • Levels 6–7: escalating creativity and world-building driven by grading craft
  • Presenter’s personal belief: the “right thing” should feel effortless—color grading should not feel like forced labor.

Speakers / Sources Featured (Named)

  • Kazzy (presenter/host; described as “color grading” expert)
  • Roger Deakins (referenced regarding log/digital detail protection)
  • Emanuel Lubezki (referenced as “legendary” for The Revenant)
  • Robert Richardson (referenced regarding The Hateful Eight)
  • Yedlin (referenced in relation to Knives Out; praised for translating technical work into strong on-screen results)
  • Christopher Nolan (discussed as the expected “peak cinema” director)
  • Denis Villeneuve (referenced for Dune)
  • Greg Fraser (referenced for Dune)
  • Roger Deakins (again referenced for Blade Runner 2049)
  • HBO (source/producer context for Chernobyl, referenced as an HBO miniseries)

Works Referenced (Examples Used as Evidence)

Transformers, Bad Boys, The Expendables, Nomadland, Power of the Dog, F1, Sakario (as spelled), Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3, The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, 300, Mad Max: Fury Road, Joker, The Matrix, Children of Men, Knives Out, Succession, Saltburn, The Wolf of Wall Street, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, The Odyssey, Dune, Blade Runner 2049, Chernobyl

Original video