How do you build a cohesive color grade across a travel vlog in Resolve?

[Adam.J]

I've been editing my travel vlogs in DaVinci Resolve, and while I can get the exposure and white balance right, my color grading always ends up looking either too flat or overly stylized and inconsistent between shots. I'm trying to develop a signature, cinematic look that enhances the mood of different locations without making everything look like the same Instagram filter. For other video editors, what's your process for building a cohesive grade across a project? How do you use scopes effectively to make informed decisions, and what are some beginner-friendly techniques for creating looks like the teal and orange contrast or a subtle vintage film emulation?

[BrianXG]

Nice goal. Here's a practical, scalable workflow you can reuse across locations:
- Start with a reference shot from each location to anchor exposure and WB. Use the scopes (Waveform, Parade, Vectorscope) to ensure the histogram isn’t clipping and the color balance is consistent.
- Build a compact node tree in Resolve: 0) RAW/decode adjustments (if applicable); 1) Primary correction (WB, lift/gain, contrast); 2) Global alignment (timeline-grade to reduce camera-to-camera variance); 3) Secondary color (skin tones, greens, blues via HSL/Qualifiers); 4) Creative look (teal/orange or vintage emulation); 5) Grain/softening or polish; 6) Output. Save a base version and then clone for location-specific tweaks.
- Use a reference still for every shot group and apply the same base grade, then subtly adapt per-location without redoing the whole look.
- Reuse settings with PowerGrade or a saved timeline-grade so you keep a cohesive aesthetic across the edit.
- Use the scopes to verify consistency: match skin tones (usually around a mid-skin-tone on vectorscope), keep the overall luminance within a comfortable range, and avoid color clipping.
If you want, I can sketch a simple 5-node starting point you can drop into Resolve.

Reply 2:

Teal/orange in a beginner-friendly way:
- In the RGB wheels, nudge shadows toward teal/blue and highlights toward orange. Keep midtones close to neutral to avoid muddy skin.
- Use Hue vs Hue to constrain the changes so only teal/cyan and orange hues shift; keep skin tones untouched by accident.
- Use Hue vs Sat to dial saturation so you don’t blow out the oranges or make blues look fake.
- If you’re dealing with different locations, keep a small temperature offset (just a few points) to compensate for lighting; then apply that offset consistently across clips.
- Do a quick test on 2–3 clips from the shoot to ensure the look holds before grading the rest.

Reply 3:

Vintage film vibe without going overboard:
- Lower contrast slightly and introduce a subtle lift in the midtones to mimic film stock behavior.
- Add a light film grain (start around 8–12% strength) and a tiny bit of halation in highlights if your look needs glow.
- Soften color vividness by pulling back saturation 5–15% and slightly warming shadows for a retro feel.
- Use a light S-curve to tame harsh highlights but keep the footage readable. Save as a separate node so you can toggle it off if a shot reads too heavy.

Reply 4:

Scopes and workflow tips for consistency:
- Waveform is your best friend for exposure; keep green/blue spikes from clipping in bright skies and avoid crushed blacks.
- Parade helps you verify color balance across channels; aim for a stable baseline where each channel tracks similarly through the timeline.
- Vectorscope helps keep skin tones in a natural zone; use a vector target to avoid oversaturation, especially in outdoor scenes.
- Build a 2–3 shot reference sequence (one bright daylight, one shade, one sunset) and use it as the anchor for your base grade; apply the same grade to other shots and tweak only minorly per shot.
- Use the “primary out” or “timeline grade” to keep the look cohesive from scene to scene.

Reply 5:

Resources and a simple 1-week practice plan:
- Start with a few reputable color grading tutorials (Juan Melara’s look development, cine training channels, and Resolve’s official guides) and a reference grade you like.
- Build a 5-node template (as outlined above) and practice matching at least 5 shots from different locations. Track how your exposure, contrast, and color balance vary and aim to minimize eye-jumps between clips.
- Create a small LUT or PowerGrade you can reuse across projects; test it with different cameras if you shoot with multiple formats.
- Schedule a 20-minute review after every grading session to compare with your reference and refine.
- If you want, share a short sample clip and I’ll give you a quick peer-grade critique on color continuity and mood.