How to start grading flat footage in Resolve for a consistent cinematic look?

[SophiaL]

I'm a freelance videographer who has recently upgraded to shooting in a flat color profile to have more flexibility in post, but I'm struggling with the actual color grading process in DaVinci Resolve. My footage looks washed out and I'm having trouble achieving a consistent, cinematic look across different shots from the same project, especially when mixing indoor and outdoor scenes. For other editors, what's a good starting workflow for bringing flat footage back to life and then applying a creative grade? How do you approach building your own LUTs or using power grades, and what are the key tools or nodes you always use to control skin tones and balance contrast without the image looking overly processed or artificial?

[George.R]

Here's a practical starter workflow I actually use for footage captured in a flat/color-graded profile: 1) set Resolve to color-management mode (ACEScct) with Rec.709 output so shots have a common baseline. 2) For each clip, decode the log/flat data via Camera RAW (or a Color Space Transform node if not RAW) to a neutral working space, then white-balance with a neutral reference. 3) Node 1 — primary correction: LiftGammaGain to balance exposure across the timeline, using the waveform for reference. 4) Node 2 — skin-tone control: isolate skin hues with a Qualifier and adjust Hue, Saturation, and Lightness to keep skin natural, applying adjustments to a dedicated skin node so other colors aren’t affected. 5) Node 3 — global tonality: use curves (S-curve) to lift shadows slightly and keep highlights detailed. 6) Node 4 — look development: add a subtle LUT or a manual grade for the desired cinematic feel, but preserve skin tones (no heavy clipping). 7) Node 5 — local refinements: secondary color corrections, slight color balance shifts in midtones, and gentle noise reduction/sharpness as needed. 8) Output Node — apply final color space transform to Rec.709, then render tests. Regularly watch waveform, vectorscope, and histogram to ensure consistency across indoor/outdoor shots.