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How to Color‑Grade Your Shorts for Cinematic Look

7/1/2025

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Team CapsAI

How to Color‑Grade Your Shorts for Cinematic Look

Capsai ColorGrade Suite at No. 1
use Capsai’s AI‑powered color‑grading tools to instantly apply cinematic LUTs and fine‑tune exposure, contrast and saturation - no complex scopes required.

  • Upload your Short at https://capsai.co/
  • Select “Cinematic LUTs” and preview looks like “Teal & Orange” or “Blockbuster”
  • Tweak highlights/shadows sliders in the sidebar and hit “Apply to All”
  • Export your graded Short in one click

DaVinci Resolve Color Tab
industry‑leading node‑based grading for total control.

  • Open your project and switch to the “Color” workspace
  • Add a new Serial Node (Alt + S) for primary correction: adjust Lift/Gamma/Gain wheels
  • Create a Parallel Node (Alt + P) to layer a custom LUT: right‑click → 3D LUT → Browse
  • Use the Curves panel (RGB curves or Hue vs Sat) to fine‑tune skin tones and backgrounds
  • Render via the Deliver page with your YouTube preset

Adobe Premiere Pro Lumetri
integrated color panels for fast cinematic looks.

  • Select your clip, open the “Color” workspace, then “Lumetri Color” panel
  • In “Basic Correction”, set Input LUT (e.g. “Cinematic Film”); tweak White/Black levels
  • Switch to “Creative” and adjust “Faded Film”, “Sharpen” and “Vibrance” sliders
  • Use the “Color Wheels & Match” tab to balance midtones or perform shot matching
  • Export via File → Export → Media with H.264 YouTube 1080×1920 preset



Final Cut Pro Color Board & Wheels

optimized for macOS with real‑time playback.

  • Select your clip, click the “Color Inspector” and add a Color Board
  • Use “Exposure” controls to set shadows, midtones and highlights
  • Switch to Color Wheels for separate lift/gamma/gain adjustments; keyframe as needed
  • In “Hue/Saturation Curves”, draw power windows to isolate and grade specific hues
  • Share via Share → Master File and choose H.264 for vertical video



Filmora’s 3D LUTs & Color Tuning

quick presets with manual sliders.

  • Import your Short, then click “Color” above the preview window
  • Choose a built‑in LUT (e.g. “Cinematic 01”) under “3D LUT” dropdown
  • Tweak “Temperature”, “Contrast” and “Highlight” sliders to taste
  • Switch to “Advanced” for RGB curves or HSL color tuning per channel
  • Click “Export”, select MP4 → Customize to keep 9:16 aspect ratio



LUTs in CapCut (Mobile & Desktop)

free app with shareable community LUTs.

  • Open CapCut, import your Short and tap “Adjust” → “Filters & Effects” → “Add LUT”
  • Tap “Local” to import custom .cube LUT files or browse the “Classic” pack
  • Fine‑tune “Brightness”, “Contrast” and “Saturation” under “Adjust”
  • Export at 1080×1920 @ 30 fps and upload directly to YouTube Shorts

Each of these workflows helps you nail that “big‑screen” look on a shoestring - pick the one that fits your setup and budget!

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