How to Create a Cinematic Color Grade

Color Grading•Intermediate•18 min read

Achieve a movie-like look using Color Lookup tables, Curves, and Selective Color adjustments.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1:Add a Curves adjustment layer

Click the 'Adjustments' panel icon for 'Curves' (it looks like a grid with a diagonal line) or go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves. Pull the bottom left (shadows) down slightly and the top right (highlights) up slightly to create an 'S-curve' — this increases contrast dramatically and gives that cinematic depth.

Step 2:Apply Color Lookup for film emulation

Add a Color Lookup adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup). In the Properties panel, click the '3DLUT File' dropdown and browse through the available LUTs. 'Crisp_Warm.look', 'Fuji_F125_Kodak_2393.look', or 'NightFromDay.CUBE' are excellent starting points for cinematic looks. Reduce the layer Opacity to 30-50% for a subtle effect.

Step 3:Tweak colors with Selective Color

Add a Selective Color adjustment layer. For a teal-and-orange Hollywood look (the most popular cinematic grade), go to 'Blues' and add Cyan (+10), decrease Yellow (-15). Go to 'Yellows' and add Yellow (+10), add Red (+5) for warm skin tones. Go to 'Neutrals' and add a touch of Cyan (-5 Yellow) for that cool, moody film look.

Step 4:Split-tone shadows and highlights

Add a Color Balance adjustment layer. For the 'Shadows' option (selected at the bottom), add a touch of Blue/Cyan by dragging the Blue slider to +10. For 'Highlights', add a touch of Yellow/Red by dragging the Red slider to +5 and Yellow to -5. This split-tone effect — cool shadows with warm highlights — is the signature of cinematic color grading.

Step 5:Add a vignette with Levels

Add a Levels adjustment layer. Click on the layer mask thumbnail and press Ctrl+I (Cmd+I) to invert it to black (hiding the effect). Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and draw an oval in the center of the image. Press Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection. Set Feather to 150px in the Options bar. Fill the selection with white — this darkens the edges while keeping the center bright, creating a natural vignette that draws the eye inward.