Cinematic colour grading, simply explained: why your video looks flat

Cameras and phones record to preserve the most information, not to look good. The result is a low-contrast, greyish image — what editors call “flat”. Grading turns that information into a mood.

Correction and grading: two separate steps#

Correction means fixing: white should be white and skin should look natural. Grading means taste: warm or cool, bright or dark, joyful or dramatic. Always correct first, then grade.

Contrast: the life of the image#

Deepen the blacks a little and lift the highlights a little. That simple change brings depth back. Don't overdo it — shadow detail shouldn't disappear.

Colour temperature: warm or cool#

Warm tones (orange, gold) feel intimate and nostalgic — great for personal vlogs. Cool tones (blue, teal) feel modern and technical. Skin should stay natural either way.

A limited palette looks cinematic#

Films usually work with a restricted palette — the famous orange-and-teal, for example. With fewer stray colours, the eye settles on the subject.

Consistency between shots#

If one shot is warm and the next is cool, the video looks amateur. Every shot in a scene should share one colour feel. When applying the Paper Explainer style, the Vidico engine matches colour across all shots.