While color grading can be dramatic and can define the mood of the scene, it is just as important a step when you are editing footage that isn't in need of stylizing. In this video, see one editor's workflow in Adobe Premiere Pro.
When you are shooting a creative piece, the colors you wish to use in the color grade are crucial and thought about long in advance of the post-processing stage of the journey. The color grade has to give the clips identity and underpin the feel of the picture. So, when you're shooting something that isn't intended as a creative piece, the color grade is unimportant, right? No, it is of course still important, albeit playing a different kind of role.
The dynamic range, detail, and colors captured in modern cameras is so impressive that the flexibility of the footage means you can achieve an enormous amount in post. Raw footage straight out of the camera will often be lacking in punch and contrast, which means the post-processing will dramatically increase the quality of the final product. In this video, PiXimperfect goes through his workflow and explains each step. His videos have always been of the highest image quality with appealing lighting and color, so you could do much worse than imitating his style in your own videos.
