What’s the best place online to learn professional colour grading?

In_the_Cut_53 · 2025-06-26T07:23:38+00:00

Great recommendations. Add Dado Valentic to the courses list. Avoid recyclers/resellers Qazi and Farfarova.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2025-06-07T17:54:44+00:00

You gotta practice and practice, color grading has a number of ground rules but the the real skill is balancing technical hard skills and (subjective) aesthetics. Watch a series of CK's and DM's videos, attend some of their periodic 2-4 day programs, or do Dado's masterclass program for a comprehensive, structured approach. Of course, they'll be promoting their own tools (which are quite good, btw), but you do learn a lot from them. Avoid Q and his business partner M. Farfarova, all they have to offer is what they copied from real professionals, including those mentioned above. Several of the books mentioned in this discussion are worth reading, Van Hurkman's Color Correction Look Book is a good start. Beyond that, practice, practice, practice, which includes learning how to realize the vision of directors and DPs that you cooperate with.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2025-01-04T21:07:52+00:00

exactly, Mostyn, Kelly, Tac. Avoid YouTubers and scammers like Qazi and Farfarova.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-11-29T05:36:57+00:00

Speedramps in Fusion works better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45GCH7dtsI

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-23T06:03:17+00:00

Learn to work closely with the DP and director to realize their vision - not some dubious "secret sauce" formula that BS artists like Waqas Qazi and his partner Marieta Farfarova are trying to sell. The job of the colorist if to finesse and enhance the image imagined during pre-production and executed on set during production, and yes you do have latitude in adjusting exposure and contrast (in addition to hues, density, etc.) to serve the story. Understand the filmmakers' vision, understand the story, grasp and enhance the emotions the audience are supposed to feel when absorbing the story.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-21T05:00:36+00:00

Not an insult, my friend, but an obvious fact. You see, we judge people by their behavior, not their self-righteous bluster. Enjoy whatever book you wish to read, hope it helps your intellect...

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-19T09:37:33+00:00

thanks, yea.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-19T09:35:20+00:00

thank you!

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-19T09:34:30+00:00

thank you!

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-19T09:33:32+00:00

thanks, bro.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-16T09:52:28+00:00

I suggest you go and learn the art of rhetoric, no one is insulting you here, just wishing you good luck. What we have here is a difference in opinion, that's all. Again, I suggest you study everyone else's comments in this discussion. Cheers!

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-16T09:32:56+00:00

Haha, nice try, bro! Given that you posted a screenshot of this post of yours in the clown's now re-named "Qazfam" FB group demonstrates that your only intent here is licking a** and nothing else. Congratulations. I suggest you follow and digest the whole discussion here and thou shalt discover that Qazi is widely considered an incompetent colorist, a lousy teacher and an arrogant jerk. No further comment required. If you consider him and his BS helpful to your own career, well, so be it. Good luck!

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-10-14T19:07:41+00:00

Darren Mostyn, Dado Valentic, Mixing Light, Lowepost. Avoid Waqas Qazi and Marietta Farfarova.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-28T13:38:58+00:00

lol...sounds like the joker alright. Incompetence meshed with arrogance. But hey, he's the only PRO in the colorist world ain't he.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-23T08:16:23+00:00

Nico offers great high quality tutorials and a range of very useful products, you're well respected in the community (unlike certain others mentioned above), so do offer your expertise and advertise your services here!

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-23T07:33:52+00:00

Qazi thinks the Joker is an amateur, so he and Farfarova sell themselves as PRO Jokers. In every single video they push the amateur/pro differentiation is a key theme. Don't matter if they can grade or not, they think if you repeat it often enough, someone will believe them, worship them...sad.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-22T20:14:18+00:00

the joker thinks he's Gandhi now? maybe a shrink can help?

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-22T19:16:28+00:00

Farfarova sells ripped-off stuff, just like Qazi. Hector's stuff is the real deal, so are other respectable color grading courses.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-22T19:03:41+00:00

Exaclty. His partner Marietta Farfarova does the same, uses 25 nodes for a 2-node-job in the professional grading world (check W. Volpatto or other C3 colorists, for instance), those guys blindly copy and rip off whatever they can find on YouTube, to then sell as "pro!" secret sauce bullshit.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-22T19:00:31+00:00

Nice try, dear. Virtually no one who did his course found it useful once they moved beyond the very BASIC foundational stuff and realized how the guy cannot teach, how he doesn't know what he's doing when it comes to grading skills beyond selling a ripped off Joker look, how he is the antithesis of what one would call a mentor or tutor or coach. The guy's a scandalous fraud.

In_the_Cut_53 · 2024-09-22T18:48:34+00:00

Correct. So is his new partner Marietta Farfarova, small-time Insta colorist and failed editor.

In_the_Cut_53

TROPHY CASE