Fix what the audience feels before what they see.

Quick diagnosis (ask these first)

• Do skin tones look human across scenes? (not pink/orange/green drifting)

• Do blacks hold together, or do shadows crawl with noise?

• Is the contrast shape flattering for faces (not just “punchy”)?

• Does the look survive platform compression?

3-Layer method (practical, no fluff)

1. Base truth: WB + exposure anchored to skin (scopes + grey card), gentle primary contrast.

2. Continuity: group pre/post nodes; match three “anchor” shots, then ripple to the rest.

3. Character: mood via subtle bias (cool/warm), filmic halation/grain at whisper level, LUT as glue—not a crutch.

Resolve node spine (safe default)
IDT → WB/Exposure → Skin key → Contrast curve → Palette bias → LUT (low) → Halation/Grain → Output

What we actually ship

• Rec.709 masters with safe roll-off

• Shorts versions with caption-safe titles

• Look LUT for future shoots (repeatability)

Common traps

• LUT first, fix later (reversing the order).

• Teal/orange on corporate faces.

• Over-contrast that amplifies noise.

Either the color tells your story—or it distracts from it. Choose which one your audience feels.