Best Workflow for Color Correction in VEGAS Pro?

emma-e wrote on 2/19/2025, 3:21 AM

Hi everyone,

I’ve been using VEGAS Pro for a while now, but I’m still trying to fine-tune my approach to color correction and grading. I know there are multiple ways to achieve good results, but I’d love to hear how experienced users approach this process.

Right now, my usual workflow involves using the Color Corrector and Color Grading panels, but I sometimes struggle with consistency across different clips. My main challenges include:

Matching Colors Across Clips – Sometimes, even when I try to manually adjust color settings, clips from different cameras or lighting conditions don’t blend well together. Are there any specific techniques or tools within VEGAS Pro that help with this?

Skin Tone Adjustments – I often find that skin tones end up looking unnatural, either too warm or too cool. Is there a reliable way to isolate and correct skin tones without affecting the overall color balance too much?

LUTs and Custom Presets – I’ve experimented with LUTs, but sometimes they seem to be too strong or don’t work as expected. Do you recommend any specific LUTs for a natural yet cinematic look? Also, do you create custom presets to speed up your workflow?

Best Plugins or External Tools – Are there any third-party plugins that integrate well with VEGAS Pro to enhance color grading?

Any tips, tutorials, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated! I’m always looking to improve my workflow and make my videos look more polished.

I also checked this: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/should-i-upgrade-to-vegas-pro-22-and-what-plan-now-go-language

Thanks in advance!

Emma

Comments

Reyfox wrote on 2/19/2025, 8:02 AM

I'm not sure that this post should be in the "Off Topic"? @vkmast @RogerS ?

vkmast wrote on 2/19/2025, 10:50 AM

Moved.

RogerS wrote on 2/19/2025, 9:21 PM

I'd start with color correction (grading is separate/after).

I would suggest making big chances at the media level (right click on the media in "project media." There you can apply a correction LUT, for example to go from log to REC 709. Or manually fix the contrast and color using a tool like the color grading panel. First I'd fix exposure so you can see what you are doing then tweak white balance and overall contrast.

Then you can tweak the correction at the event level when particular sections of the media require particular adjustments.

For skin tones use bezier masks to create ones that isolate particular parts of the image and use the vectorscope + color CGP to adjust the red hues until they fall more or less on the "skin tone line" (at least just make sure they are not in the greens). Then delete/disable the masks. You can do the same thing to match key colors between videos using the vectorscope to make sure they are close.

If there's a particular look you want you can add a look LUT to the CGP or a LUT Fx and decrease intensity to taste.

An overview of the tools in VEGAS here: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/video-editing/guide-color-grading-video-with-unified-color-workflow/#c147451