Issue with the Color Match tool in Lumetri panel.

Question

I'm trying to use the color match tool within Lumetri. The reference clip has HSL Secondary adjustments, which is causing issues with the tool. So when I click the Apply Match I get this popup warning:

"Color Match resets HSL Secondary parameters and automatically adjusts the Color Wheels. HSL Secondaries should be applied after applying a Color Match."

So I thought about, and realized that the HSL Secondary adjustments I made in the reference clip were on skin tones in that reference clip, of which there are none in the second clip. So maybe I can bypass the issue. So I thought to temporarily disable the HSL Secondary panel in the reference clip, and then try to use the color match tool to Apply Match. But I got the same popup as before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

R Neil Haugen · Answer

Color Match is a pretty straightforward tool. It looks at the image, then plots movements of the Color Wheels controls, both the Luma slider and color ball controls, to get closer to the same overall color range and tones.

But as it is, it's only a "primary" control, affecting the entire image.

And as you've found, it will not wish to use a reference clip with any qualifiers (HSL) applied. As those use that qualifier section to limit to what part of the image their subsequent controls affect.

Disabling the HSL unfortunately doesn't take it out of what Color Match "sees".

So there is an order of operations required.

Do all shotmatching while using Primary controls only. Basic tab, Creative and Color Wheels primarily.
Do one representative clip of a scene, with significant image parts shared with all other clips. Use that as Reference to apply the Color Match function.
After the shotmatching process, then go to any Secondary work. Work that selectively affects only part of an image.

Which is colorist's training 101 anyway. Bulk corrections applied to entire groups of clips when that can bring them closer to "normal". Then shotmatching, then Secondary work. The latter is one of those things that always includes a priority list so when time runs out, you've done the more crucial things on the priority list

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