Hello everyone,
I’m creating this topic about an issue that has been discussed many times before: preserving colors for videos shot on an iPhone in HDR (15 Pro Max, in this case).
I’ve watched every YouTube video imaginable: some are outdated, while others offer slight improvements but don’t achieve perfection.
First point: all the tutorials I found were for Premiere Pro, not After Effects. I understand that most professional editors will use Premiere Pro instead of After Effects, but as a motion designer, I strongly prefer the latter.
So, let’s get straight to the point: attached is a sample footage shot last week https://we.tl/t-ex5ol0a1vB
Here’s how the colors look in the Photos app on my Mac/iPhone, or when I play the video in Preview or QuickTime (although they appear darker in the screenshot).
Now, here’s how they look when I import the video into After Effects without any adjustments. The colors are completely washed out.
Next, if I try to follow the most recent tutorial I found (https://youtu.be/8ZdrZr4H6q0?si=gpbGhKLIVI6R5Bkm), I have to go through Premiere Pro.
Interestingly, unlike what most tutorials say, the colors of my video in Premiere Pro appear perfectly rendered in the preview (most tutorials mention “blown out colors,” but this issue seems to be resolved in Premiere Pro 2025). I say “appear” because it’s just an illusion: when I export the video as an MP4, everything is overexposed.
Lastly, if I apply the technique suggested by Editor Keys, this is the result I get. It’s still far from the sharpness of the original video.
I’m creating this topic to see if any of you have a “miracle” solution for preserving the colors as much as possible for an HDR video shot on iPhone (preferably in After Effects 2025, or in Premiere Pro as a backup). Is it even possible? Or do we necessarily have to rely on Lumetri?
On the other hand, are there any settings I could change on my iPhone to avoid these issues? I shoot in “High Efficiency” (required if I want to film in 4K 60 fps, for instance) and in HDR, as you might have guessed.
Thanks a lot!
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