AI Color Grading Video: Describe the Mood, Get the Grade
AI color grading in Cut Express works by describing the look you want in plain words, such as “warm golden hour, soft contrast”. Claude picks one of 73 cinematic looks, sets how strong it is and fine-tunes sliders like temperature and contrast. It can grade the whole video the same way or each scene on its own.
You never touch a color wheel. You judge the result on the render and ask for changes in the same chat.
How does AI color grading work in Cut Express?
A grade in Cut Express has two layers.
1. A look with an intensity. There are 73 cinematic looks, from teal and orange to golden hour and noir. Each one can run at any strength. At full strength a look is bold. Turned down low, it’s a hint.
2. Color sliders on top. These fine-tune the look:
| Slider | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Warmer (orange) or cooler (blue) |
| Contrast | Gap between darks and lights |
| Highlights | Brightness of the brightest parts |
| Shadows | Brightness of the darkest parts |
| Vibrance | Strength of muted colors |
| Vignette | Darkened edges |
| Grain | Film-like texture |
Claude sees your footage through contact sheets, frames labelled with their source time. It can tell a dim indoor shot from a bright beach shot and grade them differently.
How do I color grade a video with AI?
- Connect Cut Express to Claude. Follow the setup guide.
- Upload your clips. Use the upload panel or Claude Code.
- Describe the mood. Use feeling words or a reference.
- Say whole video or per scene. One grade for everything, or a different one for certain shots.
- Render and fine-tune. Ask for “less orange” or “lift the shadows” until it looks right.
Grade this travel reel warm and nostalgic, like late afternoon film. Not too strong. Add light grain and a soft vignette.
Should I grade per scene or the whole video?
Whole video gives a consistent feel. It’s the right default for one location and one lighting setup, like a talking head shot in one room.
Per scene helps when your clips don’t match. Phone footage from different times of day is a common case. One shot is too blue, another too warm. Claude can fix each one first, then put the same look on all of them so they read as one video.
The indoor shots are too yellow and the outdoor ones are fine. Cool down the indoor scenes to match, then put a light teal and orange look over everything.
How do I describe a color mood in words?
Claude turns your description into a look and slider values. Clear words help:
- Temperature words: warm, cool, icy, sunlit, golden.
- Contrast words: punchy, soft, flat, moody, crushed blacks.
- Color words: muted, pastel, saturated, desaturated, black and white.
- References: “like a 90s film photo”, “noir”, “summer commercial”.
If the first render misses, describe the gap: “too dark”, “skin looks orange”, “the sky is too cyan”. Those are complete notes.
How is AI color grading different from applying a LUT?
A LUT is a fixed color transform you apply to footage. Many creators buy LUT packs and drop them on clips. The looks in Cut Express work in a similar way, but Claude picks the look, sets its strength and adds slider tweaks for each shot. You don’t have to try LUTs one by one. For more on LUTs in short-form, read LUTs for Reels.
When is manual grading the better choice?
AI grading through chat suits social video and talking heads, where you want a good look without hand-tuning every shot. A colorist or a dedicated grading app still wins in a few cases:
- Shot-to-shot matching for film or ads. If every skin tone must match across a long edit, you’ll want scopes and hand control.
- Masks and tracked windows. Grading one face or one object in a moving shot is a job for a dedicated grading tool. Cut Express grades per scene or the whole video.
- Log footage from cinema cameras. If you shoot log and want full control of the conversion, use a grading tool built for it.
FAQ
How many looks does Cut Express have?
73 cinematic looks, each with an intensity setting, plus seven color sliders.
Does color grading cost credits?
No. Credits are only for audio AI (voice, sound effects, transcripts). Grading is part of the render.
Can I undo a grade?
Yes. Every version of the timeline is kept. Ask Claude to go back, or to remove the grade.
Can I use the same grade on my next video?
Yes. In the same chat, ask Claude to reuse the grade. For a later chat, download the timeline and share it so Claude can copy the grade settings.
Grade your next video
Upload a clip and describe the mood you want.
Free for 14 days, then Pro is $19/month. Cancel before the trial ends and nothing is charged.