… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1147: A Faster Way to Apply LUTs

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Adjustment layers are created in Motion and affect all clips below them.

Normally, we apply LUTs (color Look-Up Tables) to an individual clip. But, recently, a reader suggested a faster and better option – use an adjustment layer.

You may be familiar with adjustment layers in Photoshop. These are special layers that, when you apply an effect to them, change the look of all the clips below them.

Premiere has adjustment layers, but FCP X doesn’t… officially. However, they are easy to create in Motion.

NOTE: Here’s a tutorial that explains how.

The benefit to adjustment layers is that we can apply a LUT to the adjustment layer to change the look of all the clips under it. This makes it extremely easy to create a look for an entire project and, by tweaking just one setting, affect a whole flock of clips at once.

Apply an adjustment layer above your clips in the timeline, then apply Effects Browser > Color > Custom LUT to the adjustment layer.

Next, in the Inspector, apply the LUT you want. (See screen shot.)

NOTE: This effect won’t allow you to apply camera LUTs, but does allow applying any creative LUT you want.