Colour Grading Workshop in DaVinci Resolve: From Flat LOG to Finished Film (with Hieu Nguyen)

Colour Grading Workshop: DaVinci Resolve – From Flat LOG to Finished Film (with Hieu Nguyen)

Colour grading is more than just making one or two shots looking amazing, its about consistency and building a tone and mood that is cohesive throughout your film or content.

You can have the best camera in the world and still end up with footage that feels cheap. Usually, the problem isn’t the shot; it’s the grade. This workshop is designed to help you fix that for good.

In this hands-on session, Hieu Nguyen will guide you through a clear, repeatable colour grading workflow in DaVinci Resolve. You’ll learn how to grade LOG footage confidently, balance colour quickly, build a logical node tree, and achieve consistent skin tones without depending on “magic LUTs”. The goal isn’t to turn you into a colourist overnight; it’s to give you a system you can use on every project.

We’ll build grades together in real time, explain the reasons behind each step, and then grade footage as a group so you can see how this approach works with different cameras, lighting, and styles.

What you’ll learn

DaVinci Resolve interface, explained so you stop hunting for buttons and start grading with intent.

Working with LOG properly (and why most grades fall apart before they even begin).

Never need another LUT again: how to build your look from scratch and keep control.

Colour balancing fast using scopes + simple corrections that get you 80% there quickly.

Nodes, demystified: how node trees work, why they matter, and how to structure yours.

Curves + colour wheels: when to use each and how to avoid overcooking your footage.

Tracking, Power Windows, and Qualifiers for targeted fixes without wrecking the whole image.

Nail Skins Tones without any second guessing, using davinci and tools to make sure your skin tones are correct for every monitor, every screen.

Colour management (without the rabbit hole) so your footage stays predictable.

Build your own node tree live, then adapt it to your projects.

Bring your footage and grade it with the room, with guidance as you go.

You’ll walk away with a practical grading workflow that is fast, consistent, and reliable for client work.

Who it’s for

This workshop is for creators, videographers, photographers moving into hybrid work, and anyone tired of footage that looks almost finished but not quite right. If you shoot LOG, or want to learn how, this is for you.

What to bring

Please bring a laptop with DaVinci Resolve installed and your charger. If you’d like to grade your own clips, bring a few short selections and a drive. Headphones are recommended.

What you’ll leave with

You’ll leave with a reliable grading workflow, a reusable node tree structure, and the confidence to open Resolve and know exactly what to do next, instead of guessing, stacking LUTs, and hoping for the best.

If you want to learn to Edit, tickets are available for our work on the Saturday. Tickets are here!

Your Instructor:

Hieu Nguyen is a filmmaker who’s done the whole loop! Starting in VFX, then stepping onto set as a DoP, and now leading projects end-to-end as a director, editor and colourist. He’s tertiary educated with a Bachelor of Digital Media (Billy Blue) and a Master’s in Direction & Cinematography from AFTRS, and has spent the last 14+ years working across filmmaking, animation, post and grading for agencies and major brands.

He’s the co-founder of Piecemaker Films, and if you’ve seen many of the videos created for Georges, there’s a good chance you’ve seen his work. Hieu’s known for clean workflow, sharp taste, and making messy footage look intentional, polished and client-ready.