Hamil Bros Studios' Colorful World
At Hamil Bros Studios, color grading isn’t just an afterthought—it’s the final brushstroke that gives your production its emotional power and visual polish. Whether you’re producing a commercial, short film, music video, or narrative feature, professional color grading can elevate your project from good to unforgettable.
But what is color grading, exactly?
While often lumped in with color correction, the two serve different purposes. Color correction ensures that everything looks natural—skin tones, whites, blacks, and grays all appear as they should. Color grading, on the other hand, enhances and stylizes those natural colors to support the tone and emotion of each scene.
Done right, grading can make a shot feel cold and sterile or warm and inviting. It can subtly suggest sadness or joy. In short, color grading gives your footage emotional depth and cinematic character—tying everything together visually and thematically, like the rug that really ties the room together.
Initial Consultation
We approach every project with care and precision, ensuring that our color grading aligns perfectly with your brand identity.
Footage Analysis
First, we review the locked edit—this means all the editing is complete, and the project is ready for finishing. For commercial projects, we typically receive footage via download. For larger narrative or promotional work, we prefer a physical hard drive to ensure data integrity.
Execution
Once we have the footage, we begin with a thorough color correction pass, making sure that every camera angle matches and that nothing looks out of place.
Then the creative work begins. Using advanced tools and techniques, we begin the color grading process. Often, we collaborate directly with the director or director of photography to ensure the grade aligns with the original vision. Whether the project demands realism or stylization, our grading process ensures a beautiful and cohesive final product.
Final Review and Delivery
We provide a Frame.io review link to ensure satisfaction, making any necessary adjustments before delivering the final product.
Our Trusted Tools
At the heart of our color grading workflow is DaVinci Resolve by Blackmagic Design—an industry-standard platform trusted by professional colorists around the world.
Initially designed by Stu Maschwitz, Red Giant is a suite of professional plugins that give us deep control over contrast, lighting, film grain, and much much more..
Founded by Jason Bowdach, PixelTools is a set of custom tools built for precision grading, designed by working post-production professionals.
In addition to our software, we have invested in high accuracy color grading monitors and control panels in order to keep the process moving with accuracy and efficiency.
Color Grading Process
The Importance of Order
Our color grading process is not rocket science, and the following description is anything but comprehensive. The art of color grading could fill an entire book (which, in fact, it has—we recommend The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction by Steve Hullfish) or an entire website (which we highly recommend: mixinglight.com). Regardless, if you are looking to hire Hamil Bros Studios for your color grading, we want to give you an idea of what to expect.
Conforming and Color Correction
Before we can start grading, we bring footage from all cameras into a shared visual baseline. For example, a HorrorWeb project used Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, and DJI cameras. We used DaVinci Resolve’s color management to normalize the footage and then matched color using scopes—not just our eyes. Lighting, lens variation, and angle differences all influence color perception, so we rely on precision corrections to make every shot cohesive.
Color Grading
This is where visual storytelling takes shape. We adjust contrast, saturation, and color palettes to match the intended tone of each scene. From warm cinematic looks to stylized sci-fi vibes, we don’t rely on LUTs—we build the grade with purpose. One of our favorite moments involved turning a bright day scene into believable night with grading and VFX compositing.
By creating a depth matte and attaching it to the vehicle, we were able to simulate the headlights of the car with the foreground tree and bush elements obscuring the light and creating an extremely realistic rendering of what looks like night time driving.
The Finish(ing) Line
Finishing is our last visual pass. Here we check for continuity, add grain or sharpening where needed, and prepare the footage for delivery. That could mean color space conversions or sizing for different platforms. It’s where we bring everything together, polished and ready to publish.
Our experience spans genres and formats. We’ve graded:
Award-winning short films (including projects for the HorrorWeb)
Public service announcements for programs like Safely Surrender in Bakersfield, CA
High-impact commercials and brand videos
Music videos that demand emotional tone and dynamic visuals
With each project, we tailor the color to match the story, tone, and target audience. We’re not just technicians—we’re visual storytellers.
Meet Our Expert Team
Our Color Grading Credentials
Our experience spans genres and formats. We’ve graded:
Award-winning short films (including projects for the HorrorWeb)
Public service announcements for programs like Safely Surrender in Bakersfield, CA
High-impact commercials and brand videos
Music videos that demand emotional tone and dynamic visuals
With each project, we tailor the color to match the story, tone, and target audience. We’re not just technicians—we’re visual storytellers.
The Importance of Color Grading
Why Color Grading Matters
You’ve already invested time and energy into writing, filming, lighting, and editing. Don’t let your visuals fall flat in the final step. Professional color grading can:
Create a consistent, polished visual aesthetic
Emphasize emotion and story through tone and contrast
Ensure your footage meets broadcast and streaming standards
Set your work apart from amateur productions
Without proper color grading, even the most well-shot footage can look unfinished or unprofessional. When you work with Hamil Bros Studios, you’re getting a team that understands how to push your visuals to their full potential.
Ready to Transform Your Footage?
Whether you’re in post on a local commercial or putting the final touches on your passion project, our color grading services can take your visuals to the next level.
Let’s talk about how we can bring cinematic polish and emotional impact to your next project. Reach out today and discover what professional color grading can do for your story.