How to Use Scopes to Color Correct Videos with Adobe Premiere Pro Lumetri Color Panel

There are multiple scope options available. However, these steps focus on how to make color corrections using the Vectorscope YUV and Waveform (Luma).

To open the scopes:

1. Open the "Color" workspace in Adobe Premiere Pro. On the left you will see graphs. On the right you will see different tabs, such as, "Basic Correction."
2. If no graphs appear on the left, go to the "Window" menu and click on Lumetri Scopes.
3. To open scopes menu, right click in the window.
4. Select "Vectorscope YUV" and "Waveform (Luma)."

There are multiple reasons to use Lumetri scopes. One primary reason is that your display may not be calibrated accurately. In other words, it may not represent the true colors of your video. A second reason is that you cannot trust your eyes alone when making color corrections due to the lighting in your workspace. The light influences how you see color so it is important to refer back to the scopes during this process.

When color correcting, find a nice balance between common sense and using your scopes. Always refer back to your video and your scopes.

Use this information to help you read the Vectorscope YUV:

• The circle graph is a gradient of all the colors on the spectrum.
• The location and size of the white mass in the graph represents the amount of color and what colors are in the video.
• If you increase the saturation, making the video more colorful, the white mass spreads out. If you lower the saturation to zero, making the video black and white, the white mass disappears to the middle which is the black, white and gray point.

Use this information to help you read the Waveform (Luma):

• The Luma version shows the exposure of the video. You can use the histogram or waveform because they show the same information.
• The waveform has a scale on the graph ranging from 0 to 100. 0 represents the blacks and 100 represents the whites.
• Pressed or crushed waves in the graph signifies that you have lost some detail in your video. You want to avoid this because usually you cannot fully recover the details.

Ideally for white balance, you want the white mass to be in the center of the Vectorscope YUV graph. You can adjust the white balance automatically or manually.

To adjust White Balance:

1. If you have something white in frame to use as a reference, use the eye dropper to have Adobe Premier Pro automatically adjust the white balance.
2. If you do not have a white reference point, drag the "Temperature" slider to adjust the white balance.
3. Refer back to the Vectorscope to determine how to adjust the slider to move the white mass toward the center of the graph.

The Tone is controlled by the Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Blacks and Whites sliders. The Waveform represents the exposure and all of the tones in the frame. The Highlights, Shadows, Blacks and Whites all work together. You will see their effect on each other in the Waveform.

To adjust Tone:

1. Adjust each of the sliders.
2. Refer to the Waveform (Luma) to see how adjusting each slider impacts the graph.

If you want to start over and restore the original video, select "Reset" to reset all of the tone settings.

Once you have completed your color correction, compare it to your original. To switch between the before and after, uncheck "Basic Correction."