StreamLive ProColor correction in the video editor
Color correction in the StreamLive Pro editor: fix a dark, yellow or flat video with exposure, contrast, temperature and tint, or start from a preset.
The Color tab in the StreamLive Pro editor fixes the look of the whole video: exposure and brightness for a dark picture, temperature and tint for a yellow or green cast, contrast and saturation for a flat one. The preview changes as you drag, and the export applies the same values to the MP4. Eight presets give a starting point.
Before you start
- Color applies to the whole project. The settings are saved with the project, not with one clip. If one camera angle needs a different fix from another, correct the worse one at the source if you can, or export the parts separately.
- Fix the light before the colour. Exposure and contrast first, then temperature and tint, then saturation. A colour judged on a dark picture changes once the picture is brighter.
- Check on two screens. A laptop screen and a phone often show the same file differently. Most viewers will be on a phone.
Steps
- Open the video. In the menu choose Video editor and open the project.
- Open the Color tab. In the Properties panel on the side, open the Color tab. The hint at the top says the preview is live and the export uses the same look.
- Set Exposure. Raise it until faces look right. Watch white shirts and windows: when they turn flat white, you went too far.
- Set Contrast and Brightness. Contrast separates dark and light; Brightness moves everything up or down. Small steps are enough.
- Correct the colour cast. A yellow indoor picture needs Temperature moved toward cool. A green or magenta tint, common under fluorescent light, is fixed with Tint (green/magenta).
- Add Saturation or Vibrance last. Vibrance raises weak colours more than strong ones, so skin stays natural. Saturation raises everything equally.
- Or start from a preset. Under Presets choose Cinematic, Vintage, B&W, Cool, Warm, Vivid, Faded or Neutral, then adjust the sliders from there.
- Compare and reset. Reset clears a section; Reset all returns to the original picture. Use it to compare before and after.
- Export. Press Export. The colour is burned into the MP4.
Which slider fixes what
| Problem | Slider | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Too dark | Exposure, then Brightness | Up |
| Grey, washed out | Contrast | Up |
| Yellow or orange cast | Temperature | Toward cool |
| Blue, cold picture | Temperature | Toward warm |
| Green or magenta cast | Tint (green/magenta) | Away from the cast |
| Dull colours, natural skin wanted | Vibrance | Up |
| Colours too strong | Saturation | Down |
Color, Effects and the green screen
Color sits next to two other tabs that also change the picture. The Effects tab adds a look on top (for example Black & White, Sepia, Vintage or a vignette; see Keyframes and effects). The Chroma tab removes a green background (Green screen in the video editor). When you key a green screen, fix the colour after the key looks clean, so the key is judged on the original colours.
What can go wrong
- The export looks different from the preview. Check the file on the same screen you edited on. If it still differs, export again; the export takes the settings at the moment you press the button.
- Faces turn orange. Saturation is too high. Lower it and use Vibrance instead.
- The picture looks noisy after raising exposure. The camera recorded too little light; brightening it shows the noise. Light the scene better next time; in the editor, raise exposure less and contrast a little.
- One clip looks right, another wrong. Color is project-wide. Choose the setting that suits most of the video, or correct the odd part in a separate project.
Related pages
- The editor's timeline and keys: Video editor timeline basics
- Removing a green background: Green screen in the video editor
- Export settings: Exporting from the editor — formats and render settings
- Exporting in 4K: Export a video in 4K
Frequently asked questions
Can I fix a dark video in the browser?
Yes. Open it in the editor, raise Exposure in the Color tab, then adjust Contrast and Brightness. The export applies the same values.
Can I colour-correct each clip separately?
No. Color correction applies to the whole project. For a different look per part, edit the parts in separate projects.
Are there colour presets or LUTs?
There are eight presets: Cinematic, Vintage, B&W, Cool, Warm, Vivid, Faded and Neutral. Loading your own LUT file is not offered.
Does the colour change my original file?
No. The original stays as it was in Storage. The colour is burned only into the exported file.
Keep reading
Add stickers to a video in the StreamLive Pro editor: arrows, highlight boxes, Subscribe and Like badges, reactions, with their place, size and timing.
Change a video's aspect ratio in the editorSwitch a video between 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5 in the StreamLive Pro editor, choose which part of the picture stays, lock the frame, and export at the network's size.
Fade in, fade out and dissolves in the video editorAdd a fade in, fade out, dip to black or white, or a dissolve at a cut in the StreamLive Pro editor, and fade music with the handles on audio clips.
Keyframes and effects in the video editorAnimate a clip with keyframes in the StreamLive Pro editor, such as a slow zoom, a move or a fade of opacity, and add looks like black and white or a vignette.
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