John Dickinson shows you how to use Boris Continuum Complete‘s 3-Way Color Grade and Film Glow filters to rescue a dull clip in After Effects.

A tad off topic here for a moment but many AE’ers like to dabble in other apps and this one is a doosy. (How do you spell doosy?  Is it doosey?) Not that long ago BlackMagic Design let loose a free version of the DaVinci Resolve software (called DaVinci Resolve Lite) for color grading. Yes, it’s completely free though it was somewhat limited in its power, e.g. only two color correction nodes. However, version 8.1 released today (Download it here) now has unlimited nodes… and power windows… and tracking! This lite version has just about everything the lite or casual user could want.

Here’s the word from Blackmagic Design:

InterBEE 2011, Tokyo, Japan – November 16, 2011 – Blackmagic Design today announced DaVinci Resolve Lite 8.1, a new version of the free DaVinci Resolve that now includes unlimited color correction nodes.

Unlimited color correction nodes allow customers to use multiple color correctors for more complex and creative grading and is a dramatic boost in power over the previous version of DaVinci Resolve Lite that was limited to 2 nodes. Adding more than 2 color correction nodes was the top requested feature by DaVinci Resolve Lite colorists.

DaVinci Resolve will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design InterBEE booth.

To help promote the art of color correction, DaVinci Resolve Lite includes many powerful features found in the full version of DaVinci Resolve for an extremely powerful toolset that anyone can download free of charge.

DaVinci Resolve Lite includes all the same high quality processing of the full DaVinci Resolve, however limits projects to SD and HD resolutions, unlimited nodes using a single processing GPU and a single RED Rocket card. Stereoscopic 3D features, noise reduction, power mastering, remote grading and sharing projects with an external database server are features only offered in the full DaVinci Resolve so are not included in this free DaVinci Resolve Lite edition. Customers who want these features can simply upgrade to the full DaVinci Resolve Software for only US$995.

Even with the restrictions of the free DaVinci Resolve Lite, image quality is never limited, and customers can use the incredible image processing quality of DaVinci Resolve. In addition DaVinci Resolve Lite can still accept high resolution source footage in 2K, 4K and 5K from the latest digital cameras from RED and ARRI, so customers get a fantastic digital camera utility.

DaVinci Resolve Lite still includes high quality optical resizing, curve grading, XML import and export, 32 bit float processing, YRGB image processing, multi layer timelines, stabilization, window tracking, primary and secondary color correction, real time processing, capture and playback with deck control, compatibility with third party control panels and much more. With so many powerful features at absolutely no charge, customers will be able to experience the dramatic improvement to their work from using professional color correction.

“Thousands of colorists have downloaded and are using DaVinci Resolve Lite to help generate a revolution in visual design that’s dramatically improving the production values of the entire television industry!”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “We are very excited to be able to offer this new enhanced version of DaVinci Resolve Lite, and we hope that many more people will be able to explore the art of color correction on their television production work”

Availability and Price

DaVinci Resolve Lite is available now and free of charge from the Blackmagic Design web site.

Cassidy Bisher of DropDrop.com (a great place to get awesome After Effects templates) has made an AE project with 77 color grades. Just add your footage below his Adjustment Layers and you’re set. To get the file you need to goto DropDrop.com’s Facebook page and Like it. Go now.

- John Stanowski

Yes, we know the right side of the video is cut off. We’re working on that. Try hitting the Full Screen button!

You can save a few bucks and get Colorista II at Toolfarm.com.

- John Stanowski