How to Reproduce the Stranger Things Color Grading Look in DaVinci Resolve

Summary:

This tutorial demonstrates how to replicate the distinctive "Stranger Things" color grading look using DaVinci Resolve. [Image 4] The process involves four key steps:

Analyze: A reference still from "Stranger Things" is analyzed [Image 1] for its aspect ratio (2:1), dark and high-contrast look (visible on the waveform scope [Image 2]), vintage yellow/orange color cast with desaturated elements, and popping mid-tone details with 35mm film grain.
Contrast: The source footage's contrast is adjusted to match the reference, ensuring deep blacks and bright whites. Color space transformations (IDT and ODT) are applied, shadows are subtly lifted, and white balance is fine-tuned, paying close attention to skin tones. Specific colors like red objects and blue clothing are isolated and their luminance lowered for increased density. [Image 15]
Color: The overall color balance is shifted towards a vintage yellow/orange hue in the highlights and mid-tones using the gain controls, ensuring neutral blacks. [Image 3]
Texture: Lighting is sculpted with parallel nodes and power windows to create directional light and shadow gradients. Mid-tone details are enhanced using the "Contrast Pop" effect, and finally, a 35mm film grain effect is added to achieve the authentic vintage texture.

Opening [0:00]

Introduction by Kazuya Isobe, a documentary filmmaker. [Image 0]
The video aims to reproduce the "Stranger Things" look using DaVinci Resolve.
The process is broken down into four steps: Analyze, Contrast, Color, and Texture. [Image 4]

Analysis of Reference Clip [0:41]

The tutorial begins by analyzing a still image from "Stranger Things" as a reference.
- The presenter uses DaVinci Resolve's "Image Wipe" feature to compare the raw footage with the reference image [0:50]. [Image 1]
- He also adjusts the size and position of the subject using "Size Adjustment" to align for better comparison [0:57].
Aspect Ratio: The reference image has a 2:1 aspect ratio, which needs to be matched by adding black bars to the original footage [1:12].
Brightness and Darkness (Contrast):
- The waveform scope reveals that color information is concentrated in the low luminance area, indicating a generally dark and subdued look [1:20]. [Image 2]
- The contrast is strong, with values ranging from around 896 down to near 0, suggesting deep shadows and bright highlights [1:29].
Color (Hue and Density):
- The overall color density is reminiscent of 80s film, with colors like the red toy exhibiting lower luminance [1:40].
- The vector scope shows a general shift towards orange and yellow tones [1:51].
Texture:
- Light flows with good gradation across the subject [1:58].
- Mid-tone details, especially in skin, are prominent and "pop" [2:04].
- A 35mm film grain is visible, contributing to a vintage aesthetic [2:10].
Key Takeaways: The core elements to match are the overall contrast, the yellow/vintage hue, and the distinct texture [2:14].

Reflecting Brightness/Darkness (Contrast) [2:30]

The process starts by comparing the current footage with the reference still using a split-screen view [2:34].
- The source footage generally has less contrast compared to the "Stranger Things" reference [2:51].
Color Space Transformation:
- The footage is first converted from its camera's color space (REDWideGamutRGB, REDLog3G10) to the editing space (DaVinci Wide Gamut, DaVinci Intermediate) using an Input Device Transform (IDT) [3:06].
- An Output Device Transform (ODT) is then applied to convert the footage from the editing space to the display space (Rec.709, Gamma 2.4) [3:12].
Adjusting Contrast:
- A new node is created for contrast adjustment. The Pivot value is set to 0.336, which represents a neutral mid-gray, acting as a fulcrum for contrast adjustments [3:30].
- The Contrast slider is increased to approximately 1.096 to deepen shadows and brighten highlights, making the image more dynamic [3:41]. [Image 15]
Adjusting Shadows:
- A separate shadow node is added. Using the Log Wheels, the Shadow value is slightly increased to prevent crushing the black areas, ensuring detail is retained in the darker parts of the image [3:54].
Adjusting White Balance:
- A wb (white balance) node is introduced. The Luminance Mix is set to 0 to prevent saturation changes when adjusting gain [4:19].
- The Gain control in the Primary Color Wheels is used. By targeting skin tones with the Qualifier, the gain is subtly moved towards cyan to reduce any red cast, ensuring natural-looking skin [4:37].
Adjusting Specific Colors (Red Objects):
- A red node is added. The Qualifier tool is used to isolate the red color of the ketchup bottle.
- The Saturation of the selected red is lowered to reduce its intensity, preventing it from diverting attention and matching the reference's film density [5:08].
Adjusting Specific Colors (Blue Jacket):
- A blue node is added. The Qualifier tool is used to isolate the blue color of the jacket.
- The Luminance of the blue is slightly lowered using the Curves > Hue vs Luma to enhance its density, similar to the reference footage [6:09].

Reflecting Color [6:32]

The focus shifts to matching the overall color cast of the reference image.
Analyzing Color Bias:
- The Vector Scope is used to visually assess the color distribution. The reference still shows a distinct bias towards yellow and orange in the highlights and mid-tones [6:49].
Applying Global Color Shift:
- A new node, labeled look, is added.
- In the Primary Color Wheels, the Gain control (which affects highlights and mid-tones) is adjusted towards the yellow/orange direction to infuse a vintage warm tone into the entire image [7:09]. [Image 3]
- To prevent overly strong saturation, the Key Output Gain for this node is reduced to 30%, allowing for subtle color blending [7:20].
Checking Neutral Blacks:
- The Waveform scope is used to verify that black areas (shadows) remain neutral, with the red, green, and blue lines aligned at the bottom [7:53]. This confirms that the global yellow shift is not affecting the darkest parts of the image.

Reflecting Texture [8:22]

The final step involves replicating the texture, including lighting gradients and film grain.
Lighting Gradients:
- The reference image shows a distinct light gradient, moving from brighter areas (e.g., top right) to darker, shadowy regions (e.g., bottom left) [8:28].
- Three Parallel Nodes are added: key, gr (gradient), and out (outside) [8:40].
- Key Light: A Power Window (using the pen tool) is drawn to define the main light source, mimicking the light direction in the reference [8:59]. Softness controls are adjusted (inner and outer) to create a natural, diffused light effect [9:11]. The alpha channel of this window is connected to the gr node.
- Gradient: A Gradient window is applied, angled to match the light fall-off from bright to dark in the reference [9:32].
- Outside Node: The out node receives an inverted alpha channel from the gr node, allowing adjustments to areas outside the main gradient. In the HDR Wheels, the Global value is slightly lowered to darken these peripheral areas, enhancing the light fall-off effect [9:54].
Mid-tone Detail Enhancement:
- A new node is added and labeled pop.
- The Contrast Pop effect (found in the Effects Library) is applied.
- The Detail Amount is slightly increased (e.g., 0.053) to make mid-tone details, particularly skin textures, more prominent and "pop" as seen in "Stranger Things" [11:07]. Softness can be adjusted for fine-tuning.
Film Grain:
- The Film Grain effect is added after the Output Device Transform node.
- The 35mm preset is selected to introduce a subtle film noise, giving the footage a vintage, cinematic texture that aligns with the 80s aesthetic of "Stranger Things" [11:45]. The Grain Intensity can be adjusted if a stronger or weaker effect is desired. The "Grain Only" checkbox is turned off to apply the grain over the image.
The video concludes with a final comparison of the RAW, Normalized, and Graded footage, showcasing the successful replication of the "Stranger Things" look [12:08].