Looking for some free LUTs for your next video editing project? Well, look no further as we’ve rounded up some awesome ones to drop onto any footage.
If you want a fast and easy way to create impressive color grades in your films, you need to be using free LUTs. Not only can they save you time, but they also offer a range of effects allowing you to try grades you might not have considered before.
Also, they work across most editing programs and take just moments to install. To begin with, let’s just take a moment to explain what a LUT is exactly.
What is a LUT?
LUT stands for Look-Up Table and is a simple way for your color grading software to interpret color grading information. Now, there are several different types of free LUTs available: calibration, transform, viewing, 1D, and 3D.
Basically, a LUT transforms color input values (from your camera) to your desired output values (final footage).
In the same way, filters available in popular photo apps like Instagram give you a range of grades. LUTs can give you hundreds of options, above all, they’re ready to drag and drop onto your clips. 🙌
13 Free Cinematic LUTs by Shutterstock
These 13 Free LUTs from Shutterstock are the perfect starter pack for any editor. The massive range of effects means that you will never be short on style choices, including stylized cinematic grades. This pack can seriously boost your overall grading options.
13 Free LUTs by Ground Control Colour
Ground Control Colour has a range of 13 free LUTs available to download. It includes 10 conversion LUTs and 3 stylistic grades.
Also, the conversion LUTs include a variety of different cameras and recording devices, to easily convert raw video footage.
70 Free LUTs by Color Grading Central
Color Grading Central has a collection of 36 free LUTs, color presets, and grain for you to download. These unique cinematic grades can transform your film projects, creating stunning looking compositions.
In addition to this, Colour Grading Central offers a free hour color grading training course when you download the pack. Pretty cool huh?
Free Video Editor Toolkit by Shutterstock
Shutterstock’s Free Video Editor Toolkit contains a massive 223 video assets, ready to download and use. The free LUTs included in the pack are basic color grades and styles but are great for corporate presentations and promotional videos.
Also, the pack contains animations, overlays, and transitions, the perfect addition to your edit suite.
17 Free Log LUTs by PremiumBeat
Wunderlust is a set of 17 Free Log LUTs from PremiumBeat. When footage is recorded in log format, it will look desaturated and very flat in tone. However, this means you can get more dynamic range and detail in the footage during the edit.
These Log LUTs are perfect for shifting dull-looking images into bright cinematic compositions.
8 Free Cinamtic LUTs by FilterGrade
These 8 free cinematic LUTs by FilterGrade are indeed cinematic, and an excellent set for feature film and music video creators. This pack includes teal & orange, high contrast, and saturation based effects to pull out the color and tones in your footage.
5 Free LUTs for Premiere Pro by Motion Array
Motion Array offers this set of 5 Cinematic LUT effects, from beautiful hazy vintage looks to dramatic high contrast grades. For the most part, this pack provides a reasonable range of effects, but most notable is the high contrast sepia tone effect that wouldn’t look out of place in a Western.
40 Free Instagram LUTs by Tall Guy Films
Lastly, a free LUTs list wouldn’t be complete without a set of Instagram Filter LUTs. This pack from Tall Guy Films includes a massive 40 effects, all based on Instagram style filters. These are created for replicating popular social media photo apps.
14 Free Lumteri Presets for Premiere Pro
These 14 free Premiere Pro Lumetri Looks are easy to use and can quickly add blockbuster style to your video. From The Martian (2015) to Saving Private Ryan (1998), these free movie-inspired color grading presets will instantly add a dramatic look to your project.
Finally, these color grading presets are free to use in any personal or commercial projects.
20 Free LUTS by Bounce Color
These 20 free LUTs from Bounce Color are for converting your Log footage to Rec.709 so you can use them with any camera. They are carefully crafted by a team of industry colorists and filmmakers.
Perfect for YouTubers, Professional and Beginner Filmmakers alike. These LUTs are compatible with Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and more.
20 Free Colour Presets for Adobe After Effects
PremiumGrades are a custom collection of 20 free premium After Effects presets designed to give your footage a stylized punch. The presets were designed to be used in short films, promos, and motion graphics projects.
To apply an effect preset to your composition, simply drag and drop it onto your footage in the After Effects timeline.
Tips for using Free LUTs in Premiere Pro
Finally, as with all effects, there are a few things you should consider when using LUTs and grading filters.
1. Color Correction
Firstly, while you might feel like jumping straight into using your free LUTs, it is essential to color correct your clips first. By making sure the colors are consistent across your video, you can be assured the LUT effect will be applied in the same way.
2. Use Adjustment Layers
You can also add LUTs to Adjustment layers rather than individual clips, and grade your entire sequence in one go. So, to do this, simply switch back to the editing tab and click the New Item icon in the project panel, select Adjustment Layer.
While you still need to correct your clips, this method can save you vast amounts of time which are particularly helpful for effects-heavy projects.
3. Applying the LUT
For this step, make sure to open your Lumetri Color panel. If it’s not open, go to Windows > Lumetri Color. It should open on your right.
Now, under the panel, you will see a drop-down menu labeled Input LUT. Select Browse. From there, you can open up a LUT from the free ones you downloaded earlier. They should apply instantly.
4. Create Your Own
Lastly, if you have created your grade from scratch, or even edited a LUT significantly, you can create your own LUT file from within your editing software.
There will be a hamburger icon in the top right of the Lumetri Color panel. Click on this. Go down to Export .cube button. That’s it you’re done!
This means you can build your own library of LUTs to use them as and when you need them. 😉
