Guide

How to adjust LUT intensity

Updated November 7, 2026

A LUT applies its full look by default. Most of the time you want less: dial the look back until skin, sky and highlights still feel natural. Here is how to set LUT strength in the common editors.

Premiere Pro

1. Open the Lumetri Color panel and expand Creative.
2. Choose your .cube in the Look menu.
3. Lower the Intensity slider until the look sits right.

Full walkthrough: Apply a LUT in Premiere Pro.

DaVinci Resolve

1. Add a serial node and apply the LUT to that node only.
2. Open the Key palette for that node.
3. Lower Key Output Gain below 1.0 to blend the look back.

Full walkthrough: Apply a LUT in DaVinci Resolve.

Any editor: the opacity method

1. Duplicate the clip onto the track above.
2. Apply the LUT to the top copy only.
3. Lower that layer's opacity. 100% is the full look, 0% is the original.

This works in most editors, including Final Cut Pro, CapCut, Filmora, and VEGAS Pro. App guides: Final Cut Pro, CapCut, Filmora.

A good order of operations

• Convert log to Rec.709 first (Log vs Rec.709).
• Fix exposure and white balance.
• Apply the creative look, then set its strength.
• Check a face, a bright sky and a dark corner before you lock it.

FAQ

How do I make a LUT less strong?

Lower the effect's mix or intensity. In Premiere Pro, use the Intensity slider under Lumetri Color's Creative section. In DaVinci Resolve, put the LUT on its own node and lower Key Output Gain in the Key palette. In apps without a slider, duplicate the clip, put the LUT on the top copy, and lower that layer's opacity.

Is lowering intensity the same as a weaker grade?

Roughly. Blending a LUT at 50% mixes the graded and ungraded image, so contrast and color shifts both drop by about half. It is a quick way to soften a look before you fine-tune exposure and white balance.

Why does my LUT look too strong in the first place?

The most common cause is applying a Rec.709 creative LUT to flat log footage, or stacking it after heavy contrast. Convert log first and set exposure and white balance before the look.

Can I save a softer version as a new .cube?

Yes in some tools. Resolve and Premiere can export a .cube from the current grade. Filmsilk Complete includes Studio, which lets you tweak a look in the browser and export your own .cube.

Where Filmsilk fits

Every Filmsilk look is a standard 3D .cube for Rec.709, built to hold up at full strength and to blend cleanly when you dial it back. Try every look on your own frame before you buy. The Collection is $29 one-time; Filmsilk Complete is $39 with Studio export so you can save a softer version as your own .cube.