How To Grade Rec.709 Footage in DaVinci Resolve (8-Bit & 10-Bit)

In this DaVinci Resolve tutorial I'm grading Rec.709 footage — no LOG, no RAW — and showing you exactly how far you can push it. I take two Rec.709 clips, one 10-bit ProRes and one 8-bit H.264, and grade both from scratch, including why it's sometimes actually better to shoot Rec.709 than 8-bit log. You'll learn how to check what's really in your footage before you grade, how to set up a Colour Space Transform sandwich so you're working in DaVinci Wide Gamut / DaVinci Intermediate, my standard node tree (exposure, contrast, colour, saturation), when keying skin is safe — and when 8-bit footage means you should leave the qualifier alone — plus how to use the Film Look Creator without nuking your skin tones. CHAPTERS 0:00 – Can you grade Rec.709? (Yes — and sometimes you should) 0:40 – The two clips we're grading 1:02 – Checking codec & bit depth on the Media page 1:59 – Clip 1 (10-bit): CST setup into DaVinci Intermediate 3:31 – My standard node tree 4:43 – Keying skin on 10-bit Rec.709 6:00 – Clip 2 (8-bit H.264): grading without keys 7:29 – Film Look Creator on 8-bit footage 8:30 – Wrap up ───── Want to go deeper? Join the Colour Grade Skool community — live calls, feedback on your grades, structured lessons, and a room full of people obsessed with the same craft, the link is below 👉 https://www.skool.com/colourgrading-1...