These two terms get used interchangeably all the time, even by experienced editors. But they describe completely different steps in post-production. Mixing them up leads to bad-looking footage and a frustrating workflow.
Color correction comes first
Color correction is technical. The goal is to make your footage look accurate — proper exposure, neutral whites, balanced shadows. You are fixing problems: an overexposed sky, a greenish cast from indoor lighting, inconsistent shots from the same scene. At the end of color correction, your footage should look like the real world as your eye perceived it. Tools used here include the RGB parade, vectorscope, white balance adjustments, and primary color wheels.
Color grading comes second
Color grading is creative. Once your footage is corrected, you apply a look — a mood, a style, an emotion. This is where you might push shadows teal, lift highlights warm, or crush blacks for a filmic feel. A LUT (lookup table) is one of the fastest ways to apply a creative grade consistently across your timeline.
A good LUT is not a magic fix. It only looks right on properly corrected footage. Apply it before correction and you will get unpredictable, often ugly results.
Why this matters for your workflow
Editors who skip correction and jump straight to a LUT end up chasing their grade forever, constantly tweaking because the base is wrong. Follow the order: correct first, grade second. Your LUT will work as intended, your shots will match, and your grade will hold across different clips.
Neathue's LUT collections are designed to work on corrected, log or Rec.709 footage across Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro. If you are still building your color toolkit, the bundle is the most cost-effective way to get a complete set of professional looks in one go.