A Look-Up Table (LUT) is a preset color transformation file that maps input color values to output color values, applying a specific visual look or color grade to footage in a single step. LUTs act as color filters that can convert flat, neutral footage into a finished visual style, simulate film stocks, match the look of one clip to another, or apply complex color grades consistently across many shots.

LUTs function by mathematically transforming each color value in an image according to a predefined table of input-to-output mappings. They come in two main types: technical LUTs, which convert between color spaces (such as transforming log-encoded camera footage to a standard display space), and creative LUTs, which apply aesthetic looks like vintage film emulation, teal-and-orange cinema grades, or specific stylistic color treatments. LUTs can be applied in virtually all professional video editing and color grading software, including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro, making them a widely used tool for efficiently applying consistent looks across projects.

In AI video generation workflows, LUTs become relevant in the post-production stage when generated footage is color graded for a final output. Applying a LUT can quickly unify the visual look of AI-generated clips with live-action footage, match the color style of a reference, or give a consistent cinematic treatment to scenes that may have varied slightly in color temperature or tone across different generation runs.