The so called "Blockbuster color grading"

[Besisika]

I do video fusion and color grading with blockbuster look is popular in video. See below my simple workflow to achieve the effect in PS.
If anyone has other way I would gladly learn another technique.

1 - I start with my standard post in ACR/Lightroom and bring the photo to PS.
2 - I do all standard facial retouching.
3 - From the adjustment layer tools, I use color balance with these parameters
Highlights : 0, -6, -13
Midtone : 0, 0, 0
Shadow: -18, -3, +3
The idea is to increase the orange in the highlights and the teal in the shadow.

Often, the subject has a dominant color (clothing, hair, eyes. etc) then I use the oposite of that color in the midtones. Example, during Otakuthon (cosplay) girls color their hairs.
To find the oposite color, create a blank layer, edit+fill, background color, and with the cursor choose the color the oposite you want to find, then press ctrl+i. I don't have a way to find the RGB value for that color so I try to guess it by tweaking the sliders. If it is too complicated to find it then I use a different technique, which is by keeping the layers I just filled in, change the blending mode to color, create a mask, fill with black and with a soft white brush, 3%, I paint it on the portion I want to fill with it.

The value above is for starter. I usually tweak them a bit depending on the photos. I created an Action for it and I always start from there. The final result is up to your taste.
You can add as well HSL to boost the color you want to accentuate.

To show an example see attachement below.
Please do not use the photo outside of CR. This is my friend Hery trying to kick my camera.
Thanks,

 

[Marsu42]

I do video fusion and color grading with blockbuster look is popular in video.

I'm not a video guy, so this is a bit ot, but I dare to ask: popular by the viewers who have to see the stuff, or by the producers who think that color grading gives you an instant blockbuster look?

I admit I'm not the youngest member around here and thus may be old-school, but the color grading in the blockbusters in the last half-decade is getting worse and worse even with high budget films. Saves me money though, I wouldn't want to see these in the cinema even if I would get the ticket for free

Bottom line: Whatever you do, subtlety with grading could also a useful approach... one shot is too little to make up my opinion about your stile though. Maybe you could post the source and graded shot side by side?

 

[Besisika]

You are right, popularity is among producers.
See one more with before and after.

 

[Marsu42]

You are right, popularity is among producers. See one more with before and after.

Ok, interesting, thanks. For whatever it's worth, imho this is rather subtle and fits the scene - esp. in comparison to what I see in cinema, even on good production like the Hobbit which could certainly shine without it.

Good luck finding an automatization for this & sorry I cannot help - but feel free to share it once you've discovered it