The Technicolor look
The Technicolor look recreates the three‑strip dye‑transfer process behind 1950s cinema: hyper‑saturated primaries, glossy colour separation and deep, inky blacks. Lost Media Emulator reproduces that theatrical palette, so footage gains the bold, larger‑than‑life colour of a classic print on macOS or in Premiere Pro.
What Technicolor does to colour
Three‑strip Technicolor recorded red, green and blue on separate films and dye‑transferred them onto one print. The payoff was intensely saturated, cleanly separated colour with rich blacks, a look no single negative could match at the time.
- Hyper‑saturated, vivid primaries, especially reds and greens
- Clean colour separation with little bleed between channels
- Deep, inky blacks and strong contrast
- A glossy, theatrical, almost painted quality
- Bold skin tones that lean warm and healthy
How to get the Technicolor look
Apply the Technicolor preset and let it push your colour into print territory, then rein in saturation and contrast for the shot. It’s a strong, stylised grade, best on footage that can carry bold colour.
- Mac app: load a clip or still, choose Technicolor, balance saturation and contrast, export on macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple Silicon.
- Premiere Pro / After Effects: apply it on your timeline and keyframe it on Premiere Pro / After Effects 2023 or later.
- Use it for musical, fantasy and period work where colour is the point.
Technicolor vs a saturation slider
Cranking saturation makes everything louder and muddies the blacks. Technicolor separation lifts the primaries while keeping channels clean and blacks deep, which is why it looks rich instead of garish. Lost Media Emulator models that separation, on macOS and in Adobe.
- Part of a 91‑look library with 97 controls
- Real‑time GPU preview on Apple Silicon
- Non‑destructive, the original is untouched until export
Technicolor, answered.
- Can I apply a Technicolor grade in Premiere Pro?
- Yes. The extension applies the Technicolor look on your timeline, non‑destructively, with the strength keyframeable.
- Is this just maxed‑out saturation?
- No. It models three‑strip colour separation, lifting the primaries while keeping channels clean and blacks deep, so it reads rich and theatrical rather than oversaturated.
- What footage suits Technicolor?
- Bold, colourful subjects, musicals, fashion, fantasy and period pieces, where vivid, stylised colour is the goal.
- How much does it cost?
- It ships inside the full 91‑look library, a one‑time purchase from $39, no subscription.
