How to Use the FFmpeg Colorbalance Filter

This article provides a quick guide on how to use the colorbalance filter in FFmpeg to adjust the primary colors of your video files. You will learn the syntax of the filter, understand how its parameters control shadows, midtones, and highlights, and view practical command-line examples to help you color-correct or stylize your video footage.

Understanding the Colorbalance Parameters

The colorbalance filter allows you to adjust the balance of red, green, and blue (RGB) colors in three distinct tonal ranges of an image: shadows (dark areas), midtones (medium-gray areas), and highlights (bright areas).

The filter uses specific variables for each tonal range and color. Each variable accepts a decimal value between -1.0 and 1.0, where 0 is the default (no change). Positive values increase a color, while negative values increase its complementary color (e.g., reducing red increases cyan).

Shadows (s)

• rs (Red Shadows): Adjusts red/cyan in dark areas.
• gs (Green Shadows): Adjusts green/magenta in dark areas.
• bs (Blue Shadows): Adjusts blue/yellow in dark areas.

Midtones (m)

• rm (Red Midtones): Adjusts red/cyan in midtone areas.
• gm (Green Midtones): Adjusts green/magenta in midtone areas.
• bm (Blue Midtones): Adjusts blue/yellow in midtone areas.

Highlights (h)

• rh (Red Highlights): Adjusts red/cyan in bright areas.
• gh (Green Highlights): Adjusts green/magenta in bright areas.
• bh (Blue Highlights): Adjusts blue/yellow in bright areas.

Practical Examples

To apply the filter, use the -vf (video filter) flag in your FFmpeg command.

1. Warming Up a Video

To give your video a warmer, golden-hour look, you can increase the red and decrease the blue (which adds yellow) in the midtones and highlights.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "colorbalance=rm=0.15:bm=-0.1:rh=0.1:bh=-0.1" -c:a copy output.mp4

2. Cooling Down a Video

To achieve a cold, blue, cinematic tone, increase the blue levels and slightly decrease the red levels in the midtones and shadows.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "colorbalance=bm=0.2:bs=0.1:rm=-0.1" -c:a copy output.mp4

3. Removing a Green Color Cast

If your footage has an unwanted green tint (often caused by fluorescent lighting), you can correct it by lowering the green levels in the midtones.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "colorbalance=gm=-0.15" -c:a copy output.mp4

4. Creating a Stylized Teal and Orange Look

To create a popular Hollywood color grade, push the shadows toward cyan (decrease red) and the midtones/highlights toward orange (increase red, decrease blue).

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "colorbalance=rs=-0.15:bs=0.1:rm=0.2:bm=-0.1:rh=0.1" -c:a copy output.mp4