LUTs apply a predefined color transformation to a clip to achieve a specific look. A LUT is essentially a table that maps each input color value to an output value, so when you apply it, the entire image shifts to a desired style, mood, or tonal balance. This lets you quickly establish a baseline or match the look across multiple shots, which is especially useful when working with footage from different cameras or lighting. LUTs aren’t automatic corrections. They don’t automatically fix exposure or white balance on their own, and they don’t replace all color grading adjustments. After applying a LUT, you typically fine-tune exposure, contrast, and color using other grading tools to achieve the exact result you want. And while some LUTs can function within a color-space conversion workflow, their primary purpose remains delivering a specific look rather than converting color spaces.