Definition
What is white balance in video?
White balance is the camera or post-production adjustment that compensates for the color of the light illuminating a scene, so objects that should be neutral do not appear unintentionally too blue, orange, green, or magenta.
Different light sources have different color characteristics. Daylight, tungsten lamps, LEDs, and mixed practical lights can each shift the image. Setting white balance at capture tells the camera how to render neutral tones; correcting it later adjusts the image’s temperature and tint to remove an unwanted cast.
Neutral does not always mean colorless or cold. A sunset scene can retain deliberate warmth, and a night scene can retain motivated blue light. The important distinction is whether the color is a purposeful part of the scene or an accidental mismatch that makes skin tones and adjacent shots look wrong.
Example in the edit
A camera set for indoor tungsten light is moved outside without adjustment, making the daylight footage look blue. The editor corrects the white balance and then matches it to the other exterior shots.
Why editors use it
White balance strongly affects skin tones, product accuracy, and the perceived quality of footage. Getting it right on set reduces correction time and keeps multi-camera edits coherent.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about White balance
Can white balance be fixed in post-production?
Often, especially with high-quality or raw footage, but large corrections can expose noise or color limitations. A correct in-camera setting is still the safer starting point.
What is the difference between temperature and tint?
Temperature generally adjusts the blue-to-orange balance. Tint adjusts the green-to-magenta balance, which is useful for correcting many LED and fluorescent color casts.
Why does white balance affect skin tones?
Skin contains neutral and warm color relationships that viewers recognize quickly. An incorrect overall cast shifts those relationships and can make people look unnatural or unwell.