NewBlueFX released a free plugin for 48 Hour Film Project contestants, the Film Color which allows you to mimic certain film look through this plugin with allot of presets from Film Noir to Kodachrome and more. Well if you don't have anything else installed with your editing software like Magic Bullet Looks or any other plugin that does the same thing. Here you is your chance to get this plugin for free.
http://www.newbluefx.com/48HFP14 Follow this link and follow their instructions on how to get the plugin.
However for better color grading, you should also make sure you get the most out of the footage by filming it as flat as possible. If you can alter the contrast or saturation of your camera you should lower it as it will increase the details and lessen the amount of clipping cause by the contrast. However if you are using a Canon DSLR camera you might want to look into installing certain special picture styles that would help your camera to get the most out of the picture. Check out our post about the C-Log a picture style which get the most out of the sky details while filming during the day.
Rising Cinematographer and Graphic Designer based in Hong Kong and the Netherlands. If you want more info about me look at chungdha.com or google "chungdh