How cinematographers actually use LUTs

LUTS LUTS LUTS and how I shoot with them.

This is my method for using LUTs as a working cinematographer. Don’t just slap them on at the end. Use them with intention like a film stock.

Great for Blackmagic Pocket 4k and 6k shooters! The REC709 versions will work with any camera transformed to REC709.

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My Gear:

#LUTS #blackmagic #colorgrade

[ScottJeschke]

Good stuff! Agree with everything you said. Traditional film lighting ratios are such a lost art these days, and it really does add so much clarity and dimension to the image.

[JimRobinson-colors]

All really logical but as a colorist we want to keep the intention of the photography, so camera manufacture middle grey is preferred as a base for all exposure references. The DP wants something darker they light from middle grey - brighter same thing. Then the look and contrast pivot is set and locked and the contrast built from that. i.e Arri Log C at 41% middle grey - the look or LUT can then have 41% locked on a curve and then keeping 2 - 3 stops above and below on a linear curve create the shadow and highlight roll off on the s-curve contrast.

But for shooting your own stuff etc. and coloring your own stuff, the expose brighter and grade lower, makes sense. I guess if you passed it off to a colorist with this info, it would be fine. Same with temperature - the kelvin is something that would also be something the colorist would want to not white balance if the photography is intended to be warm or cold.

But the contrast and exposure can really make a huge difference for a look to work on all footage. If middle grey is some subjective taste of a LUT author, it might look great on some footage and terrible on others - so when color grading it would be a constant tweak at clip level.

[nyambe]

Cine ie actually solves this issue, I love it.

[herrnerdmeyer]

Although I'm following your work, I just came to this video. Too bad Youtube doesn't value a back catalogue too much, but I'm grateful. Thank you

[allenpayne]

I suggest anyone to learn how to stress test LUTs. Also keep in mind that if he is using the native tools you can build the LUT, too. Actually, true Film LUTS (stock and print) are actually by collecting data and use math to emulate "true film". With the native tools you are not able to convert colors the way math can. But I highley recommend trying to rebuild grades. But always keep an eye on test charts (grayscale & color gradients) to test your own grade and look for banding issues before creating LUTs. I would never trust a look buy just looking at "real-life" images.

[ForestCinema]

I’ve been switched over to ETTL for quite a while now. Deakins is an Alexa fanatic, and the power of that camera is in how it allocates its dynamic range to favor accurate and pleasing highlight roll-off. Almost all other cameras don’t have the luxury of that bias, because they simply don’t have as many total stops to work with. That’s not to say I don’t allow things to blow out when appropriate, but I’m always more considerate of the highlights than shadows. This has become especially important for plugins like Dehancer Pro, which really need highlight differentiation in order for effects like halation and bloom to be simulated convincingly. You certainly can work either way, but I’ve found newer cameras to handle ETTL better

[Keep_Creating_Films]

love your videos dude!, keep creating!

[DANAMIONLINE]

I noticed you used a color chart in your test shots. How do you use it on set for client projects such as a commercial or short doc?

[DanielTuriman]

I Love your statement, and i consider using own LUTS

[jonnynoakes]

LUTs look great! Might buy them to add in to my c70 grading workflow 🙋‍♂️

[Tom_Hart]

Just got 'em, perfect way to support the channel 👍🏻 Thanks for all the knowledge you put out Spenser!

[normanziegelmeyer]

I have a moderate background in photography and am just getting into color grading of my drone footage. In order to get an accurate "Golden Hour" color LUT, can I take a large grey card and expose it in natural "Golden Hour " light and then create a lut from it? Thanks

[pietroronzoni]

Hey man great content as always! I'm a DOP and colorist based in Milan. Watching the video I was wondering why you create luts that underexpose the image instead of lowering the iso or using exposure compensation in camera.

[aisan]

Do you have any LUTS for the Fuji XT series ?

[cinema-q]

Hmm. Does anyone know?:
If these are for monitoring but the LUT is converted from 709 instead of log, how do you monitor with them on a camera shooting log?

[alhussainbessam]

Great info! I was trying to make a monitoring LUT that is ETTR adjusted. So I went to Davinci Resolve and added 2 nodes. First one is -1.7 exposure using the HDR wheels and seconds node I applied a color space transform. However, the monitoring LUT is now clipping at the highlights. Any tips on how to fix that?

[ginotarabotto]

Hi, I noticed when trying to set my grey card to an IRE of 35, the necessary exposure changes depending on the LUT you have on. How do you set, if possible, an exposure level that can more or less work with the LUTs you have available on your monitor.

[bensanders]

Looks great. Would you consider offering them as a powergrade, too? So we can get in there and tweak?

[Gordos_photographyy]

Would this Luts work on a Canon r6 mark 2 setting on, Clog3;cinema gamut? Or is this specific to using regular Rec709?

[johnnyray]

Is it better to film in B-Raw or Pro-Res when you're going to use LUT's?