Andy Minuth

Yes kind of. The DRT is needed for conversions from HDR (e.g. Log) to SDR (e.g. Rec1886). The DRT is applying a tone-mapping (usually like a S-curve in the luma channel), that tries to compress a lot of the highlights and shadows into the final image. Otherwise they would be clipped. Something comparable happens with the colours as well. 

So basically the DRTs are different approaches, of how You can display an image with a high dynamic range on a low dynamic range display in a 'pleasing' way. 

I recommend to watch this tutorial of @Daniele Siragusano, it covers this topic as well: 

Part 1

Part 2:

The DRT is about how this conversion is done. They offer different looks. When You switch between them, You will notice changes in contrast and colour. I advise against setting the DRT to 'None' in this workflow, because then the final image will not look like intended.

BTW: I forgot to add in the first post, that You have to set the render colour space according to Your cursor colour space.

Hi Abby,

I assume You want to do a batch conversion of some kind of log footage into a video color space.

Put the footage in a scene. Set the scene working colour space in the 'Scene Settings' to whatever kind of log flavour Your footage is. e.g. Arri LogC WideGamut, etc. If it is a film scan, I recommend ADX.

The 'Input Colour Space' can remain at 'No Conversion'. If You have different kind of log flavours, set each clip to the according camera with the 'Input Colour Space'.

Leave the 'Grade Result colour space' at 'From Stack'. 

Now change the viewing color space in the cursor to your preferred output. Usually this will be Rec.1886: 2.4 Gamma / Rec. 709

Because the conversion is going from a scene-referred color space (camera icon) to a display referred color space (display icon), a DRT should be applied. Which one You choose is a question of personal taste. Generally the 'ACES 1.0 (Dim surround)' is a good choice.

The ARRI Photometric is applying the same look, that an official ARRI LUT from LogC to Rec709 would do. But You can do it on any kind of camera.

'Truelight Film 1' applies a filmic look, that mimics the result of a print stock. 

'Truelight Video 1' i do not recommend for a batch conversion of footage. The idea behind this DRT is, that Telecine-style colourists, who are only used to grade in a display colour-space, are still able to benefit from some of the features of 'Truelight Colour Spaces'. They prefer a very flat image, to start their grade with, that is why this DRT is outputting a quite low contrast image, which needs some additional grading, before it looks "right".

I hope this answers Your question. Andy

Whats Your opinion on grading trailers and teasers for a feature film? I am aware, that the time schedule for a feature is not in the hand of the colorist, but do You prefer to do it before the main movie, to have an approved look reference? 

What if the trailer is done after the main grading, do You adjust the shot by shot grading in context of the trailer edit? 

I don't like to do the trailer before the main movie, because I prefer to select important shots as a look reference by myself. Additionally I see a problem with the available time to find the right look. During a trailer grading You don't have much time for each scene to find the best look, and then during the feature grading often I discover something better. 

Changing the grading in trailers and teasers on purpose, for example because of different context and edit, is something that I do regularly. Because I think the trailer has a different purpose than the feature, it is a commercial for the movie. So I think the look of a trailer might be a bit less courageous and more appealing to a broad audience. I might change especially very dark shots, because often also the editing in the trailer is much faster and we have to help the audience to get the important things in the images.

I would love to hear your opinions on that?

Andy

Neat Video is great for denoising. 

First the corrections are applied, then the LUT. You are looking through the LUT while grading.

Just put a grading operator before and after a LUT and observe the behavior on the waveform as you change the brightness in each one of them. You will notice a big difference. If you use a gradient from black to white (left to right) as source image, you can see the s-curve on the waveform.

I am not 100% sure, if I understand how this technique works.

But when you grade before a typical Log-to-Video-LUT is applied, You are benefitting from the soft highlight rolloff. Which means, your grade is sent through a s-curve, that becomes very flat in the highlights. So when you make the image brighter, the result will not clip easily, but only when you push it very hard. Basically you can make the image brighter and darker without clipping in the blacks or whites or loosing the general contrast. The contrast in the highlights will be reduced of course, because of the flatter curve in the LUT.

I hope this makes a bit sense  

Hi Rakesh,

I have not watched them, but You can find some video tutorials on http://www.baselight-tutorials.com 

Best, Andy

@Mazze: I will definitely visit these booths. 

@Lucia: I already registered for the Colorist Mixer.

See You there.

Hi all,

who is attending ibc this year in Amsterdam? What do You think about a meet-up? 

I will be in Amsterdam from Saturday until Tuesday and I am always happy to meet new postproduction people.

CU, Andy

OP-Atom means every essence (Video-Tracks, Audio-Tracks, etc.) is in a separate file - Atoms. This is the lowest level of MXF.

OP1a supports several tracks muxed into one file.

As Stig pointed out already, Avid prefers OP-Atom.