Log Grading

[Stefan Ciupek]

I have worked as a colorist on around 30 featurefilms. Many of them graded in Lineear (more correctly Rec 709) colorspace and others in Log space through a Truelight or Cinespace colourmanagement system using a film lookuptable for the grading preview. The difference in the way the material behaves in the grading between rec709 and log in those cases was huge. Since you view everything through your filmstock emulation, already at base grade colors look very natural and i spent much less time fiddling with the secondaries trying to get a filmic look. Also the way the shadows and highlights have a more natural rolloff in the grading process is very nice. On my last featurefilm as DOP we graded on baselight with truelight colormanagement We baked the filmlut into the dcp and it really looked amazing. Even in highly saturated scenes, where colors and skintones graded in rec 709 or p3 would have quickly the tendency to look a bit artificial and videoish, the filmlog grade looked really good. Lars von Triers "Antichrist" was my first film where i graded Red material in Log.

[jake blackstone]

I can see, that everyone is little confused on the meaning of Log grading controls. It seems, that almost everyone posted, so far, thinks, that if the material is Log, then the grading is Log. It couldn't be farther from the truth. Traditionally, Log grading refers to Exposure/Brightness and Contrast controls with pivot point. Exposure/Brightness essentially are the RGB offsets controls, mapped to the trackball. So, when Exposure/Brightness trackball is used, RGB offsets are manipulated at the same time, resulting in the cleanest adjustments possible. Also that means, that color adjutment is the most natural, akin to using a color filter. This way, there is no need to do separate adjustments to L/M/H. Contrast control is just what it sounds like, contrast adjustment. Again, no need to manipulate L/M/H back and fourth in order to chage the contrast. Just adjust contrast and use the pivot point to your liking. Additionally, an automatic S curve can be introduced in contrast control, resulting in less blown out high and low areas of the pictures. So basically, Log grading is Vastly superior to the traditional telecine style L/M/H controls, getting you there much, much faster, while cleaner to boot. But all this is academic, as it is not available, unless one spends $30k on the BM panel. I'll just use Baselight, Filmmaster or Lustre, if I need all professional color grading controls.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Just to clarify, the Resolve and Resolve Lite log controls are available on the UI as well as the BMD panels.
Peter

[jake blackstone]

Just to clarify, the Resolve and Resolve Lite log controls are available on the UI as well as the BMD panels.
Peter

Duly noted, but it can't be used with the trackball on any panel, other than BM. What's the point, if Log grading can only be used with a mouse? You don't expect people to start grading with a mouse, do you? So, as far as i'm personally concerned, Log grading is still not implemented in Resolve.
I'd understand, if Log grading was implemented, like the noise reducer, multiple GPU, higher, that HD resolution or remote grading. Those features are only available with the full version. Log grading is the only "must have" feature, requiring $30k investment

[PatrickFaith]

... Traditionally, Log grading refers to Exposure/Brightness and Contrast controls with pivot point. Exposure/Brightness essentially are the RGB offsets controls, mapped to the trackball. So, when Exposure/Brightness trackball is used, RGB offsets are manipulated at the same time, resulting in the cleanest adjustments possible. Also that means, that color adjutment is the most natural, akin to using a color filter. This way, there is no need to do separate adjustments to L/M/H...

I'm translating this to my low end adobe work flow ... but this sounds similar to me, as adjusting the ISO on the red-raw as i line up the film between cuts(not doing anything but slighting changing the iso), then after all the cuts in a scene have the same looking "exposure/brightness", applying S-Curves (i normally start with gamma) on entire scenes as I align to my reference colors?

[mikeburton]

Hi Peter,

Any chance we might see the Contrast / High Range / Low Range mapped to the vast amount of empty knobs in the Primary function on the Element in the future?

[jake blackstone]

I'm translating this to my low end adobe work flow ... but this sounds similar to me, as adjusting the ISO on the red-raw as i line up the film between cuts(not doing anything but slighting changing the iso), then after all the cuts in a scene have the same looking "exposure/brightness", applying S-Curves (i normally start with gamma) on entire scenes as I align to my reference colors?

It is always a good idea to use metadata ISO/FLUT, when there is a severe discrepancy, like over and under exposure. You will get better results using those controls, rather than, something like Log Exposure/Brightness or Highlight control inside Resolve. Otherwise, the terminology might sound similar, except it's not:-)

[Peter Chamberlain]

We continue to review the broad range of feedback we receive Mike and see what fits into our product plan and R&D schedule. Till we formally announce though, I couldn't say when we can implement those specific controls.
Peter

[mikeburton]

We continue to review the broad range of feedback we receive Mike and see what fits into our product plan and R&D schedule. Till we formally announce though, I couldn't say when we can implement those specific controls.
Peter

No worries, would be really nice if/when these options could be mapped to the knobs. Thanks for the fantastic upgrade.

[jake blackstone]

We continue to review the broad range of feedback we receive Mike and see what fits into our product plan and R&D schedule. Till we formally announce though, I couldn't say when we can implement those specific controls.
Peter

Peter.
Just curious. Is this a new BM marketing philosophy? In the past there were two version of Resolve, that would pretty much determine features available.
It seems, with Log grading feature this is no longer the case. It's use now limited by only the hardware. Is this up-selling pressure, that we should now expect in the future?