LUT Pipelines & CDLs: How has your approach evolved with new tech?

Hey everyone,

I'm Tyler, a camera op usually working on narrative shorts and commercials, often with an ALEXA Mini or C70. I’m genuinely curious about how new tech has changed your LUT pipeline and CDL workflow lately. It feels like every month there’s a new camera, software update, or grading tool.

For my part, I’ve been trying to streamline things, making sure our show LUTs translate cleanly from onset monitoring (usually a decent Rec.709-ish output from my camera) through to post. I've mostly relied on DITs for the heavy lifting with CDLs and LMTs, but sometimes I feel a disconnect with the DPs and colorists as things evolve. I've played around with ACES a bit more, but finding that common ground for creative intent across the whole chain still feels like a moving target.

Have you found specific new tools or methods that have dramatically improved how you govern CDLs or build your show LUTs? What's your experience been like?