Scene-Referred Workflow: LUTs vs. Manual Grade - What's Your Balance?

Posted by Rohan Kapoor in Cinematography 0 views · 1 replies

Hey everyone, I'm Rohan, a DP currently on a dramatic short film shot on the ALEXA 35. I'm trying to refine my color workflow, especially around scene-referred principles. I’ve been experimenting with ACES and occasionally applying a simple conversion LUT to my log footage, then doing a primary grade from scratch. However, for faster turnarounds on commercial work (often with a KOMODO-X), I sometimes lean on more stylized show LUTs directly. I'm curious how you all integrate scene-referred thinking into your post pipeline. Are you primarily relying on specific technical LUTs, or pushing more towards manual grading from the raw data? What's your personal balance between practical speed and theoretical purity in your workflow? I'd love to hear your approaches.

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