Pro Colorist Reviews Resolve's New Film Look Creator | Resolve 19 Beta

Lets dive in to Black Magic's brand new tool still in Beta - a plugin for creating film looks within Resolve itself.
Note: I mention a great product called Lattice in this video, and I mistakenly said it’s free - it’s not.
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[@B-Moye]

Really feel like I’m diving into the deep end here. I’ve got so much to learn about color management and look development, but still a great video to watch

[@flochfitness]

Today I finally understand what a 3D lut is. Thanks Cullen!

[@mcneilbelle]

Awesome video really gave me a better perceptive of this plug-in so would you honestly say DCTL's are still the best way to go esp when it comes to manipulate every single action

[@JimRobinson-colors]

Interesting that you have some of the same concerns as I did when they dropped this plug in. Fortunately or unfortunately, I mentioned the same thing about the defaults already in play, without building to the settings and the lack of a real defaults on facebook. And almost immediately Hook Stowers from BMD, who apparently designed and coded this plug-in, took the comment personally when I suggested that the default on the contrast of 1.25 is something people might want a neutral contrast. And that putting it to 1.00 where you would expect to be the contrast neutral, there is still contrast applied. So I was then schooled as to the fact that it is a Blackmagic Design film look and the shadow and highlights ( under the hood ) have a boost by nature of that look. I had no idea that he had worked on it, and luckily I was not disrespectful ( not too much ) and ended up with an agreement that a future update should contain some kind of default, so we can build the look ourselves - as you suggested here. The other thing I wish they had, was a way to save presets - so they can easily be accessed with a drop down selection. I know that grabbing stills /power grades is easy- but choosing a preset is easier. The other thing is for them to include film stock for starter looks like the LUTs they have in the gallery. I think a lot of users would love it if they could choose a film stock in any color space in the plug-in. But my favorite new update of version 19, is the fixing of the Face Refinement Tool. I have been complaining and asking them ( BMD )about it for years now, as to when they might make the tracking editable, so that we can depend on the analysing of the overlay to be on track. And finally we can. So bravo to that fix.

[@JimRobinson-colors]

The take by the BMD engineer - "There's over 60 parameters driving the "base look" in the background. Being able to blend all of those away together could make sense as an update, but for each control individually (such as "just contrast") does not without exposing ALL controls which will not happen."

[@_trismegistus]

I just want to know what the base look actually is. There is some film emulation happening... but what is it? Some actual stock/print? Some generic thing they developed?

[@samsara.films1]

never stop of making content bro! very good video

[@lucaimmesi]

Thank you for this very useful video. I agree as you said the best advantage of film look creator is the effects part (halation, bloom and grain especially). If you want to use only the effects part, set the color blend to zero, this completely disables the color part.

[@cinema8564]

Very helpful and spiced with the more subtle insights of a veteran who aims at a more experienced audience, not the ubiquitous "Resolve in 15 Minutes," video. Thanks. More on your 3D tools to inspect and verify, please! Mike

[@RavikantRai21490]

"Without having to sift through a galaxy of DCTLs and third-party plugins". Yeah! Some of these DCTLs, uh...cost more than Resolve itself lol.

[@allenpayne9182]

Keep in mind that companies like Blackmagic have multiple streams of revenue, while many plugin developers rely solely on sales from their plugins. These plugins often provide advanced features that Resolve doesn't, addressing specialized needs that require significant expertise to develop. Given the niche market and the substantial value these plugins add, it's reasonable they might cost more. Take a look at plugins like BorisFX or Filmbox. Given the specialized functionality and value they add, it’s completely normal for these plugins to be priced higher than Resolve itself. There's a lot of talk about 'the death of DCTL and Dehancer' from folks who haven't even tested or fully grasped what these tools offer. With the release of Resolve 19, there’s a lot of misinformation and ignorance circulating. It’s both amusing and disappointing.

[@castielvargastv7931]

And they will be out out business soon

[@RustyNotesTV]

A bit off-topic, but I'm going to give it a shot.. do you do anything with photography? Meaning, do you shoot and edit photos? If yes, it would be fantastic to see your workflow. I love to color grade and work inside Davinci Resolve, but I'm not really someone who films anything. I take pictures. So I'm trying to find the best way to blend the two workflows and hobbies. Lightroom and Photoshop do the job, but the workflow and scopes in Resolve are much more pleasing to work with than anything inside Lightroom or Photoshop. So if you ever do anything with photos, it would be interesting to see how you color manage, grade, correct, and do all that stuff you normally do for video. Especially for someone looking to get a film look out of digital photography.

[@CullenKelly]

If you're able to, try to take the photo using a log space (Some Sony cameras will let you have Slog3 selected as your picture profile for example). You can bring the still into resolve and treat it with the same workflow that you would camera footage. We also have a community member that is developing a camera editing app that is basically Resolve for photos - we’ll give a heads up when it’s released.

[@RustyNotesTV]

@CullenKelly thank you for taking the time to answer! Sadly, I'm a fujifilm user and our RAW format isn't supported by Resolve. Sure, can convert to DNG. Don't think I can shoot in Fuji log either. We have a profile named Eterna that is pretty flat though. Really interested about that software you mentioned! Are there any email list I can sign up to to be the first to know? I would also be interested in doing alpha/beta testing too! Thank you for all that you do!

[@godfidence-cinecamp3971]

How do I combine voyage pro lut with the film creation?

[@PabloHernandez-cl7fb]

As a Voyager pro user i have the same question. Thank you for all the knowledge Cullen!

[@ThePixelSurgeon]

Awesome stuff here 🎉. Loving the tech approach ! One question. If I am using a ColorChecker chart, can I use it on a node set to "color" blend mode? If I want to not effect the luminosity/contrast? Or will the color chart not render a deeper/rich hue without adjusting the luminosity/contrast? Do you ever use a ColorChecker for hue accuracy before grading? Appreciate your channel 💪🏻🥊🥃

[@CullenKelly]

Hey! The color science driving this blend mode isn't perfect for this scenario, but the short answer is yes!

[@tvchris]

Love this explainer. With your CC setup, how does one work with graphics like lower thirds, etc. Obviously if FLC is on the timeline level, the graphics get processed as well. Is there a way to set it up so that certain clips/tracks do not get processed?

[@lorenzonarwhal]

Will this be available only for studio version or also for free one?

[@IlyaPodnebesmiy]

Will watching training help you give up the cube over time and work entirely on intuition?

[@CullenKelly]

Yes! Your instincts should continue to improve as you work through the look development process. However, I would still like to confirm what I'm seeing with something like a 3D cube.

[@ZaireColor]

Cool tools but unfortunately the lack of a neutral option kills it for me as far a s look dev as you mentioned.

[@grahamf695]

Thanks Cullen, super video. I have been experimenting with your 2383 LUT and I really like it. Is there any way to adjust its strength - e.g. set it at 50%?

[@carlodjents]

You can separate color and contrast if you use the composite mode (luminosity or color) on the node where the LUT is.

[@BlackWinterProduction]

Just lower the node key output gain in the "Key" tab, e.g. set it to 0.5. (I really like this LUT at 100% strength though)

[@grahamf695]

@@BlackWinterProduction that’s really helpful. Thank you so much for taking the trouble to respond. Resolve has so many controls in so many places and I hadn’t spotted this one. I like the LUT at 100% myself, but I like to have the capability to adjust things, if I wish.

[@CullenKelly]

What they said!

[@BSRWeddingFilms]

So if I wanted to just adjust say the halation, it appears from the comments there is no way to have everything else neutral?

[@CullenKelly]

Happy to say they've improved on this tool since it was released, and you've now got more control over things like this! I'll be releasing a new video soon

[@xplodingminion2029]

Hey Cullen! Are there any cheaper alternatives to Lattice? I want to get into LUT design but $200 is a bit out of my price range as a student. Thank you!

[@barrywallisable]

Just a note, Lattice is definitely NOT free. Its 159.00. you night want to amend those comments Cullen.

[@CullenKelly]

Thanks for catching that! Meant to add a subtitle to that part of the video and totally forgot 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@mohamadali2066]

Always thank you for your efforts in this channel, always great simple explanation

[@someones_journey]

Thank you so much for this video which contains so many pieces of advices, info and expertise along the way, it's almost overwhelming! I'll probably rewatch it a few times, it is so interesting and made simpler without it being a blind follow-along tutorial (which basically never works) 🙏

[@alexander_mejia]

My biggest worry about this plugin as a default In Resolve is that if you use this, at first you'll get a higher end look, but eventually these kinds of plugins have limitations and then your looks look just like everybody else's.

[@sumbohdee2luv]

what if you just set everything to 0, pull a power grade still, and then apply that in the future instead of having to do this each time

[@IlyaPodnebesmiy]

13:45 in communi consilio in video, ubi fenestra programmatis ostenditur, color albus est, et in velo e webcam tuam color caeruleus est. Quomodo est?

[@he.smile_]

6:31 I would actually move the Exposure down because by default FLC moves the mid gray up a little!

[@evanfrystakpost]

I'm gonna be curious as to how companies like Dehance, Filmbox (although they're top tier), and Filmconvert will respond to Resolve launching this tool. Will people switch from those tools to Resolve? Stay tuned...

[@Jacobyfilms]

I feel like Filmbox is the only one that is truly safe.

[@NONE2NONE]

At 6:40 you explain that you dont want to adjust exposure, because you dont want it to affect your look, but your look is on node 1 so would you typically use this look creator further downstream, after adjust exp/whitebalance/contrast?

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! Yeah, that's it!

[@grahamf695]

Cullen, thanks very much for this. I have been playing around with the Film Look Creator with mixed results. The biggest frustration for me is exactly the point that you made. There is no neutral position. Even "Default No Effects" has an effect!

[@Fedorevsky]

Yeah the default just turns off the texture stuff, I too wish there was an option to turn it all to true zero

[@pedrosanchez4035]

@@Fedorevsky there is, don't use it - I mean duh1?

[@cablekibble2942]

BMD added a preset that allows you to start from no look and build it from scratch!

[@CullenKelly]

Was super excited to see this! We'll need to do a part 2!

[@graemetowner7257]

great review as always...agree very odd that the "default" application is not neutral...guess its still in beta, so maybe BM will change this before full release.

[@MikeyPee]

Yeah very strange. I also don't know what the setting is to "zero" out those changes without using the color blend slider. Hopefully this gets changed for the final release.

[@AustinAlimbuyuguen]

Love the gradient visual and explanation between the different levels when controlling the different sliders!

[@NEVERAGAIN007]

A mature and seriously underrated color grading information channel. Cullen thanks brother. Fantastic video. Your explanations are next level and totally understandable 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Hikebike365]

As usual another great presentation - thanks!!

[@RafalGendarz]

I am using dehancer grain after rec709 conversion whilst thiis grain seem to work within davinci Wide Gamut - would that be better option for grain?

[@CullenKelly]

If you're looking to add grain, there are quite a few options out there that do a good job. I would say picking the right one could simply come down to preference and what works best for your workflow.

[@stefanocson6237]

great

[@CreepyCoolPictures]

Is there a big difference between using a color space transfer to your viewing color space versus using the color space override in the Film Look Creator plugin?

[@AdamKeithMedia]

Anyone notice that moving the "hue" slider of the Halation section to the right defocuses the hell out of the image? Sliding it all the way to the left (the red ride) is the only way to not affect the sharpness of the image. Wondering if that's a bug.

[@ЮЮЗ-ю4и]

Lattice is not free though is it?

[@CullenKelly]

That's correct. It's a paid plugin.

[@SaxSpy]

it seems goofy but im interested to see your take on it.

[@javajack-1]

Thanks for this video. You are very articulate and easy to understand. I have subscribed. I am about to load Resolve 19 but wanted to watch a few videos first. I'm not sure I can put this on my main work station as I am involved in TV series as well as a feature so need to do this on my MacPro Laptop first, to test. I was curious about the Film Look Creator. I just finished a feature where I used Dehancer and was quite happy with the results, but the resources needed to keep Dehancer live and best quality were intense, leading to heavy caching, so I'm excited to see a native plug in come to Resolve, as long as I can get similar or better results. I am really curious about the film grain component. You touched on it, but I didn't see many of the lovely tools Dehancer has to tailor grain, especially in terms of varying density in highlights mids and shadows. This is where Resolve grain to date, has not been photorealistic, in my opinion. Highlights do not contain as much grain on film, to be really obvious and this was always hard to control with Film Grain in Resolve. Also the ability to soften grain in Dehancer is a nice feature, too, so it looks integrated into the image rather than being stamped on top. I will be loading this up and trying shorty and may circle back on that topic. Cheers.

[@ryanpaulretouch]

Great video as always. Can we expect a video on color slice too?

[@CullenKelly]

Absolutely!

[@PeterSladenCinematography]

Thanks so much for your brilliant overview and insights into the new plugin. I've played around with it too myself and agree overall it's a great initiative by BMD and a good first step. I secound your opinion of it not starting from a clean slate/ neutral image and that this would be preferable. One other feature that would be good in the long run would be the option to open up even more granular, custom controls for each of the texture/ effects to make even more specific adjustments to them simiar to other film plug ins. Overall though very exciting times for Davinci Resolve users! 🎉 Thanks again for all your brilliant videos.

[@jaideeppanjwani]

Quite an insightful take!

[@christian-schubert]

I guess the way Blackmagic imagined their new tool is in such a way that the end user just has to slap it onto their footage and get an instant film look that they then can further refine. Starting from a neutral position would counteract this idea

[@AllThingsFilm1]

Thank you for walking through the FLC. This really helps me wrap my head around it and how best to use it.

[@stevesexton6194]

Thanks Cullen...

[@MaximoJoshua]

Totally agree with your points, I wish we could turn on and off the "film look" part of it. I do realize that this is less of a look dev tool (although it can work for that) and more of a "Generic Film Emulation tool", but I think it is pushing in the right direction. I can imagine they would say "but why would you turn off the film look in a tool that creates a film look?" Similar, as you said, if I asked for a 2383 LUT that was completely neutral. I am hoping that they realize that this can be much more than that, and it could be a really useful (or at least fun) look dev tool, if they add features like "show difference" and "show curves", and allow each of the parameters to be controlled more granularly.

[@MaximoJoshua]

Its a really interesting name from the plugin, because "FILM LOOK" creator, and "FILM" Look Creator can mean completely different things.

[@B.K.Barone]

Man I would kill for an overview of dehancer

[@ScreengageLLC]

As soon as I saw this feature in 19 I was chomping at the bit to hear your take on it! Great video and explanation of what this is doing to the image and how we can approach using it! Thank you!

[@vasilisman78]

Great video Kelly! SInce you are working in color managed profile it is necessary to use CST? Does the Davinci ''understands'' on its own that you are using ARRi log?

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! The plugin does work in scene space. It'll be important for you to still set up sound color management, whether thats in the project settings or manually in the node graph. The plugin won't automatically detect the color space and gamma curve of the clips in your timeline. Hope that helps!

[@vasilisman78]

@@CullenKelly Scene space you mean Rec.709 are you?

[@colourwavestudios]

I think they were listening and added a clean setting to start from a blank slate.

[@CullenKelly]

I know, pretty awesome right! Gotta do a fresh video on this tool

[@photoartisansecuador]

Thank you, master!

[@OriginOutfittersMaine]

My biggest pet peeve with it is exactly what you started with! It puts a slight “grade” on it by default. It really should be starting from neutral. Glad to see it wasn’t just me being ignorant😂

[@pedrosanchez4035]

it does start from neutral - then you click on the plugin.

[@OriginOutfittersMaine]

@@pedrosanchez4035 it does now, it didn’t 4mo ago when I made that comment lol. It added a slight grade to it automatically when it first was released

[@orainethomas]

This is awesome!