Mastering Skin Tones with Balance DCTL for DaVinci Resolve

[@DarrenMostyn]

A fantastic update to this already useful DCTL!

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Thanks Darren!

[@SergeyRosinskiy]

Why in almost all examples from the video there is a deviation from the norm in the color of the skin? Why should it be grown to a color indicator if all colorists who made color grading for these films have chosen to leave the indicator in green tones. It's a little confusing.

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

@@SergeyRosinskiy Many films shift skin tones toward green because excessive magenta might appear unnatural and unappealing to viewers. Green tints are generally less jarring, especially when subtle. However, some filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson intentionally shift skin tones toward magenta, as seen in "Punch Drunk Love" and "Phantom Thread." To accommodate different styles, I’ve added a Hue Angle slider to adjust the skin tone indicator. In general, this tool is designed to help maintain consistency across shots, whether you’re grading films, interviews, commercials, or other projects where you might prefer less green shift in skin tones.

[@GreenGoatProductions]

That new split screen for skin tones is great, super helpful. I was always turning the node off and on, this is such a great update.

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

@@GreenGoatProductions Thank you!

[@zevnikov]

Bravo Stefan. Simply amazing.

[@marietafarfarova]

This is fantastic! The split-screen and grey out non-skin areas look amazing. Brilliant work, Stefan!

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Thank you, Marieta!

[@CineAmaniacs]

Man you have never failed us yet amazing work !!🔥

[@zazyczech]

Thanks @darrenMostyn for showing me this. Thank you for developing this!!!

[@ElmarHarbecke]

Thank you for the update! Very helpful stuff to balance multiple shots. Stay creative!

[@nashhall694]

Wow Stefan, this is a fantastic update, I've just tried them out & I am blown away about how good they work. Super excited for this. Great work!😀👏🙌🤘

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

@@nashhall694 Thank you!

[@vancekoenig5503]

Super fantastic! Thank you I am going to update today and will enjoy playing with this very valuable tool!

[@RafalGendarz]

shared note tip and the split is great! ty!

[@maxinfilms8893]

I love this tool. Looking forward to hearing all about this update!!!

[@sputnickers]

I bought this software - using the code that Darren had on his excellent video - just a couple hours ago. And wow! I think my hairline will finally get a chance to recover as this makes conforming shots so easy. So I no longer have to spend wasted days pulling my hair out. This new version 1.2 is far more useful and exciting than the one he shows in his video. But even that would would have been a game changer. I love the method of shared nodes showed in this video, which basically gives you a switch that can be used anywhere. I love the split screens, the exposure heatmap, and the saturation monitor. All in a simple interface. Again, I've only had it for a few hours but I have already saved myself days of struggling. Thank you Stefan! You have singlehandedly removed 90% of the guesswork of color correcting!

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Wow, your comment just made my day! 😊 I'm so glad to hear that the software is making your workflow so much smoother and easier. It means a lot that you're finding the new version even more helpful, and I love that it's taking the stress out of color correction for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience, and for the kind words. Really appreciate it! 🙏

[@huntingannieton]

i'm so into these updates, thank you stefan! (also YES CHALLENGERS)

[@FrederikS42]

Thank you for the update. Already putting the new functionality to good use!

[@absolutefriend]

Great update!!! Thank you Stefan!

[@blacktar]

Great update - love it!

[@thomas13810]

this dctl is so good !! thank's

[@МихаилКатыров]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@driftwoodtv]

Nice work Stefan. I shall be recommending to Lumix users.

[@RobertBusschots]

Really excellent!

[@amadoucissefit]

Great update, thank you!

[@mikelollyp]

GREAT TOOL

[@mtscott44]

Very cool!

[@BabysmoothMusic]

Love it thank u best one ever

[@schnellkannjeder]

Echt der Hammer 🎉

[@gillesvanleeuwen]

Amazing as always. It would be even more amazing if you could create an fxplug version of this.

[@nodirkhakimov7833]

It would be nice also see that you're exceeding Rec709 color space when adjusting saturation

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Please take a look at the entire pack! There's also a Clipping-DCTL pack included, which highlights when you reach 75% or 100% saturation of the Rec709 color space. Additionally, there's a free DEMO version available on my website, so you can test it yourself at no cost. Feel free to give it a try!

[@mammifero]

Super !!!

[@TadeoValencia]

Hey Stefan! First of all, thanks a lot for the update, I already installed it! I've been using it and I have a technical question, I already created the Shared Node on the Timeline Level, and it works perfectly on the Clip Level as far as I have it on my NodeTree, but once I put it out of my NodeTree (as you have it on the video) on the Clip Level, I doesn't deactivate or reactivate when I make changes, is there something specific I need to select ? Thanks a lot !!!

[@TadeoValencia]

Corrected ! For any reason it detects that I have 2 Shared Nodes (even when I don't) and when I add the Shared Node on a Timeline Level to put the DCTL, it is registered as "Shared Node 2" and that's the one I can use with no issue, thanks a lot !!!

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

@@TadeoValencia Yes. Shared nodes can be tricky. I have to look in the manual myself to get it right :)

[@ACColorGrading]

Is it possible to get the updated version for those who already have it or do we have to buy it again? Thanks

[@karolmikina5263]

check your e-mail. I recived e-mail with updated DCTL after I purchased previous version :)

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Hi! Yes, all updates are free for existing customers. We've sent the updated version to the email address you used for your original purchase. Please check your inbox and spam folder in case it went there. If you still can't find it, please send me your order ID, and I'll be happy to assist you further.

[@ACColorGrading]

@@StefanRingelschwandtner Yes, I just saw it! It was in spam. Thanks

[@andychisenga]

After playing with the heatmaps (great addition by the way), is there a target saturation we should be aiming for a normal balanced shot? e.g. aim for green with no red indicated on the heatmap? Or is it purely down to taste?

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

While aiming for green on the saturation heatmap is a good starting point for a balanced and natural look, it ultimately comes down to personal taste. By using reference footage from different movies, you'll notice a wide range of saturation levels. For your own project, once you target a specific saturation value, this tool is helpful for maintaining consistency across multiple shots.

[@togangokbakar]

What about rec2020 and p3d65?

[@thereeljohnsteele]

How do you update? I’ve bought several of the DCTL’s but no update email on and I don’t see an update on the sight. Checked spam and junk mail in case

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Hi, updates for purchased products are automatically sent to the email address you used at the time of purchase. If you haven't received the update, be sure to check the product page on our website, where we list the latest version number of the DCTL files. You can compare this with your current version to ensure you're up-to-date. If you’re still having trouble or need further assistance, feel free to email us directly, and we’ll be happy to help.

[@tonyphotographyvideography]

@StefanRingelschwandtner When I use saturation heatmap it doesn't seem to be accurate, clip is almost always blue to light green, even when I bump up saturation and by looking at it it is very oversaturated but heatmap is blue/ green, I use CST's and when I turn these nodes of it seems to be more accurate, is there a reason for that?

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

The tool is designed to work best in Rec709. So, place the DCTL after a color transformation from Log to Rec709. After that, it should give you accurate false colors.

[@tonyphotographyvideography]

@@StefanRingelschwandtner Thanks.. works better now 🙂

[@zebostoneleigh]

What was your source for all these films? Are the h.264 files? I wonder if that could be a factor in why almost all of them tend to lean green? It initially seemed odd that so many of them were not center balanced (yellow). Some, sure. But, all?

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

The sources I used are from high-quality sources. It’s actually not uncommon in film for skin tones to lean slightly toward green, depending on the look the filmmakers intended or the grading style applied. My advice? Try it out yourself! Take some stills from films you know, or check out sites that provide film stills, and run a similar test. You might be surprised to see how often skin tones veer off the perfect neutral line.

[@maikuebel]

Hallo Stefan, tolle Arbeit! kannst du mir schreiben, warum du die DCTL sowohl im Clip als auch auf der Timeline verwendest? Ich hatte deine DCTL bisher immer auf der Timeline und musste diese dann immer ein oder ausschalten. Dann würde aber jetzt ja auch einfach die DCTL auf jedem Clip ausreichen. Warum dann nochmal auf der Timeline?

[@StefanRingelschwandtner]

Thank you for your feedback and the kind words about my work! It actually makes no difference whether you place the DCTL on the clip level or the timeline level-that's entirely up to you and your preferred workflow. The only crucial aspect for the DCTL to function correctly is that it is placed after a DWG-to-Rec709 or Log-to-Rec709 CST node. That's all there is to it. The main difference between clip and timeline level is that a DCTL placed on the timeline affects all clips at once. This can simplify the workflow since you don't have to apply the DCTL to each individual clip. However, constantly switching between clip and timeline levels can be a bit inconvenient. A "Shared Node" can help in this case. A Shared Node can be placed on the clip level and linked to a DCTL on the timeline level. This way, you benefit from the global application while retaining the flexibility of the clip level. Ultimately, how you set up your node tree is entirely up to you as a colorist. There are many ways to achieve your goal, and it all depends on what best suits your workflow. I hope this answers your question. If not, or if you have any further questions, feel free to send me an email. I'm always happy to help!

[@JuddEileen]

cool,can it working p3/r2020 output?

[@ZaryPhotography]

PLEASE SELL THIS TO DAVINCI TO BE NATIVE WITHIN THE PROGRAM OMG!!!!