Demystifying RAW, Log, LUTs, and Compression for Cinematic Quality

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[@cmonkey63]

The mark of a great teacher is to be able to explain things simply. This is that. Thanks.

[@nitinb9202]

The goodness of this tutorial is that it stands beyond product promotions,just pure knowledge.

[@JacobPanzerLw7f17]

Every cinematography class should be playing this video, great work

[@misterabroad123]

This is fantastic. Every content creator that posts "cinematic" in their video title needs to watch this

[@RajendraKumar-ge9cv]

Thank you for a very simple, straightforward explanation of terminologies RAW, Log, LUT and compression. Also reference to the standards, how camera makers adopted them etc., are really helpful. Learned something new and many doubts cleared. Very much appreciate pure knowledge and simplistic presentation.

[@AcastroAX]

Man I love how you explain things make want to watch even most of these things I know already! 🎉

[@mmwosu]

As a newbie creator, thank you from the bottom of my heart for just explaining it! How hard was that people!

[@chrishopkins5325]

An excellent presentation of technical information in a calm and knowledgeable manner! I applaud you.

[@javajack-1]

Okay, this is really excellent! Understated and full of accurate information. There is so much misinformation out there about what a LUT is and it’s killing me. I want to show this to so called DPs who think they know what they are doing but are killing the image. I would love to see a video that shows the basics of starting with a factory LUT and then how to modify and deliver to post, like when you mentioned how Roger Deakin started with a stock Arri LUT. I can’t get anyone to deliver me something that I can actually use. They confuse LUTs with looks, the creative color changes made after the mathematical LUT is applied to go from LOG To linear. Does this make sense?

[@millthor]

Great tutorial, as always! Thanks for explaining that in a very easy way for us!

[@RubenGarciaMarrufo]

for years i didnt know what it was and you did it in ten minutes, tyhank you very much

[@87solarsky]

Thanks for helping the video world understand these elemental basics better!

[@fabricemaurel9199]

This was such a good video. Thank you so much for doing it.

[@cpanbalagan]

Beautifully explained!!

[@GeeQueee]

This dude knows every thing, i swear

[@gillesvanleeuwen]

Best thumbnail. Raw is rarely represented in the right way. This is the way.

[@marvin_s496]

Nice video 👍 , the music got some tito and tarantula vibes :D

[@nicksneider5463]

Yooo! Sick video. I found it very informative and concise. I'm not sure if you're aware, but it sounds like your audio is peaking, and there wasn't enough db separation between the music and dialogue. Visuals were awesome, totally got my attention - that woman crushing that stuff was awesome! Would love to see more of that - maybe some shotgun mic audio of the actual footage?? Hahaha sheeeesh. This is the first video of yours I've watched but I'm stoked to check out what else you have. Subbed 🤓

[@dude3d]

Great knowledge 👍

[@agnib_das]

Mind blown. Take a vow sir... *Respect*

[@DrinkingWithDrewShow]

Wow. I’m new to videography and this was a great video after watching so many other videos. Thanks.

[@parthsavaliya2524]

Hey @wolfcrow need to make a request to make available all the videos that you've posted before. For me I can't find the lighting fixture video and bridge of spies constructing a scene from the script video. Both of them I need to revisit. Also your videos are extremely education so why make them private? Please, let all the videos be public again.

[@dance2jam]

This was a very helpful starting point. Thank you. I'm a still guy, but recently fell down the videography rabbit hole. I'm not afraid to push the red record button, but I like to understand from the ground up what's taking place. I don't see that you're answering any questions, but I'll ask it anyway. Let me give you a specific example. I buy the Nikon Z9 for stills. I want to do a nature project. I film it in N-RAW, and use the N-LUT. Let's say I decide I do not like the way the N-LUT looks and want to make my own. How do I do that and have the camera utilize it when shooting RAW? I'm sure from the question, you can tell I know nothing, but you have to start somewhere.

[@DavidLeidy]

For RED you can design LUTs in Premiere Pro and export, drag and drop them in a memory card file which you can then transfer to the camera. Unsure about Nikon

[@dance2jam]

@@DavidLeidy Thanks, David.

[@SnipesStudios]

That Was A Great Explanation. Thank You.

[@justinalexander2293]

Thank you for the knowledge you are sharing. I thought in a previous video you said that using a standard LUT is not desirable as the LUT should be specific to the exposure and white balance. I feel in this video you say that using a “standard” LUT is okay. Thank you for any clarification you Might be able to provide.

[@svvancouver3307]

Lol “the cinematography equivalent of the birds and the bees”. Thank you-very well explained.

[@alisterchapman]

Raw is not necessarily the best image possible. Most commonly used raw formats are compressed, some use compression, a file structure or reduced bit depth that will degrade the image. The cameras SDI or HDMI output is not compressed. In many cases this uncompressed output is of higher quality than the compressed raw. Just because it is raw it does not guarantee this is the best the camera can deliver. It must also be remembered that adding compression or using a low bit depth prior to the all important debayer process may further degrade the image compared to taking the full bit depth, direct uncompressed sensor output and doing all of your important processing on that. You cannot change the colours without penalty. The sensor will have been operating at a certain white balance at the time the output was recorded. Nothing you do in post production can change what the white balance was at the time of capture. If you need to make a change to the colour balance you will have to add gain or process what was captured in post to get to where you need to be and this will change the noise levels in each colour channel. This is not lossless, there is a penalty to be paid when you do this - and you can do the same with a log recording, it is not something unique to raw.

[@dance2jam]

Just started my dive down the videography rabbit hole from stills. Thanks for providing a counter viewpoint. Much appreciated.

[@CrescendoKeysChannel]

Very well said!

[@shueibdahir]

"We have log because film was scanned in log" You're unironically funny 😂😂😂

[@Gearsolid3D]

I love your channel man. great details

[@JDenim88]

These lessons are better then the classes I took.

[@Sachin-Music]

very well explain thx

[@bovinicide]

Good info as ever! Thanks wolfcrow!

[@hengedude]

This.Is. Excellent!

[@DethronerX]

Thanks!

[@VISHALSHINDE]

good info ..thanks

[@YuiSenpai]

cool.

[@NickMirro]

Is there a difference between a LUT for log vs RAW?

[@wowandrss]

So many things I don't understand still. If RAW has the bayer filter and gets debayered to show a image, what chooses the values for the colors. Is that the secret debayering process? Why is Log just the same process(done in camera, RAW then debayered)? Is the advantage that whatever LUTs/filter you use, you can already see that imagine on the view finder, instead of seeing the debayered unfiltered image? Are LUTs only for Log or do some cameras, that shoot in RAW, add the LUTs too?

[@NickMirro]

Great questions needing an answer!

[@khensani001]

Aii, mina angikuzwa shem🙇‍♀️

[@greg.tallent]

Excellent tutorial.. thank you.

[@smepable]

Question: When I Shoot with a Sony A7SIII a RAW photo and a slog3 Video, will I be able to capture the same amount of Dynamic range from the scene? Is all the Sensors DR mapped to the Log?

[@nickjohnson1299]

Fantastic video mate!

[@Met9171]

So if you want to do a movie not documentary what must be used here?

[@TheBrickBro]

Jesus my SAVIOR

[@juliensimracer]

in resolve I was lost between using the RAW menu wish is the first step RAW to LOG embended in the soft, and using color space managment or LUT. I would have won many hours watching your video before discovering by my own. Now I can film in RAW with now camera, only log, but I feel my creativity is gone, RAW shooting is way more error permissive I think and so you can go without so much technical things in head

[@Frapop]

how to use luts on log with changing conditions

[@priyanshjig]

thankyou

[@trevorbarney1796]

The last guy is right up my alley, No RAW, no LOG, just a LUT and that's it. Why shoot in a flat picture when you'll just correct and stretch it out in post anyways? why not just shoot an image as close to the final product as possible and then just make small tweaks in post? Seems alot more efficient to getting the final project done and posted. Not sitting there for hours on end color correcting the image to THEN start editing. Waste of time if you ask me.

[@deardaughter]

Super

[@shaunbless]

Bro I love your page !!!

[@lucho3612]

So... when you shoot in raw, the "colour science" in, for expample, arri cameras it simply doesn't matter?

[@raymondjohnson6244]

❤

[@KungfuJoeProductions]

Oh boy, what is cinematic? And what it takes to create a cinematic scene? Is it the camera? The lighting, or the lit? Ect but I shot a scene of me using nunchucks on my video with an osmo pocket. It looks better than these guys using arri, red or whatever. It's the creator and a good story nobody really cares about the rest but this information is very helpful

[@KungfuJoeProductions]

Typo on that I tried to say "lut" but it said lit lol

[@DanielChohfi1]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@TheGeoDaddy]

I’ve been sidelined by the Pandemic but just getting back to my video project again… left off with trying to use the Nikon Z6 Ninja ProRes RAW mostly because of my lenses… stick with that? Or look into renting Arri and work within that workflow?

[@wolfcrow]

That's quite a jump in terms of budget and usability. It all depends.

[@TheGeoDaddy]

Yes, easily a $1,000 per day to rent/shoot and - realistically - my work is most likely to end up being viewed on smart phones, at best, sample work to attract capital for more substantial budgets… hence the initial idea to start small, on the Nikon Filmmaker’s kit… with the possibility of - still - having the option to FIX shooting in post with ProRes RAW… But - the limited shooting I’ve done - it seems like I had to color grade from scratch each shot regardless of minimal charges in light (for entirely indoor, controlled lighting exposures) there does not seem to be a standard workflow for Nikon/Atomos in Apple FCPX (using either the Sony profile or, as you suggested, Nikon Nlog LUT) it almost seemed to me that I was getting just as good results by shoot 1080p (with the additional option of 120 fps for smooth slowlymo) What’s complicated things further is the Pandemic has scattered the actors I have worked with in NYC (which is now a “basket case”) to Los Angeles and Atlanta so putting together shoots with quality actor has become much more difficult… Leading me to think I should bite the bullet with smaller shoots that could be one-off… but the best quality I could squeeze out of a consistent workflow… In any case, that’s my dilemma at the moment. Hope ALL is well and getting better in India!

[@wolfcrow]

If cost isn't a factor, you might want to experiment with different cameras and settle on the image you find most exciting. Ignore the rest, no matter what other people say about those cameras.

[@TheGeoDaddy]

Cost is a factor until I can get good example of my work out there - then - I have a number of contacts that can solve budget challenges… they just have to see the possibility of profitability 😏

[@SatyamSaxenaLethalVenom]

I use a sigma fp and i don’t understand CinemaDNG. Is it like RAW?

[@balaramanand6639]

....Thank you

[@elchinkazum5726]

Hello, I want share this video on my page. how can I do?

[@thewirv]

what's the background music in the very beginning?

[@Malay435]

This is awesome..!!

[@cadamfilm]

So good😍😍😍

[@corneliustitiu8739]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@rw3452]

Will you do a video on the GH6???? 😇👍

[@wolfcrow]

Unlikely.

[@rw3452]

@@wolfcrow 😞 ok would have been interested in your thoughts. Got your GH5 pack back in the day 👍 was very useful 🎉

[@wolfcrow]

Thank you for that!

[@stephanes.]

Try Motion Cam to shoot raw dng in Android

[@TinLeadHammer]

So you made a video about RAW, LUTs and LOG without mentioning gamma. How is this possible? There is nothing more special about LOG profiles than "cinema" gamma profiles in 15-20 year old cameras. Heck, even a 40-year old ARRI camera had custom gamma profiles. The difference is only in bit depth - it is easier to get flat look with 10 or 12 bits that with 8.

[@djandasan4908]

Ah well

[@NotyGrandpa]

A whole video about raw and there’s no explanation for cinedng based camera quite sad

[@nusaindah81]

I don't understand 😂

[@TheCinewanderFilms]

this is so complicated my brain cant digest it

[@christopherdunn317]

Um none of this matter's anyway ! going to be a tech guy or an artist ?

[@LDHope]

thx. (well done)

[@parthsavaliya2524]

Hey @wolfcrow need to make a request to make available all the videos that you've posted before. For me I can't find the lighting fixture video and bridge of spies constructing a scene from the script video. Both of them I need to revisit. Also your videos are extremely education so why make them private? Please, let all the videos be public again.