Give your digital images the authentic look and feel of film with Free Look LUTs. These advanced color grading tools, offered by Light Illusion, provide true film emulation for Cineon/Log C TV Legal Rec709 images.
Unlike alternative film look LUTs, Free Look LUTs are based on real color measurement data from specific film stocks, ensuring accurate nonlinear color distortions inherent in film.
With various formats available for different grading and graphics systems, these LUTs open up new possibilities for innovative and visually stunning digital creations.
Key Takeaways
- Light Illusion offers three free Look LUTs for download.
- The LUTs include True Film Emulation for Cineon/Log C TV Legal Rec709 images.
- The LUTs are available in various formats for different grading and graphics systems.
- The Free LUTs expect the underlying image to be corrected for a Rec709 display.
What are Look LUTs?
Look LUTs, as mentioned in the pre-existing knowledge, are free downloadable LUTs offered by Light Illusion that provide true film emulation for Cineon/Log C TV Legal Rec709 images and are available in various formats for different grading and graphics systems.
These LUTs are designed to mimic the look of real film stocks and are based on spectral data extracted from specific film stocks. Unlike alternative film look LUTs that rely on visual adjustments without real spectral data, true film emulation LUTs capture the nonlinear color distortions inherent in film.
Light Illusion’s systems use film emulation data that is used by leading studios and post-production facilities. The first Look LUT, for example, is based on Kodak Vision film stock data and is created with Kodak Vision as the source color space and Rec709 as the target.
This LUT undergoes adjustments to match the warmer white point of the film while maintaining the D65 white point of the video. The Axis Blend filter is used to remove film-based color contamination, and the Gain option slightly increases the peak white value of the LUT.
LUT Formats
The available formats for LUTs include:
- ARRI .3dl
- Scratch .3dl
- Autodesk .3dl
- Flame .3dl
- Lustre .3dl
- Smoke .3dl
- Resolve .cube
- FSI .dat
- Mistika .itx
- Nucoda .cms
- Nuke .3dl
- Quantel .txt
- Sony .lut
- TVlogic .lut
These formats cater to different grading and graphics systems, offering compatibility with a range of displays and LUT boxes. Each format serves as a container for the Look LUTs, allowing for easy integration into various workflows.
Whether it’s the popular Resolve .cube format or the industry-standard ARRI .3dl format, these LUT formats provide flexibility and convenience for users in the field of color grading and post-production. By supporting multiple formats, the industry encourages innovation and collaboration, enabling professionals to explore creative possibilities and achieve their desired visual outcomes.
Technical Corrections
LightSpace Camera Options provide a solution for generating technical conversion LUTs to ensure accurate color space mapping between camera images and various grading systems.
These LUTs are essential for maintaining the correct color space for the camera images and the Free Look LUTs.
By mapping the images to Rec709 and/or Arri Log C, or vice versa, the LUTs ensure that the underlying image is corrected for a Rec709 display. This is crucial because the Free LUTs expect the source images to have a Rec709 gamut with either Log C or 2.4 gamma.
LightSpace Camera Options allow for precise technical corrections, enabling the images to be correctly matched to the desired color space. This feature ensures the accuracy and consistency of the color grading process.
Film Emulation LUTs
Film Emulation LUTs are generated using real color measurement data from specific film stocks, capturing the nonlinear color distortions inherent in film and providing an accurate representation of the film’s spectral characteristics.
Light Illusion’s systems utilize their extensive film emulation data to create these LUTs, which are widely used by leading studios and post-production facilities.
For example, the first Look LUT is based on Kodak Vision film stock data and is designed to match the warmer white point of the film while maintaining the D65 white point of the video.
To remove film-based color contamination, the Axis Blend filter is applied, and the Gain option is used to slightly increase the peak white value of the LUT.
This meticulous process ensures that the resulting LUTs faithfully recreate the unique characteristics of the chosen film stock, providing a genuine film look that cannot be achieved with mere visual adjustments or imitations lacking real spectral data.
Benefits of True Film Emulation
One advantage of true film emulation is its ability to accurately replicate the nonlinear color distortions inherent in film, providing a genuine and authentic representation of the spectral characteristics of specific film stocks.
These LUTs, based on spectral data extracted from real film stocks, capture the unique color shifts and tonal response that are characteristic of different film types.
Unlike imitations, which rely on visual adjustments without real spectral data, true film emulation LUTs ensure a more precise and accurate reproduction of the film look.
This level of accuracy is particularly important for industries such as filmmaking and post-production, where the goal is to recreate the aesthetic qualities of specific film stocks.
By faithfully reproducing the nonlinear color distortions, true film emulation LUTs offer a high level of realism and can enhance the overall cinematic experience for viewers.
Other Types of LUTs
There are various types of LUTs available for different grading and graphics systems, including formats such as .3dl, .cube, .dat, .itx, .cms, .lut, and .txt. These LUT formats are compatible with popular software and hardware solutions used in the industry.
For example, the .3dl format is supported by ARRI, Scratch, Autodesk, Flame, Lustre, Smoke, and Nuke. The .cube format is compatible with Resolve, while the .dat format is used by FSI. Other formats such as .itx, .cms, .lut, and .txt are supported by Mistika, Nucoda, Sony, and TVlogic respectively.
Having a wide range of LUT formats ensures that users can choose the one that best fits their specific workflow and equipment, allowing for flexibility and convenience in achieving desired color grading and effects.
Using Look LUTs with Different Systems
Different systems and software solutions in the industry support a variety of LUT formats, allowing users to easily apply and integrate Look LUTs into their preferred workflows. This flexibility ensures that Look LUTs can be utilized across a wide range of grading and graphics systems, catering to the diverse needs of professionals in the field.
Here are five key advantages of using Look LUTs with different systems:
- Compatibility with popular software like ARRI, Scratch, Autodesk Flame, Lustre, Smoke, Resolve, FSI, Mistika, Nucoda, Nuke, Quantel, Sony, and TVlogic.
- Availability in both .3dl and .cube formats, providing compatibility with a broad range of displays and LUT boxes.
- Support for image correction for Rec709 display, whether the source is a LOG Gamma image (like Arri Log C) or has a gamma of 2.4.
- Technical conversion LUTs generated by LightSpace Camera Options ensure correct color space for camera images and Free LUTs.
- True Film Emulation LUTs based on real color measurement data from specific film stocks, providing accurate and realistic film looks.
The ability to seamlessly integrate Look LUTs into different systems empowers professionals to achieve their desired creative vision with ease and precision.
– How Can I Use Look Luts with Lightspace Cms Profiling?
Look LUTs can be used with Lightspace CMS profiling by applying them to your color grading to ensure accurate color representation. Lightspace CMS user profiling helps to calibrate and profile your display, while Look LUTs can enhance your visuals for a more professional and polished finish.
Difference Between Film Emulation and Guesstimation
Film Emulation LUTs are based on accurate spectral data extracted from real film stocks. They go beyond simply mimicking the visual appearance of film. True Film Emulation LUTs capture the nonlinear color distortions inherent in film, resulting in a more authentic and realistic representation. By utilizing precise color measurement data from specific film stocks, these LUTs provide a high level of accuracy and fidelity in reproducing the unique characteristics of different films.
On the other hand, guesstimation-based alternatives rely on subjective visual adjustments without the use of real spectral data. These alternatives may not accurately replicate the subtle nuances and complexities of real film. For those seeking innovation and a true film-like experience, Film Emulation LUTs offer a superior solution.