SpeedLooks for Speedgrade, Resolve, Scracth, Lustre, FilmLight

[Matt Ryan]

Ha ha, right you are, thatʻs exactly what I was just doing! I was trending towards ISO 500 then tweak the levels, but since you asked hereʻs some at 320.
Cheers, Jeff

hahaha much better. First couple samples I tried them on I had set at 800ISO and woah, they were blown haha. Once I dropped down to 320 all was good.

 

[Lliam Worthington]

Looks great jeff. Thanks a lot for sharing Matt, and the bump, I seemed to have missed this thread the last time.

 

[Matt Ryan]

Looks great jeff. Thanks a lot for sharing Matt, and the bump, I seemed to have missed this thread the last time.

no problem! I now have the full collection so I will post some images later this evening.

 

[jake blackstone]

Ha ha, right you are, thatʻs exactly what I was just doing! I was trending towards ISO 500 then tweak the levels, but since you asked hereʻs some at 320.
Cheers, Jeff

You guys need to try something with skin tones in the picture. Otherwise, it all looks very cartoon like... unless you into this kind of thing. Also, it seems, that your blacks are too crashed...

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

You guys need to try something with skin tones in the picture. Otherwise, it all looks very cartoon like... unless you into this kind of thing. Also, it seems, that your blacks are too crashed...

Jake, this was a test to show what the plugin looks like before the grade, plus I said it would probably be better at ISO 500 with proper levels...

 

[jake blackstone]

Jake, this was a test to show what the plugin looks like before the grade, plus I said it would probably be better at ISO 500 with proper levels...

As I said, the test is meaningless, unless there is a skin tone in the picture. Without the skin tone there is no point of reference and you might as well test presets for the Matrix look. Speaking strictly for myself, I would rather spend some time trying to figure out how to achieve the same coveted look in Resolve (not that difficult in this case BTW) instead of trying to grade by preset buttons. So, I'm going to excuse myself from this conversation and let you do your thing...

 

[Lliam Worthington]

no problem! I now have the full collection so I will post some images later this evening.

Great thanks. Considering jumping, so much appreciated.

 

[jimhare]

Jake,
Here is a before and after. The before is my own stab at grading. Basically REDCOLOR 3 and REDGAMMA 3 and minor tweaking.

Beyond getting a balance I kind of think works, my skills aren't advanced enough to usually make an image pop. It usually wanders off into magenta or gets brash and crunchy.

The thing I like about these LUT is it drops you into a starting point we couldn't reach on our own. These LUTs are probably of no use to someone like yourself as you can probably get there from any image rather quickly.

The differences can be night and day. In this example they aren't extreme but I think the difference is immediately noticeable and an improvement.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

As I said, the test is meaningless, unless there is a skin tone in the picture. Without the skin tone there is no point of reference and you might as well test presets for the Matrix look. Speaking strictly for myself, I would rather spend some time trying to figure out how to achieve the same coveted look in Resolve (not that difficult in this case BTW) instead of trying to grade by preset buttons. So, I'm going to excuse myself from this conversation and let you do your thing...

Matt posted several images with skin tones earlier. What you said was to post some images with gamma, which I did for your benefit. The only RED footage I have right now with skin tones is under NDA, but if you want to try it yourself on your images there's a way to do that on the plugin website. You also called the ungraded look cartoonish, which is interesting considering the finished grading work represented on your website. Don't get me wrong that kind of video game look has a place in certain genres, and I don't mind it. Just seems like you have a problem with this plugin that can't be fixed.

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

That's a beautiful example Jim, I really like the look you've achieved. Thanks for posting.

 

[jake blackstone]

Jake,
Here is a before and after. The before is my own stab at grading. Basically REDCOLOR 3 and REDGAMMA 3 and minor tweaking.

Beyond getting a balance I kind of think works, my skills aren't advanced enough to usually make an image pop. It usually wanders off into magenta or gets brash and crunchy.

The thing I like about these LUT is it drops you into a starting point we couldn't reach on our own. These LUTs are probably of no use to someone like yourself as you can probably get there from any image rather quickly.

The differences can be night and day. In this example they aren't extreme but I think the difference is immediately noticeable and an improvement.

BEFORE

AFTER

Jim. To get from before to after in your case wouldn't take that much of an effort. It would actually take less time, than writing this sentence Granted, not everyone does color grading for a living, so everyone's mileage will vary...
I can certainly understand why it would be enticing to try to use such LUTs. So, my question is not directed at you or anyone else for that matter. I'm just curious. If one could look at those two images and couldn't figure out how to get there, how does that person expected to match a series of images. Isn't the word "grading" in color grading means leveling, matching? Videos are not like photographs, where anyone can colorize photos in Photoshop without any regards to any other images...
Another question is in regards to a very real life situation, where client presents you with an image and asks you to create this "look". So, do you frantically search though all your SpeedLooks in hope, that there is an exact one, matching the clients idea or you try to dissect the image and figure out how it was done?
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm just trying to figure out the point of these kinds of tools.

 

[jake blackstone]

Matt posted several images with skin tones earlier. What you said was to post some images with gamma, which I did for your benefit. The only RED footage I have right now with skin tones is under NDA, but if you want to try it yourself on your images there's a way to do that on the plugin website. You also called the ungraded look cartoonish, which is interesting considering the finished grading work represented on your website. Don't get me wrong that kind of video game look has a place in certain genres, and I don't mind it. Just seems like you have a problem with this plugin that can't be fixed.

That's fine if you want to attack me and my work. I don't mind showing my work (that's why it is prominently displayed in my signature) and I realize, that not everyone will like it. That's a part of having an individual taste. And that's exactly why I question this approach of reducing everything to the lowest common denominator of button pushing.
And with that said, I will let everyone decide for themselves whose work they prefer, your's or mine

 

[Adrian Jebef]

These pre-made "looks" are interesting and I see their appeal. Looking at a few of the posted images it seems most of these tend to add additional contrast throughout the gamma ranges (shadows, mids, highs). Using Resolve with just single node/layers the global gamma adjustments can quickly get your images only so far until the highs and lows break apart. These "SpeedLooks" seems to compensate for that right away. Personally, I've always preferred SpeedGrade's coloring interface as it breaks down gamma/color adjustments into very specific increments (Highs/Mids/Lows => Highlights (Offset/Gamma/Gain), Midtones (Offset/Gamma/Gain), Shadows (Offset/Gamma/Gain) all within one master color-correction layer. I find it more intuitive and easier to correct slight gamma/color differences between shots. With Resolve you really need to create multiple node/layers that are purposely set to only correct within a certain gamma range.

Anyone else like to work with SpeedGrade?

 

[Joel Arvidsson]

Can you turn of the grain in the speedlook?

 

[jake blackstone]

Personally, I've always preferred SpeedGrade's coloring interface as it breaks down gamma/color adjustments into very specific increments (Highs/Mids/Lows => Highlights (Offset/Gamma/Gain), Midtones (Offset/Gamma/Gain), Shadows (Offset/Gamma/Gain) all within one master color-correction layer. I find it more intuitive and easier to correct slight gamma/color differences between shots. With Resolve you really need to create multiple node/layers that are purposely set to only correct within a certain gamma range.

Anyone else like to work with SpeedGrade?

This is an outdated information. Starting with V9 of Resolve you can now grade within user adjustable range on a single node by using Log grading mode.

 

[jimhare]

Hi Jake,

I have the utmost respect for professional colorists like yourself, and absolutely do not view these LUTs as a replacement, but they do offer a viable alternative in certain situations.

I classify myself as a director first, editor second, camera operator/gaffer a distant third, and wouldn't even put my hat in the ring as a colorist.

To answer your questions:

1. Regarding time, it took less time with the LUT than without. It just comes out that way with no tweaking. It took much more time for me to futz around in RCX to get the contrast balance right and attempt to squeeze some life out of the image. I generally have to go too far and pull back. If I worked it any more I would have degraded the image so in my case the LUT saves me time as well as gives a better look immediately. 90% of the images I run through it do not require any additional work, they come out in a way I would probably approve with glee if sitting in a suite with a pro.

2. Balance between shots. Obviously the LUTs don't help me in that regard, I still have to set color temp and balance to the best of my abilities, which are not great. Having said that the LUT does seem to drop everything into a similar look where I only adjust color temp and ISO per shot and they look much closer than they would without it. So in this regard maybe they do help a bit, and the glossy but muted look is just a bonus and something I absolutely don't have the skills to achieve without.

I do not have the skills to balance shots through experience, but I can watch back a few times as an end viewer and see which shots are sticking out and need further work. Will never be as good as you but I get by in the end.

3. Client Desires for a specific look - That's an easy one. "This is what I can do for you in-house. Need more, let's call Jake, bring your check book!"

4. Why? It's simple, if I'm working on a $100k or $1million piece I will be at your front door in a second. There is no question in my mind I would get a better final result with you - no brainer. But if I'm working on a $15k piece that's 10 minutes long, unless you're prepared to grade it for $500, I'm basically on my own. These LUTs give me "THE ILLUSION OF QUALITY" and that goes a long way.

I expect you would watch my work and have 5 comments on every shot, but my clients just see the illusion and compared to what my competitors can output for $15k, I can leave them in the dust!

For me it's been a long journey since my first day with the Red One. Each baby step gets me closer to the images I see in my head and these LUTs just got me a bit closer. For $119, it has been one of my better investments!

Jim. To get from before to after in your case wouldn't take that much of an effort. It would actually take less time, than writing this sentence Granted, not everyone does color grading for a living, so everyone's mileage will vary...I can certainly understand why it would be enticing to try to use such LUTs. So, my question is not directed at you or anyone else for that matter. I'm just curious. If one could look at those two images and couldn't figure out how to get there, how does that person expected to match a series of images. Isn't the word "grading" in color grading means leveling, matching? Videos are not like photographs, where anyone can colorize photos in Photoshop without any regards to any other images... Another question is in regards to a very real life situation, where client presents you with an image and asks you to create this "look". So, do you frantically search though all your SpeedLooks in hope, that there is an exact one, matching the clients idea or you try to dissect the image and figure out how it was done? I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm just trying to figure out the point of these kinds of tools.

 

[jimhare]

Hi Joel,

It's not grain, it's actually noise introduced by process, but luckily it looks a lot like grain so it's a bonus. You can control it with saturation and contrast, but this obviously changes the look so it becomes a balancing game.

Can you turn of the grain in the speedlook?

 

[jimhare]

Adrian, that's a very good way to put it. I've noticed the same thing, when a novice tries to pull more life out of the highlights the image just crashes. In many ways there is too much power out there in the wrong hands! But these LUTs manage to drop you in the sweet spot and allow idiots like me to tweak from there.

These pre-made "looks" are interesting and I see their appeal. Looking at a few of the posted images it seems most of these tend to add additional contrast throughout the gamma ranges (shadows, mids, highs). Using Resolve with just single node/layers the global gamma adjustments can quickly get your images only so far until the highs and lows break apart. These "SpeedLooks" seems to compensate for that right away.

 

[jimhare]

Jake, I absolutely know where you are coming from.

My original degree is in Electro-Acoustics and I desperately miss the days when music was challenging to make, and you could look back on a piece you created with pride.

Now everyone punches out crap with Garage Band and loop generators and have the gall to call it music!

You must feel the same way about your craft and I can completely understand why.

 

[jake blackstone]

It's simple, if I'm working on a $100k or $1million piece I will be at your front door in a second. There is no question in my mind I would get a better final result with you - no brainer. But if I'm working on a $15k piece that's 10 minutes long, unless you're prepared to grade it for $500, I'm basically on my own. These LUTs give me "THE ILLUSION OF QUALITY" and that goes a long way.

Actually Jim, you'd be surprised how much can be achieved for $500. I do these kind of jobs around the world all the time. Just last week I graded a full commercial in Belgrade, Serbia for close to that amount. Anyone with full version of Resolve can hire me for two or three hours, especially for a commercial type of a job. Very often you'd get better results for your clients, than trying to do it yourself. And let's face it, your time, spent fussing with grading is worth something. Do not hesitate contacting me, if you need help. It may be cheaper, that you think
Your time can better be spent interfacing with your clients, while offering better quality product. And in these strange times, where everyone offers pretty much the same equipment, quality what will separate you from the rest.