Export SpeedGrade looks for DaVinci Resolve

Export SpeedGrade looks for DaVinci Resolve

In this second article on look exchange we’ll try to migrate a look created in SpeedGrade CC to DaVinci Resolve 10.

SpeedGrade works extremely well with other software and grading solutions. Iridas used to develop a version called SpeedGrade Onset whose purpose was to create looks on set and eventually move them to the grading station or to the lab for daillies. SpeedGrade then inherited of this great ability to export various kind or flavors of LUT for a wide range of color grading workstations.

Creating the grade

First, we have to open a SpeedGrade project and create a look. For this look we will only use one stack containing three look layers.

01_stack

Layer 1: A LUT called BLUE ICE created by LookLabs

Layer 2: A Primary to give a bit more crunch in the highlights

Layer 3: A Secondary to remove most of the green in the trees

Copy grades from Resolve to SpeedGrade

Copy grades from Resolve to SpeedGrade

I’ve been working as a Resolve colorist for the past couple of years but last summer I was asked to sub for a veteran SpeedGrade colorist on a drama to be broadcasted on Radio-Canada. I did the first two shows on Resolve and finished the remaining shows on SpeedGrade. I was amazed at the speed and responsiveness of the Adobe app.

I then began to jump from one system to the other depending on the project and the DP. I find Resolve to be a much more effective tool for creative work with a DP who wants to try very precise variations at the beginning of a project. On the other hand, SpeedGrade is much faster to help you grade through long episodes, apply vignetttes and do modifications on whole scenes during approbation sessions.

As I was changing software so often, I needed to find a way to move grades, tools and looks across platforms and I found out I’m not the only one doing this. This is why I’m writing these articles on looks exchange between apps. The first one is about building a grade in Resolve and moving it to SpeedGrade to use it in another project.

Creating the grade

So, let’s see how to build a complex look in Resolve and export it for SpeedGrade. To do this, we will use the deep Lookup table (LUT) integration in SpeedGrade. SpeedGrade can import, use and even convert various kinds of LUT. Lookup Tables can recreate about any color modification applied to a digital image: saturation, luma, hue. It acts as a reference table between two color setups. It takes the RGB value of the source and gives it the equivalent values in the referenced setup, doing so, it changes the color and applies the look. LUTs are very powerful. The only grading tool it cannot support is the power window. LUT can make no reference to a position, it’s only applying a color modification to predetermined color. Therefore LUTs cannot be used for vignettes, masks or grads.

Here, I’ve a look in Resolve 10 using 4 nodes:

Warm grade created with Resolve nodes

Warm grade created with Resolve nodes

Node 1: I applied the standard Arri Log C to Rec 709 LUT

Node 2: I shanged the color of the big yellow shoe to orange with the Hue vs Hue curve

Node 3: I warmed up the scene with the Primaries

Node 4: I changed the color of the bag from blue to purple with the Qualifier and a Hue shift