FEATURE REQUESTS : Default sorting options + proper LUT import feature + Others

More colorists working in Resolve and Baselight use the built-in algorithmic transforms for log->lin corrections these days.

Why? LUTs are inherently problematic. Yep.

They are built for X scene brightness/contrast/camera settings, no matter who makes them. And if your field produced media has a slightly higher contrast or lower or higher exposure, you will crush or clip data by a straight application of a transform LUT. They're not math, they're just triplicate replacement charts. X triplicate (RGB pixel data) gets mover to Y RGB triplicate data. You have what, 30 some or 60 some listed steps, everything between is just a straight-line from the lower one to the upper.

NO math invoved whatever in application.

Which is why colorists always teach applying transform LUTs as a second or later step, so you can 'trim' the clip contrast/exposure/saturation into or 'through' the LUT, with the LUT in place.

In Resolve, if you apply a Lut in a node, and do any other color/tonal functions in that node, the LUT is processed last so you corrections are a proper trim pre-LUT.

In Premiere, you can either use the Creative tab's "Look" slot to apply your transform LUT, and do the trim ahead of it in the Basic tab, or apply two instances of Lumetri, LUT in the Input slot of the Basic tab of the second instance. The first is option is more sensible to me.

In fact, I would create the LUTs for a shoot, for each camera's clip, with both the log->lin transform and hue/sat corrections for my chip charts ... and apply those in the Project panel bin to all clips from that camera. Batch work saves a ton of time.

But now, the algorithms in the tonemapping processes in both Premiere and Resolve are quite good, and the algorithms cannot clip or crush or over-saturate data. Because the algorithms are complicated mathematical formulas, and are designed to neither crush nor clip nor oversaturate anything. A vastly superior process in all.

So I rarely use LUTs for log->lin transforms anymore in either app. I know and work with a lot of colorists around the world, and virtually all of them avoid LUTs for log->lin work unless absolutely required by a specific job.

The "dirty little secret" is even then, many will de-construct the log->lin LUT they are supplied, and build a node (or maybe parallel node) to combine the algorithm of Resolve with some manual steps to mimic the 'lool/feel' of the LUT they were sent.

As then, they know the pixels are safe.

By the way ... all log->lin transform LUTs made by whomever include both straight technical and also visual feel changes to the image. As straight technical conversions look ugly. So all log->lin manufacturer LUTs have image changes built-in because of the preferences for image type of the creator, which are not actually required to simply do the tech conversion. 

So yea, that's why you can use one of maybe four Sony LUTs for X form of Sony log.

The algorithms will naturally have slightly different 'looks' than any LUT used for the same purpose. But all the LUTs also have visual differences for the same media. And you adapt your color/tonal work applied after to adapt to that used LUT. Do the same for the algos.

Get safer pixels.

Its a good idea to make a shortcut on the desktop to get around the problem, thank you for that tip. But if I reformat or reinstall premiere I'll have to go do it all over again. And I can never remember the folder path always have to look it up. Just wish they would add a feature to import so we wouldnt need a work-around in the first place.

I think in this age of  4:2:2 LOG shooting, luts have become so useful. I'll use them on set on my monitors when filming, then I use the same LUTS in premiere to get the image very similar to how I saw it on set (kinda like coloring in-camera.) This goes double for those of us who aernt professional colorists, I am not. Those of us who dont do color full time in davinci really rely on LUTs. I'll usually use a technical lut to get it to 709, usually something from Phantom Luts - then I'll apply a creative LUT layer and dial it in. I'll do the occasional power window or skin tone adjustment, but outside of that I'm not a colorist. For videographers and film makers it's become common to have a collection of LUTS for creative + some solid 709 luts that are camera specific. Also most of my work is not the type of work where you have budget for coloring, so we have to make it work ourselves. 

As for the feature form link. Click the link and check out what it says in their instructions. Clearly theres supposed to be a form there. Again, I understand this is the place and people eventually find their way here; but it's just another work around. If they make the page properly (or delete it) then I would like that a lot. I'm not a big fan of being OK with constant workarounds for things - I prefer it just done properly. I dont like accepting work arounds as excuses for problems. 

If a site says "fill out this form"; then I want there to be a form there. I think thats a simple standard that is hard to argue. 

The Ideas section of this forum, where this is posted, is the feature request area.

And it has "upvoting" so they really want ONE feature per thread. So that any upvotes are clearly for a specific feature.

That said, yea, more default sorting options would be good.

As to the LUTs, simply make a shortcut to the folder on your desktop. Open the folder, add your LUTs. Make one for each LUT location you use.

The feature for LUTs that is needed, is one they need for a lot of things including presets. It's being able to tell Premiere to "refresh" the LUTs and presets and such files, so the newly created/added ones are now available in dropdown lists.

Rather than having to close the program and relaunch to get it to scan things.

What do you use that many LUTs for, btw? Color is my 'thing', I work for/with/teach pro colorists, and well ... algorithms are replacing many LUTs for log->lin transforms ... so what do you use them for? Always fascinating to see how others work.