Color issue after importing graded footage

I work for/with/teach pro colorists. I've been through HOURS of in-person and online discussion and presentations on this. From top colorists through the folks that make the apps the set the colorimetry for the colorist's monitors.

The problem, quite literally, is you're using a Mac. Quick explanation:

- For some odd reason Apple setup their internal color management (Colorsync) to use display gamma 1.96 for Rec.709 video files.

(This will be followed by QuickTime Player, Chrome, and Safari on Macs.)

- The correct broadcast standard is display gamma 2.4. Which Premiere has 'natively' followed. (And is used for all broadcast/streaming deliverables.)

- You cannot display the same file at two separate gammas and 'see' the same thing.

Actually, I expect your colorist is working on a full-on broadcast spec gamma 2.4 system ... I certainly hope so! And if so, you're not actually seeing what the colorist is seeing. Again, if ... the colorist is working on a broadcast spec grade 1 reference monitorfed a signal via a BlackMagic or Aja output device. (Actual colorist practice.)

There is a new display gamma setting for Mac work in Premiere 2024/24.x

So ... you might want to try this. It doesn't "fix" things, but you won't see the problem.

Go to the Color Workspace, Lumetri panel, Settings tab. Make sure the Display Color Management setting is on, then ... 

Set the Disply gamma option to Quicktime 1.96.

Now, Premiere will internally use display gamma of 1.96, matching your Mac's normal Rec.709 display gamma. Now, things will look the same both inside and outside Premiere on your Mac.

Of course, on most PCs and Android devices, the file will look darker than you see it ... as there isn't a 'fix' for this problem Apple caused. Sadly.