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Hi all,
I usually receive graded files for footage done in Resolve and then import them to After Effects (or Premiere) but the person using Resolve has to do that with every clip we use. They did the first clip in the series so now for colour consistency I need to have the same settings as them so the following clips don't seem off. I was wondering if they can somehow export a lut? xml? of the values Resolve used on the log/raw footage and import them in Lumetri in After Effects (or Premiere) and apply them directly in log/raw footage having the same visual output. If a plugin for this workflow transfer exists it's also welcome.
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Short answer: yes — the usual, reliable path is to export a 3D LUT (.cube) from DaVinci Resolve and load that LUT into Lumetri (Premiere) or the Lumetri effect in After Effects. But — important — you must match color-management and input transforms (camera LOG → working space) on the Premiere/AE side, and understand the limits: some Resolve operations (OpenFX, temporal/noise reduction, or certain node types) don’t survive LUT export, and LUTs can’t carry camera raw/debayer differences or per-clip metadata. Below I give a practical step-by-step, what to watch for, and a couple of alternate approaches/plugins.
In DaVinci Resolve, on the graded clip create a single node (or a node tree) that contains only the look you want to export. If you used lots of OFX, Temporal NR, or GPU-only effects, consider moving pure color corrections to a simple node so they’ll export properly. Exporting works best when the look is in nodes that can be baked into a LUT. Blackmagic Design Forum+1
Right-click the thumbnail on the Color page (or right-click the node) → Generate 3D LUT → choose 33-point or 65-point .cube (33 is common; 65 gives slightly more precision). Save the .cube with a descriptive name including the camera/log type. Maurizio Mercorella | Digital Colorist
In Premiere Pro:
Add Lumetri Color to the clip (or use the Color workspace).
In Basic Correction > Input LUT (or in the Lumetri panel menu) browse to and load the .cube. Alternatively place the .cube into Premiere’s LUT folder (.../Adobe/Common/LUTs/Input or Output) so it shows in the dropdown. Match the clip’s Interpret/Color Management so Premiere thinks the clip is in the same log/profile the LUT expects. Adobe Help Center+1
In After Effects:
Apply the Lumetri Color effect (AE supports Lumetri) to the layer or to an adjustment layer.
In Lumetri choose the same .cube under Input LUT / Creative → Look (depending where you want it). AE will apply the LUT the same way Lumetri in Premiere does. Bounce Color®+1
Test on a few frames/short clips. If the result looks off, check that the clip in Premiere/AE is being interpreted as the same log/camera color space Resolve assumed when generating the LUT. If you used Resolve color management (ACES, DaVinci YRGB Color Managed), bake those transforms into the LUT or match the color-management settings in Premiere/AE.
Will: reproduce the color/contrast/creative changes that are pure pixel-to-pixel transforms (color curves, lifts/gamma/gains, saturation, hue shifts). Good for matching look across many clips. Maurizio Mercorella | Digital Colorist
Won’t: faithfully reproduce things that depend on camera raw/debayer, camera-specific color science, temporal effects, many OpenFX, or operations that rely on metadata. Also LUTs are resolution-limited approximations — exporting 17/33/65 point cubes trades off filesize vs accuracy. Expect small discrepancies and test. Blackmagic Design Forum+1
If you graded REC709-converted footage in Resolve but your incoming clips in Premiere are in camera LOG, you’ll need to either:
Apply the LUT into the Input LUT slot (so it treats the footage as the correct input), or
First convert the footage in Premiere/AE to the same working space Resolve used (for example by applying a camera LUT or input transform there), then apply the exported look LUT.
If you used ACES or Resolve Color Management, a LUT may bake those transforms — make sure you document which transforms were in place when you generated the cube. Mismatch here is the number-one reason LUTs look wrong. Adobe Help Center+1
Export ASC-CDL (+ LUT): Use CDL for primary corrections (slope, offset, power) and export a 3D LUT for the creative look. CDLs are small, editable, and are often used to transfer primary corrections between grading apps. Resolve can export ASC-CDL / ALE packages. Premiere doesn’t natively read CDLs but many dailies tools and grading suites do; this is useful if you want non-destructive numeric transfer for primaries. Mixing Light+1
Roundtrip / reference image: Export a high-quality still (TIFF/DPX) of the graded clip as a reference and have the editor use that to match — sometimes faster for tricky camera/profile differences.
Third-party tools: Pomfort LiveGrade (dailies / look management), 3D LUT Creator, and dedicated LUT managers can help if you do many look transfers. For editorial-centric handoffs, many shops export both ASC-CDL and 3D LUTs. Pomfort Knowledge Base+1
Are you loading the LUT into Input vs Creative? Input is for camera→working space corrections; Creative is an applied look. Try both. Adobe Help Center
Did Resolve use ACES/YRGB color management? If so, note the exact input/output transforms used when generating the LUT.
Did the Resolve grade use OFX/temporal effects? Those might be ignored by Generate 3D LUT. Move color-only operations to a clean node before exporting. Blackmagic Design Forum+1
Try a 65-point cube if 33 looks banded or inaccurate; it’s more precise. Maurizio Mercorella | Digital Colorist
In Resolve: put the creative grade in a single node → Generate 3D LUT → export 33 or 65 .cube. Maurizio Mercorella | Digital Colorist
In Premiere: apply Lumetri → Input LUT → load .cube (or copy .cube into Premiere LUT folder). Match input color space. Adobe Help Center+1
In After Effects: drop Lumetri on layer/adjustment layer → load .cube.
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Thanks for asking chatGPT but if someone has first hand experience I'd prefer that.
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