Premiere to Media Encoder Color Transformation issue 2025

[Arne289442354yxc]

I have noticed issues with the dynamic link between Adobe Premiere Pro 2025 and Media Encoder 2025. The problem has to do with interpreting color changes on the source clip effects/Color page on source clips- (when accessing through modify>Color). 

I have noticed this problem across multiple projects and computers. Basically, when these are sent to be exported through media encoder they don't have the proper color information from the source clip and appear to have no change from the log/base media color space. I have made these changes both through the color panel and through creating a Lumetri color transformation effect as a preset and dropping it onto the clips. Both resulted in being incorrect when exported through media encoder. A workaround is just exporting through Premiere itself which in both cases has worked out fine but for a lot of projects I need to be able to batch export and leave my machine running in the background. I could see having an option to turn this type of source clip effect thing off and on as a useful feature in the workflow when making preconforms. It could speed things up if there was an option to encode without "source effects/color tranformations" to save a few steps would be an interesting feature. I really just wanted to bring this to your attention if you were unaware.

[jamieclarke]

Hi @Arne289442354yxc - Hi Thanks for submitting your bug report. We need a few more details to try to help with the issue.
Please see, How do I write a bug report?

[Arne289442354yxc]

Hey Jamie thanks for the quick response. I am sorry I forgot to include that information. I will include it below. Just for context, this is an issue I initially noticed last week when I was on a project and thought it was a strange one-off thing with the machine but then I tried it again on my machine with a new project this week completely unrelated and had the same issue.

• Premiere - 25.1.0 Media Encoder 25.1
• Mac - 14.2.1 
• System Info: CPU, GPU, RAM, HD:

  • Apple M1 Max

  • 64 GB

  • SSD - Sandisk SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C External SSD V2

• Video format: 
  • Wrapper type: MXF OP1a (type: SingleItem SinglePackage MultiTrack Stream Internal) File generated by: ARRI, ALEXA 35 (SUP 1.02.01) Apple ProRes 4444 XQ Progressive - This is for this instance of the problem but last week I believe I was working with a file format wrapped by an .mp4 in the BT.2100 color space that I was converting to rec. 709
  • Proxie Media settings - 
    • Type: QuickTime Movie File Size: 250.43 MB Image Size: 2304 x 1582 Frame Rate: 24.00 Total Duration: 00:01:33:05 Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0 Alpha: None Color Space: Rec. 709 Color Space Override: Off Input LUT: None 
• Workflow details: No multi-cams were used for this particular workflow. There are two ways the color is being converted. One from a project this week and one from a project last week.
  • 1A. Bring the clips in, and create an effect preset for converting the log footage to rec. 709 and drag that onto all the footage. (Mine was arri-log to rec709 using the built-in conversion lut).
  • 1B. using the color transformation menu - modify > color then change settings to work with the timeline. Last week I was working with something filmed for HDR BT.2100 being packaged as rec 709 so in order to keep those highlights from peaking interoperate as rec 709 when working within a 709 color space.
  • 2. Export the timeline through media encoder.
• Steps to reproduce - (Very important!)
  
  • 1. Bring log footage into Premiere
  • 2A. Bring the clips in, and create an effect preset for converting the log footage to rec. 709 and drag that onto all the footage. (Mine was arri-log to rec709 using the built-in conversion lut).
  • 2B. using the color transformation menu - modify > color then change settings to work with the timeline. Last week I was working with something filmed for HDR BT.2100 being packaged as rec 709 so in order to keep those highlights from peaking interoperate as rec 709 when working with in a 709 color space.
  • 3. Create a timeline with a few clips
  • 4. File > Export > Media or open the export tab
  • 5. Press Send to Media Encoder in the lower right corner
  • 6. Once in media encoder let the export finish
• Expected result - The media should look the same in the export as it does on the timeline.
• Actual result -  The media looks as if it hasn't been converted from log - low contrast and desaturated.

[jamieclarke]

Hi @Arne289442354yxc - What are your exact steps for step 2A? 

Is there a reason you are not using the built in "Auto Detect Log Video Color Space" in the Lumetri settings?

[Arne289442354yxc]

1. Drop one of the clips into a new sequence.

2. add lumetri color to that clip.

3. In the basic correction change the imput lut to ALEXA_Default_Logc2Rec709

4. Right click on Lumetri color in the Effect Controls> Save Preset

5. Find that effect in the Effects tab 

6. Select all clips in the media pool and drag the new Lumetri preset onto one of the selected clips -> It should be present on all the clips now.

[Arne289442354yxc]

The reason I don't use the  "Auto Detect Log Video Color Space Feature" is that I have noticed it doesn't always work with all kinds of footage. I just made a new project with the same footage and It couldn't detect half of it as Arri-log. Not to mention I work with digital and film footage. Film doesn't always convert perfectly or register as log. Also, I just like the control, and being able to create personal looks for footage is important to me especially when some DP's want me to use specific luts. I also have to do preconforms for almost all my projects so the ability to easily strip clips of their color settings. There is probably a fix for this but when viewing footage that has been converted in the way you are describing it only appears converted in the program monitor of a timeline that is set to rec 709. I work with clients often with a video feed and I don't want them to see any log footage accidentally during sessions/I like to match frames and when I see the source media it still appears as log until its in that timeline. When all is said and done, it is more work for me to use the auto-detect than filling in that information myself because there are specific circumstances that make it better for me to manage color myself.

But anyway, this problem is less about the way the footage is being interpreted in premiere and more about the way a media encoder output with the same settings doesn't match an export from premiere. Even using the workflow you outlined I noticed this problem.

[jamieclarke]

HI @Arne289442354yxc - Have you checked the beta version 25.2.0 to see if you still have this issue?

[Arne289442354yxc]

I just tried it in the beta version and it looks as if the issue doesn't exist in that version. Sorry if I brought up an issue you were already aware of.

[jamieclarke]

Hi @Arne289442354yxc -

Thank you for your patience and for helping with the troubleshooting process. We appreciate you taking the time to download the beta and test it. There’s a lot of color-related work in progress right now, but we value your report and the steps you provided.