UNABLE TO INPUT LUT 2025

There's several ways to accomplish the end result ... with or without a specific LUT. And learning how to work with the processes for color work built into Premiere makes this sort of thing fast and reliable.

First, at times, a specific LUT is a requirement with a specific shoot/project. Understood. If so, then it is often best to use the listed locations in the Premiere Help files for storing user LUTs on your computer drives. Parking the LUT in the folder that will be used across the Adobe video apps for your intended usage gets that LUT into the drop-down list that you want to use.

The options are:

• Color management Input LUT option, for using in the Input slot in the new color management system. Used in Modify/Color or more easily, the Lumetri panel's new Settings tab, with all  the color management options. This applies the LUT prior to any other changes to the file.
• Lumetri panel Basic tab Input LUT slot.
• Creative tab "Look" slot, which is actually also a LUT application system.

I tend to prefer applying LUTs in the Creative tab slot, because I can properly trim the clip to fit the LUT using the Lumetri Basic tab exposure/contrast/white/black/highlight/shadow/Sat controls.

But it's your choice, of course.

Another option now is the more highly advanced process of actual mathematical algorithms used in their auto-tonemapping process. Which is complex mathematical formulas created for the media from specific cameras. Unlike LUTs ... which are charts. Look-up tables, LUT, right?

All a LUT is, is a chart with 16 or 32 points probably given, where it says take this RGB triplicate data and make it this RGB triplicate. And in between, the computer applies a straight-line modification of data. And ... it the LUT gets file data outside what it's built for, it will ... guaranteed! ... crush or clip data.

Which is why the pro colorists I work for/with/teach prefer tonemapped algorithms when possible. They will not clip, crush, or over-saturate your image. Safer for your pixels.

With over a decade of intense working with colorists, yes, I can work with LUTs ... I can test, deconstruct, and then rebuild my own LUTs. But when possible I will always prefer algorithmic tonemapping, in either Premiere or Resolve.

In Premiere, to get that, go to the Lumetri panel's Settings tab ... the tab named Settings. With all the color management options.

Set Display Color management, auto detect log, and auto tonemapping all to on. Set the sequence to Rec.709, and set the type of tonemapping you want from the short drop down list. Try the top (default), but also try the others. Just go back and forth to see what they do.

There's a ton of other options in there, but that would get you started working with a tonemapped normalization rather than a LUT based normalization from log math to linear screen math.

If you wanna go into the weeds, well ... I surely can! ... lol

Can you add the LUT via the Modify > Color command in the bins? That will bake it in at the Source level so that you don't need Lumetri on each clip.

Note that if you're working in v25 you have the option to auto detect Log color space and do a transform to your working color space without the need for a basic camera LUT to remove the raw look. Unless the LUT you've made is a special grade you want to apply after that transform?