Color management in Pr 2024 is far more extensive, and in a differnt place, than any earlier version.
So coming 'up' to the 24.x builds is going to take a learning period, but short.
And the next version, Pr 2025/ 25.x builds, is far more complex and capable than the current Pr 24.x builds. You can see this in the public beta builds, which you can and should install alongside the 24.x builds, and get used to the differences.
Setting up iPhone media in Pr 24.x using the Color Workspace/Lumetri panel SETTINGS tab, the one NAMED Settings:
- "Twirl down" every arrow to open every section of the Color Management tab.
- Display Color Management should be on.
- auto detect log should be on.
- Sequence should still be using Rec.709 for the VAST majority of things, as HDR is the Wild Wild West and isn't consistent across devices (worse than SDR ...)
- Export presets must NOT include either HLG or PQ in the export name. The presets with those will use those wider dynamic range and color gamut spaces.
- Viewer Gamma is your choice, and is ... a puzzlement. But it does not include any encoding change to exports, this only changes the viewing/display gamma of Premiere's Program Monitor.
That last one is not even as well understood by most users as the things above. Which is saying something.
Viewer gamma is set by the brightness of your room while grading for "normal" work.
All professional media for broadcast and streaming is graded in a fairly dark, though not quite totally black room environment. With the display gamma essentially 2.4.
Apple Macs without Reference Modes use an odd display gamma, creating ANOTHER problem.
The top two above statements are two things nearly all editor type users miss when setting viewer gamma. The third one is a pain for basically everyone whether on a Mac or not.
So ... if you are 'grading' in a darkened room, use Viewer gamma 2.4/broadcast for normal SDR/Rec.709 workflows. For viewing outside of Premiere, use VLC or PotPlayer, and do not use or rely on QuickTime Player on a Mac without Reference modes.
If you are grading in a normally lit, fairly bright room, use Viewer Gamma 2.2/web. Because it is your grading environment, that should be the deciding factor for viewing gamma.
The Apple Problem
For some reason, Apple chose to set the Colorsync color management utility to use the Rec.709 specified camera transform, essentially gamma 1.96, for use as the display transform!
All non-Mac screens use gamma 2.4 for the display transform for Rec.709 video files.
Yea, that's a problem. And ... Macs with Reference modes set to HDTV also use a display transform of gamma 2.4.
So on Macs without reference modes, the shadows are a bit too light on all Rec.709 video files, including anything you watch in QuickTime Player, Chrome, and Safari.
You will notice this when you use Premiere set to 2.2 or 2.4, and export, viewing the file outside Premiere in QuickTime Player.
However, VLC and Potplayer will display the file similar to within Premiere.
So ... do you wanna grade for only Macs without reference modes? Use gamma 1.96 and be happy.
For everyone else on the planet? If in a bright room, use gamma 2.2. If in a dark room, use gamma 2.4 And be happy.
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