Do adjustment layers slow down premiere (Lumetri specifically)

[matthewrichie88]

We're establishing a standard process for color grading within Premiere, and most of our editors like to use adjustment layers to color grade in lumetri, rather than grading the clip itself. My concern is with processing speed--does this slow down premiere at all? We are working from a server if that has any implications, but I don't imagine it does since we're not adding a new video stream coming from the server. Is there anything else I need to know to answer this questions?

[Katie Houghton · Accepted solution]

There should be better performance and control:

(but what version are you using? Make sure you are in CC17.)

1. You can easily turn on/off the track while playing the sequence without going to the Effects Control/Lumetri panel panel to toggle the effect.
2. The computer does not have to process the same effect as a new effect for each clip. One effect applied to all. This also makes it easier and faster to change at one time for all affected clips.
3. The adjustment layer effect renders faster than the effect on the actual clip. When I did a test, the adjustment layer rendered in less than half the time with the adjustment layer effect vs having the effect applied directly to the clip.
4. Using an adjustment layer, you can apply the same blend mode and opacity adjustment to a range of clips. (change the level of opacity to lessen your Lumetri effect)
5. You can keyframe the effect over a span of clips.

[R Neil Haugen]

Past Katie's excellent bit of info, one key thing that using A-L's allows over additional layers on a clip ... only the "last" instance of Lumetri is editable in the main Lumetri UI ... any previous instance on a clip or layer has to be edited in the ECP ... which isn't bad, but definitely not as fast even with a mouse.

If you use control surfaces such as the Tangent Ripple & Elements, or the Palette system, those only work with the full Lumetri UI. So for someone like me who needs several layers of Lumetri to get enough HSL layers involved, applying them on other layers is pretty important. It also makes masked work much simpler to check ... as noted above, turn on/off that layer in the header controls, and see exactly how it's going ...

Finally, if you do more than a few minutes color a day, the Ripple will pay for itself very soon. And ... getting a chance to work with the Elements panel, well ... that's amazing how fast and how much better I can work, as far as quality of output. I was rather surprised, and pleased. I talked with the Tangent people at NAB, and they're hoping to be able to apply the two for more panels in PrPro in the future, and that would be incredible.

Neil

[Katie Houghton]

Love the info! Nice!

[excited_Genie16B8]

In my experience, there is no difference in performance applying effects to the clips directly, or to an AL.  It all process the same.  The AL is merely for editor convenience.