Getting ARRI Alexa-like colors

[doug]

I've had some success using Juan Melera's BM Pocket 6K to ARRI Alexa LUTs/Powergrades to get footage from the fp to have very pleasing colors.

My workflow:

1. Shoot CDNG 12-bit to Samsung T5.
2. Use slimRAW to compress directly from T5 to my hard drive.
3. Import footage into Resolve.
4. Color Tab > Camera Raw, Decode Using Clip and set BMD/BMD Film, adjust WB as needed.
5. Add a new node and use the P6K2Alexa LUT (I almost never use the Powergrade for this step). Footage is now in ARRI LogC.
6. At this point, you can use the default Arri LogC to Rec709 LUT that comes built-in. I like to use Juan's Kokak 2393's FPE Powergrade.

Ungrade Footage:

Graded Footage:

Nodes:

[doug]

As a reference, here is me grading the stock Rec709 colors using only the settings in Camera RAW.

[Gualbert]

Mr. Melara's power grades are awesome! Dude you did a terrific well done job here! Thanks for sharing! 😍

[Karel_od_martiny]

Hi Doug,
thank you very much, this looks amazing. I will try it as soon as possible.

Do you think, that this workflow is better than working with Braw (now, when the 2.0 firmware is out)?

[PT1]

The main benefit of braw is that it's high quality raw with smaller file size. But if the file size isn't an issue for you then the uncompressed 12-bit raw cDNG out of the camera is the best quality one can get out of Sigma FP.

[doug]

Hi Doug,
thank you very much, this looks amazing. I will try it as soon as possible.

Do you think, that this workflow is better than working with Braw (now, when the 2.0 firmware is out)?

TBH I'm very curious about the BRAW workflow esp with the BM color science v5. I have not allocated the funds to get a 12G Video Assist yet though. If anyone has one, I'd love to get some BRAW samples to plahy with.

[PT1]

TBH I'm very curious about the BRAW workflow esp with the BM color science v5. I have not allocated the funds to get a 12G Video Assist yet though. If anyone has one, I'd love to get some BRAW samples to plahy with.

The color science is actually the big question with BRAW and non-BMD cameras. We already know from Black Magic's own admission that with non-BMD cameras Resolve doesn't use *any* BM color science in Camera Raw. When you select Black Magic Design Film in the Camera Raw it actually transforms into the camera native color space by using the color space transform matrices from the DNG (except with BMDs own cameras). So with BRAW the big question is does it still use the camera native color space or does it actually transform to its own color gamut (the v5 presumably). I have no idea... I wouldn't be surprised if they do that only with BMD cameras.

[doug]

The color science is actually the big question with BRAW and non-BMD cameras. We already know from Black Magic's own admission that with non-BMD cameras Resolve doesn't use *any* BM color science in Camera Raw. When you select Black Magic Design Film in the Camera Raw it actually transforms into the camera native color space by using the color space transform matrices from the DNG (except with BMDs own cameras). So with BRAW the big question is does it still use the camera native color space or does it actually transform to its own color gamut (the v5 presumably). I have no idea... I wouldn't be surprised if they do that only with BMD cameras.

According to John Brawley, BM had to profile the sensor to get BRAW to work: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/v...648725#p648725

[PT1]

According to John Brawley, BM had to profile the sensor to get BRAW to work: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/v...648725#p648725

Thanks. Good to know. Although, technically, they could just use the color matrices camera gives it directly and assume they're already well profiled by Sigma.