I failed to mention, a big thanks to Daria Fissoun for her invaluable input on this video and for spotting my mistakes! Any video that she is in is gold, and definitely worth watching.
This is the best tutorial I’ve ever seen explaining color space… Cullen Kelly makes amazing tutorials but they’re over complicated and he rambles on and on and on about the philosophy instead of getting to the point. Which is perfectly OK when you’re in the mood for that. But this tutorial is succinct, gets right to the point, it is easy to understand. Great great job! I’m sending a link to this tutorial to every editor I know. Except the sad pathetic ones that are still working in premiere pro. Lol. That was half a joke.
Hahah! Thanks so much. What a nice compliment. Yeah, we make an effort to keep the videos as concise as possible so you can get back to editing and grading as quickly as possible. And Cullen Kelly does make amazing videos too, love his explanations, always accurate and balanced. Appreciate you sharing the video with other editors, thank-you so much.
I have never commented on a RUclips video in my entire life. This is my first, simply because I cannot tell you how confusing it has been for me as someone who is aspiring to give their lives to the colorist role and having the hardest time understanding color management! NOBODY has explained color management to me to better than you have! i would have paid for this information instantly! you have literally changed my life in this video! like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders! THANK YOU!
Heya! We're so glad you enjoyed the video. We've got more content coming, and we're working on some full-length courses too. If you have ideas for videos, you're welcome to put suggestions in the comments. Thanks once again for your kind words. Great to have you here.
An oasis in the middle of the RUclips desert….after watching too many videos on this subject this one cleared the fog for me, great job in explaining 👍
I fell down the rabbit hole of color spaces, first keeping things simple with RCM, then thinking I had to do everything with nodes to get better quality. This video is like the end of the beginner/genius meme where I finally get what all the color space settings do and feel confident in letting Resolve do the managing. Excellent video!
So glad it's helped. Yeah, there's a lot of noise out there about color management. Cullen Kelly did a fantastic video where he showed that both node based and project based color management gives the same results. At the end of the day, it's a technical process... and we love how RCM allows you to manage it in the background and free up your node tree for creativity. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Just 3 min into the video and I came here to declare - This man is a genius ! absolutely brilliant in explaining the concepts . Hands down the best video on the topic. Thanks !
Great video. Clearly concisely, economically and articulately presented, functional graphics rather than whiz-bang effects, and best of all, no jump cuts! Covers what most RUclips colorists would take two or three videos to outline. Subscribed.
Ah thanks. What an awesome compliment, much appreciated. Especially about it being concisely and economically presented. Trying to simplify something without compromising the information can take effort sometimes. Great to have you here. Welcome.
Thanks for this video guide. All info was well said and explained. I shoot on a bmpcc 6k pro and doing more editing in DR lately from Final Cut Pro X. I needed more of this info about everything you spoke to. I feel the project CM is the way for me vs node based. I sometimes shoot or add a different camera in the mix and need to balance them to each other. Thank you and any other tips for a 6K pro workflow please advise 🙏🏾🙏🏾 New sub💪🏾
This is what a student from 8th grade can understand. Loved the way you have explained everything is very impactful. Thank You So much for this tutorial 👍👍👍👍
Team2Films has become my absolute favourite Davinci channel! You guys are awesome. The best tutorials out there. No rambling and rubbish...straight to the point and explained with all ability levels considered. Thank you! And my word, you know your topic!!! Keep them coming please. Thank you
Thank you so much. What an awesome compliment. Glad you like our straight to the point approach. It’s great to have you here, more content is on the way.
I have been trying to wrap my head around color management and understand the fundamentals of it properly. But most people either suck at conveying their thoughts properly to others (bad teachers) or, are not very knowledgeable themselves and just try to show something that has worked for them. But this video of yours is clear, crsip, to the point and covers everything that is there to be know about color management, especially to noobs like me! Wonderful job and I'm glad RUclips recommended me your video. This made my day!
Absolutely stellar explanation. I've never, even through many tutorials, had such a clear tutorial on color space fundamentals, management, and transformations. Thank you.
This was quite remarkable. I've watched so many videos about colour management that I've lost count, but I've never heard anyone explain Rec 709 further than saying "It's the broadcast standard." I guess it's very difficult for people who know the ins and outs of something so well to fully grasp how little the rest of us understand it, but you do a truly amazing job of breaking it all down. I don't know how many other videos you have made, but I will be watching them all.
Im a project based color managment person, if i use only ONE camera type for the project i put the correct input color space of the camera, you won a subscriber
THIS was the video I've been looking for. Not only explaining color management, but the WHY. Instead of being told "do this" I feel like I much better understand the relationship between the options, and how and when to use each option. Thank you.
Wow ive been using DaVinci resolve for over 5 years and this video has taught me a lot i will never go into a project thinking the same again, thank you very much.
Easily the best video I have seen on this really complex subject. I have tried to understand this for years but various people say the wrong things. Having it neatly laid out like this is really awesome, thanks!
I spent months on understanding the differences in color management, you made me understand in 20 min, thanks a lot and hope to see more videos of you 🙏
This was by far, the best Resolve workflow management tutorial. It's like you read everyone's minds for the questions of the scenarios we don't find clear answers to reading the manual. This a great supplement to Darren's abs Cullen's videos.
Thanks you so much for the info. I just bought my first ever camera for yt and I’ve binge watching videos on color grading. Only your video explains the theory, which is needed to understand what you’re even doing when color grading.
Absolutely the best concise Color Management explanation.I've seen. Watched and read many explanations and have gotten confused by those advocating Node base CST methodology vs Resolve Color Managed (RCM). Now I fully understand why I have found RCM>DaVinci Intermediate Wide>Rec 709 2.4 a reliable repeatable result. This trainng also taught me how to provide HDR deliverables. Thank YOU so very much!
Just found this…it was very helpful! I had almost given up on color management tutorials; I found myself guessing a lot and had been getting quite frustrated lately!
For the first time, since I downloaded DVR three years ago, and after watching tons of tutorials, this is the VERY first time to get all these color-theories well explained. Thank you so, so much!!! Great. Still a lot to learn!!!
A BIG THANK YOU! At 16:50, selecting all the clips in the media pool & right clicking Input Color Space/etc helped enormously! I've spent so much time in Resolve and thought I knew what I was doing, but clips in the timeline often still looked like log footage and had to be wrestled into submission LOL. Clip-level Input Color Space selection (which isn't mentioned nearly enough in tuts) was the MAGIC I somehow improbably missed before! Cheers
@@team2films OMG, well, that was short lived! I updated to the latest Resolve on my Mac, and now the media pool/right-click "Input Color Space" option (between "LUT" and "Update Timecode...") has disappeared! 😶 . Good while it lasted?
Very helpful to view this video AGAIN and AGAIN, after some practice using various methods. A wonderful review and reminder of the concepts and so helpful to clarify otherwise baffling terms like, "Scene-Referred," which otherwise have no immediate logical meaning. Likewise, what is the meaning of "Timeline" in the Project Setup page? Timeline is a user-interface term, not a color science term. So your clarification that "timeline" means an "working" or "intermediate" space is very helpful.
you are one of my favorite channels . it's refreshing to watch and absorb.. the amount of knowledge and delivery - Im in four and half minute mark and blown away 😀
I had seen everyone do this differently and didn't know how to best do it according to each project. Thank you for making me understand all the options. I finally got this!
Well done Leon. There are bits of colour management that are confusing to everyone, so much appreciated that you built this video explaining it. I think that it wouldn't be legacy but a bit out of the box, but Resolve could give us another colour management tool by allowing us to shut off the output on a per clip or group. That way all the magic of the input sorting of cameras etc. would happen but if you feel you needed to add a CST or a LUT that you could just turn off the output and drop it at the end of the node tree. But features like that might make it more confusing, I don't know. For me it would be the best parts of node based CM and RCM. Nice job again on this.
Thanks so much Jim. That's a great idea. It could be relatively easy to implement too. Here's one idea of how it could be implemented. Perhaps, instead of having 'Bypass Color Management' in the right click menu, there could be a sub-menu with two options instead: 'Bypass Input Color Management' and 'Bypass Output Color Management'. That would keep the extra functionality hidden from novice users but power users who know about it will be able to make use of it. It would also make it easier for users who need to customise and use a CST for the input transform on particular shots. Thanks for watching, commenting and your continued support for the channel.
The video touched on a bit of history, how an image is captured, different types of workflow, and EVEN FAQs that one might get while watching this video. Very well thought out! When I started color grading, I dove right in into tweaking the wheels without knowing about colour spaces, how an image is captured and displayed, and thus, my grades were muddy and wonky. I fee like color management should be learned first for those starting out before dabbling the wheels. Thank you for putting the effort and time to create these hiqh-quality videos! It feels like I signed up for premium content! Haha. I'm wondering if you have an upcoming video about the importance of scopes and how to use them during the color grading process. The vectorscope and chromaticity is a bit tricky for me. Is broadcast-safe level still applicable for internet delivery? P.S. Also feels nice that some footage you used are from YT accounts that I also follow! CVP, Cullen Kelly, Rob Machado.
Very well explained for someone who used the LUT based approach since davinci 8 or something and always thought "hm, thats maybe not the best and efficient way of doing it, I need to really understand colour management" 😅 but it worked for my type of jobs with only more or less 2 or 3 camera types used. But I tried it for myself and already knew that thats the smart way of doing it. 🙂Thank you for this very well produced explanation! That really helped a lot!🙏
I've simply defaulted to setting up Davinci Wide Gamut at the start of every project for the past 2 years, but admittedly i was beginning to wonder if i was doing it wrong considering how most other graders I've seen manually used CSTs in every clip. I'm glad i turned out to be doing the right thing 😅 Super informative and extremely well presented video! Among the best, if not the very best I've seen for describing Color Spaces and their uses
Great video. The only thing I would add (and this is not preferential), working with RCM means that you generally don’t have FULL control over how these transforms are applied - This can limit the colour controls. For example, placing a CST near the end of your pipeline(node tree), can preserve dynamic range of a shot, rather than the transform having already taken place before you start grading as is the case with RCM. The RUclipsr Darren Mostyn (whom I’m not associated with in any way), demonstrates this quite nicely. But again, this video is not suggesting you don’t do that, just something one should know when deciding on your colour management. Thanks for the video, well thought out.
Thanks for watching and thanks for your kind comment too. Yes, agreed, CSTs allows you granular control over each transformation. When using RCM if that level of control is needed on a particular shot, the Bypass Color Management option can be used and CSTs configured as needed. This allows users to take advantage of RCM's ease of use and CSTs power (when needed) in a single project. I'm curious what you mean regarding preserving Dynamic Range with CSTs placed near the end of the node tree.
@@team2films When applying the CST after (e.g) grading primaries, experiment with increasing the gain to a high level. By doing so, you'll notice that the highlights are preserved better, maintaining (what I call) it’s dynamic range, with a gentle falloff. However, if you apply the CST before making this gain adjustment, the highlights are more likely to be clipped - this is case when using RCM. But as you have rightly said, one can turn off RCM independently from the project settings.
What a great tutorial! I had a hard time understanding when I watched it the first time but not due to poor explanation, on the contrary the topic is SUPER well presented, but due to this topic being very hard to grasp when you’re new to color grading like me. But already the second time I grasped it better, not only knowing how to put the settings right but actually understanding why. Thank you guys!
Thanks Daniel. We're really glad you liked the video. We deliberately pack the videos knowing that people can always re-watch portions. It's great to have you here.
I started working on resolve a couple of days ago and having tried to work on some gopro footage, I was introduced to these concepts of CST/ColorManagement for the first time, this video made me understand indepth what I was trying to do, what I want to do and how to do things efficiently. Thank you for the very clear explanation.
I never actually thought I'd ever be able to understand this stuff. Excellent job explaining it, I'll definitely be referring back to it from time to time.
Excellent! Thorough, consice. I'd argue that node-based can be less hassle and quicker than project based, just the setting up and assigning input colour space can be fiddly how ever you do it.
I totally agree. When working with footage from different cameras or with external graphics project-level color management can be pain in the ass. Also, there is timeline based color management now!
Absolutely Brilliant! Thanks, I have been dipping my feet into DV resolve colour management and found many really helpful articles and video's - This one really hit the spot, Cheers!
Thank you so so much for this video. I'm a cameraman and I always had a tough time understanding ACES etc. That was very comprehensive and incredibly well explaned. From now I think I fully understand color management. Great Job. You got a new follower
Thank you for the concise explanation on this important topic: color management in DaVinci Resolve. I highly recommend to watch this video tutorial, even to those that have taken masterclasses with the best in the color grading field.
I tell you this is a breath of fresh air. I feel I’ve been “shamed” into trying a CST workflow, but I do prefer the ease and amazing quality of the Davinci color managed workflow. I feel like there are 2 things with Davinci Color Managed timelines that have been difficult. 1. When I want to apply any of the built in Luta (like the Kodak lut) I just haven’t been able to get good results. Could I just sandwich that lut between 2 cst’s on a color managed timeline? 2. Other issue is I can’t figure out how to get the fusion page to give me a good scene referred color. Either way this video has been very insightful and really appreciate it.
Ah thanks James. I know what you mean. 'You're not pro if you're not using CSTs'. It's a great workflow for sure though, and I'm glad there are options to tackle different scenarios. Yes, you can use CSTs to colour manage footage to suit a LUTs requirements. Check out our Masterclass on Bleach Bypass. We show that technique in there. Great to have you here. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Thanks so much for this video. As a new user of Resolve, it answers so many questions I haven’t found the answers to anywhere else. After watching the video multiple times, there is one important detail that seems to have been under-represented. I’m talking about in the Project Settings Color Management panel, when you show how to set up the HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate, by un-ticking Automatic Color Management. What’s missing is any visual demonstration of what happens if you leave Automatic Color Management ticked. (DaVinci wouldn’t give you the option, if there was never a need for it…) Update: I just opened up DaVinci Resolve and went to the Project Settings Color Management panel and checked out the options myself. Leaving Automatic Color Management ticked gives you the options of choosing between an Auto SDR workflow or an Auto HDR workflow, plus the option to choose an output color space. For me, this raises the question, “If all your source footage is SDR Rec.709, is there anything gained by working in HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate?” Can it actually interpolate more colors than exist in the original SDR Rec.709 footage? I’m assuming the answer is no. Or does it somehow stretch it to fit the wider gamut giving you greater control over adjustments? If not, then why would I choose a less automated workflow? I feel it would really help if you could address those issues in more detail - possibly as the topic for a new video? My sincere thanks again for such a masterful explanation of - most - of the aspects of choosing a working Color Space.
I just thought of a follow up question regarding using an automated SDR intermediate color space vs. HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate. When all your master footage is SDR Rec.709, is there a difference in how well Magic Mask or other matte/mask tools work in the different color spaces on the same 709 footage? Do you get a cleaner or better mask using SDR footage in DaVinci Wide Gamut? Or do all color grading tools behave the same in both color spaces on the same 709 footage? Thanks.
Hello, thanks so much for watching. Here's an answer for you. You can't make MORE from LESS. Garbage in, Garbage out. Converting Rec709 into a wider colourspace will not magically make your image better. Tools like Magic Mask won't work better. There are still benefits though. Firstly, it's only a matter of time before you work with media shot in a wider colour space. When you do, you've already established a workflow that you can grow into, rather than one with a limited ceiling. Secondly, some tools will respond differently in different colour spaces. That doesn't mean that you can get more quality, but you can develop familiarity with the way the tools respond in that colour space (see point 1).
Very nice walkthrough of what can be really hard to wrap your head around when you’re a beginner colorist. But you managed to explain an advanced subject in a way that makes it very easy to understand. Great pace and illustrations too. Well done, Leon.
This is definitely the best CST tutorial I've ever seen. Ultimate! I still don't know how to work properly with Node based CST in DWidegamut. The tools are designed to work in REC709 and are much more responsive in wide space. I couldn't think of anything better than tweaking it and setting the panel to a lower sensitivity, or key output to 0.3. I have to use Warp Grid outside of CST conversion. Is there any reasonable/correct solution?
Thanks so much. Hmm, those are good questions. I feel like we should do a video about how tools respond in different colour spaces. i.e. if there are legitimate scenarios for doing certain operations in other colour space.
I feel your pain, for me going from display-referred to scene-referred DW was also a big jump. I kinda got used to it, but I do some corrections after CST. Also, you could change color space and gamma of each node. Sometimes I use that approach.
@@team2films I think a video on how tools respond in different color spaces would be great and will fill a much needed void. I hear people say this all the time and I'm not entirely sure what that looks like. I don't recall seeing another video on this topic, but it would be a very useful one.
I just use saved node tree as a power-grade that has a CST built in to it - gives me a bit more control especially when switching between machines. But the way you do CST is exactly how it should be everywhere done - hope more people will catch on
To be clear and semple, you did the best explain of color management and color spaces so far and to be honest i would pay for this without a doubt .. Well done man.. I hope you do a tutorial about all type of nodes and the right order of them and the limitations of each one.. Etc..
Incredible video, just incredible. Frankly, I did know quite a bit of the content BUT what you illustrated here ( 15:03 ) blew my mind. You explained that very well.
Thank you. This is the best explanation of colour management I have seen. Now I really do understand what DaVinci Color Management it is all about. Just one question though I sometimes shoot using my iPhone 14 Pro in HDR will that be picked up or if not what configeration do I need for that to get it to a REC 709 deliverable?
Thanks for watching. That's a good question. Your iPhone footage should have metadata that Resolve will recognise. Easiest way to confirm that will be to import it into a project with RCM enabled. Right click on the clip and check that the correct colour space is selected in the 'Input Colour Space' menu.
I almost gave up the whole log workflow because I was using the LUT method, and for Panasonic vlog it provided such wrong results. Now with the right color management settings instead, it makes such a huge difference! Finally black levels and contrast are perfect, and the wide intermediate color space gives a huge plus with the editing, especially using hdr controls.
Thank you for this very informative discussion of colour management. After some experimentation I have become a fan of the node-based CM workflow, mostly Davinci WG but occasionally ACES. My films are short, so the time factor isn't a major issue for me. I've also learnt a lot from Cullen Kelly, he is a great inspiration and really knows his stuff. I'm going to keep this video bookmarked, there is a lot here that I am sure I will be referring to in the future. Thanks again!
The clearest anyone has explained color management. Future-proofing my work has been on my mind lately so this was helpful. On a somewhat related topic, I was wondering what you guys recommend as best practices for setting up Project Library and Projects in DaVinci. Ideally, I'd like one Project Library to handle all my fiction/nonfiction projects (similar to how I have one Lightroom Classic Catalog handle all my projects). However, there seems to be no clear guideline on this.
Thanks Emon, kind of you to say. When it comes to project libraries, I’d say go with whatever compartmentalisation makes sense to you. Folders and equally as good for organising things. Also, don’t forget resources like power grades can be shared between projects hosted in the same library. So if you re-use the same assets between fiction and non fiction… separating them into separate libraries might cause inconvenience. Just some thoughts… I’m sure you’ve got a good handle on it. Thanks once again for commenting and watching.
@@team2films Thank you for the reply! Very good point re: Power Grades (and I'd think, also Power Grades) between projects hosted in the same library. That simplifies my decision a bit. Looking forward to the next video.
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I failed to mention, a big thanks to Daria Fissoun for her invaluable input on this video and for spotting my mistakes! Any video that she is in is gold, and definitely worth watching.
She's great. I learned Davinci Resolve from her version 12 goat tutorials.
Big thanks to her. I have taken various live streams with her but I am always rushing on other things and I fail to grasp everything
Daria is great.
This is the best tutorial I’ve ever seen explaining color space… Cullen Kelly makes amazing tutorials but they’re over complicated and he rambles on and on and on about the philosophy instead of getting to the point. Which is perfectly OK when you’re in the mood for that. But this tutorial is succinct, gets right to the point, it is easy to understand. Great great job! I’m sending a link to this tutorial to every editor I know. Except the sad pathetic ones that are still working in premiere pro. Lol. That was half a joke.
Hahah! Thanks so much. What a nice compliment. Yeah, we make an effort to keep the videos as concise as possible so you can get back to editing and grading as quickly as possible. And Cullen Kelly does make amazing videos too, love his explanations, always accurate and balanced. Appreciate you sharing the video with other editors, thank-you so much.
Very good and easy to understand. Thank you. Just subscribe!
🤣🤣 i love it. Am both PP and DR editor.
Couldn’t agree more.
I have never commented on a RUclips video in my entire life. This is my first, simply because I cannot tell you how confusing it has been for me as someone who is aspiring to give their lives to the colorist role and having the hardest time understanding color management! NOBODY has explained color management to me to better than you have! i would have paid for this information instantly! you have literally changed my life in this video! like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders! THANK YOU!
Heya! We're so glad you enjoyed the video. We've got more content coming, and we're working on some full-length courses too. If you have ideas for videos, you're welcome to put suggestions in the comments.
Thanks once again for your kind words. Great to have you here.
An oasis in the middle of the RUclips desert….after watching too many videos on this subject this one cleared the fog for me, great job in explaining 👍
Ah thank-you so much. Glad it has bought some clarity. We had a blast making it and are planning some more content like this later in the year.
I fell down the rabbit hole of color spaces, first keeping things simple with RCM, then thinking I had to do everything with nodes to get better quality. This video is like the end of the beginner/genius meme where I finally get what all the color space settings do and feel confident in letting Resolve do the managing. Excellent video!
So glad it's helped. Yeah, there's a lot of noise out there about color management. Cullen Kelly did a fantastic video where he showed that both node based and project based color management gives the same results. At the end of the day, it's a technical process... and we love how RCM allows you to manage it in the background and free up your node tree for creativity. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Just 3 min into the video and I came here to declare - This man is a genius ! absolutely brilliant in explaining the concepts . Hands down the best video on the topic. Thanks !
Welcome aboard! Great to have you here. Thanks for watching and thanks for your really kind comment.
Great video. Clearly concisely, economically and articulately presented, functional graphics rather than whiz-bang effects, and best of all, no jump cuts! Covers what most RUclips colorists would take two or three videos to outline. Subscribed.
Ah thanks. What an awesome compliment, much appreciated. Especially about it being concisely and economically presented. Trying to simplify something without compromising the information can take effort sometimes. Great to have you here. Welcome.
Thanks for this video guide. All info was well said and explained. I shoot on a bmpcc 6k pro and doing more editing in DR lately from Final Cut Pro X. I needed more of this info about everything you spoke to. I feel the project CM is the way for me vs node based. I sometimes shoot or add a different camera in the mix and need to balance them to each other. Thank you and any other tips for a 6K pro workflow please advise 🙏🏾🙏🏾 New sub💪🏾
This is what a student from 8th grade can understand. Loved the way you have explained everything is very impactful. Thank You So much for this tutorial 👍👍👍👍
That's really cool of you to say. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Team2Films has become my absolute favourite Davinci channel! You guys are awesome. The best tutorials out there. No rambling and rubbish...straight to the point and explained with all ability levels considered. Thank you! And my word, you know your topic!!! Keep them coming please. Thank you
Thank you so much. What an awesome compliment. Glad you like our straight to the point approach. It’s great to have you here, more content is on the way.
Best tutorial ever saw on color management. Period!
I have been trying to wrap my head around color management and understand the fundamentals of it properly. But most people either suck at conveying their thoughts properly to others (bad teachers) or, are not very knowledgeable themselves and just try to show something that has worked for them.
But this video of yours is clear, crsip, to the point and covers everything that is there to be know about color management, especially to noobs like me! Wonderful job and I'm glad RUclips recommended me your video. This made my day!
Thanks so much. What an awesome comment. Glad the video was helpful. Great to have you here.
It's a shame not to be able to click the like button several times ! All your tutorials are incredible ! Thanks a lot !
Ah, thanks so much! If you click it more than once, just make sure it's an even number of times 🤣 Glad you liked the video and thanks for watching.
Can't believe this is free. Thank you so much you earned a student for life!
Thanks so much. Great to have you here
Absolutely stellar explanation. I've never, even through many tutorials, had such a clear tutorial on color space fundamentals, management, and transformations. Thank you.
Thanks so much, we're glad it's landed well!
This was quite remarkable. I've watched so many videos about colour management that I've lost count, but I've never heard anyone explain Rec 709 further than saying "It's the broadcast standard." I guess it's very difficult for people who know the ins and outs of something so well to fully grasp how little the rest of us understand it, but you do a truly amazing job of breaking it all down. I don't know how many other videos you have made, but I will be watching them all.
Thanks so much. We're glad the explanations in the video are hitting home for people. Appreciate you watching and commenting. Great to have you here.
Im a project based color managment person, if i use only ONE camera type for the project i put the correct input color space of the camera, you won a subscriber
Great to have you here.
THIS was the video I've been looking for. Not only explaining color management, but the WHY. Instead of being told "do this" I feel like I much better understand the relationship between the options, and how and when to use each option. Thank you.
Thanks so much. The why is so important. Glad you enjoyed the video. Appreciate you watching and commenting.
This video clearly demonstrates the difference between knowledge and understanding. Kudos.
Thanks 😊 It's great to have an audience who appreciates the videos.
This is the perfect primer to the topic for those who are new to color management. Well done!
Thanks Gedaly. Appreciate you saying that. Great to have you here.
Absolutely the best explanation of Color Management I've ever encountered. Thank you a million 🙏
Wow, thank-you. Great to have you here, and thanks for watching.
Wow ive been using DaVinci resolve for over 5 years and this video has taught me a lot i will never go into a project thinking the same again, thank you very much.
That's fantastic to hear! Keep up your hard work and thanks for your comment.
Rated 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best knowledge gained from this video. Thank you so much❤
You are welcome. We’re working on a part 2.
I love this Channel. Straight to the point, concise and thorough without random cutaways or insert shots and those agonizing intro montages
Thank-you! We appreciate you saying that, we try to be as efficient as we can.
By far this is the best breakdown of color management I've seen on the internet. Thank you!
Really kind of you to say. Thank-you.
Easily the best video I have seen on this really complex subject. I have tried to understand this for years but various people say the wrong things. Having it neatly laid out like this is really awesome, thanks!
What an awesome comment. Thanks for your kind words. It's great to have you here and we're glad the video has been so helpful.
I spent months on understanding the differences in color management, you made me understand in 20 min, thanks a lot and hope to see more videos of you 🙏
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting, we appreciating hearing how people are enjoying the videos.
This was by far, the best Resolve workflow management tutorial. It's like you read everyone's minds for the questions of the scenarios we don't find clear answers to reading the manual. This a great supplement to Darren's abs Cullen's videos.
Yes, Darren and Cullen's videos are fantastic, such great resources. Thanks for watching and commenting, glad you liked the video.
Thanks you so much for the info. I just bought my first ever camera for yt and I’ve binge watching videos on color grading. Only your video explains the theory, which is needed to understand what you’re even doing when color grading.
Thank-you so much Diego and congrats on the camera! Glad the video was helpful for you.
GREAT even if too short that the kind of tutorial i expected
Thanks so much for watching. More content on it’s way
Absolutely the best concise Color Management explanation.I've seen. Watched and read many explanations and have gotten confused by those advocating Node base CST methodology vs Resolve Color Managed (RCM). Now I fully understand why I have found RCM>DaVinci Intermediate Wide>Rec 709 2.4 a reliable repeatable result. This trainng also taught me how to provide HDR deliverables. Thank YOU so very much!
You are welcome. We're so glad it was clear and concise. Great to have you here.
Best video on color management. Period. You have a new subscriber. Thank You!!
Thank-you, that means a lot. Great to have you here.
Hands down, the best explanation I have seen about colour management. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Thank-you thank-you so much. Very kind of you to say.
Just found this…it was very helpful! I had almost given up on color management tutorials; I found myself guessing a lot and had been getting quite frustrated lately!
So glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks!
this is the best explanation I've ever watching in youtube. now I understand what is color management
So glad to hear. We're working on a part 2. If you have any suggestions for colour management topics we should include, please say.
For the first time, since I downloaded DVR three years ago, and after watching tons of tutorials, this is the VERY first time to get all these color-theories well explained. Thank you so, so much!!! Great. Still a lot to learn!!!
Glad to hear. We're happy we could put everything together in one video.
Best video on color management. Period. You have a new subscriber.
That's awesome. Thanks for your support and so pleased you found it helpful.
A BIG THANK YOU! At 16:50, selecting all the clips in the media pool & right clicking Input Color Space/etc helped enormously! I've spent so much time in Resolve and thought I knew what I was doing, but clips in the timeline often still looked like log footage and had to be wrestled into submission LOL. Clip-level Input Color Space selection (which isn't mentioned nearly enough in tuts) was the MAGIC I somehow improbably missed before! Cheers
I’m so glad that worked for you! Thanks for watching and leaving such a kind comment :)
@@team2films OMG, well, that was short lived! I updated to the latest Resolve on my Mac, and now the media pool/right-click "Input Color Space" option (between "LUT" and "Update Timecode...") has disappeared! 😶 . Good while it lasted?
@@eversparxthe feature is definitely still there! It only appears when colour management is turned on.
@@team2films ahhhh, I had switched to using node CSTs - Thanks for yet another heads up! Cheers
Very helpful to view this video AGAIN and AGAIN, after some practice using various methods. A wonderful review and reminder of the concepts and so helpful to clarify otherwise baffling terms like, "Scene-Referred," which otherwise have no immediate logical meaning. Likewise, what is the meaning of "Timeline" in the Project Setup page? Timeline is a user-interface term, not a color science term. So your clarification that "timeline" means an "working" or "intermediate" space is very helpful.
Thanks, glad it is a good reference for you.
you are one of my favorite channels . it's refreshing to watch and absorb.. the amount of knowledge and delivery - Im in four and half minute mark and blown away 😀
Thanks so much, we appreciate you saying that. It's nice to know the videos are appreciated.
I had seen everyone do this differently and didn't know how to best do it according to each project. Thank you for making me understand all the options. I finally got this!
Glad it was helpful.
Well done Leon. There are bits of colour management that are confusing to everyone, so much appreciated that you built this video explaining it. I think that it wouldn't be legacy but a bit out of the box, but Resolve could give us another colour management tool by allowing us to shut off the output on a per clip or group. That way all the magic of the input sorting of cameras etc. would happen but if you feel you needed to add a CST or a LUT that you could just turn off the output and drop it at the end of the node tree.
But features like that might make it more confusing, I don't know. For me it would be the best parts of node based CM and RCM.
Nice job again on this.
Thanks so much Jim.
That's a great idea. It could be relatively easy to implement too. Here's one idea of how it could be implemented. Perhaps, instead of having 'Bypass Color Management' in the right click menu, there could be a sub-menu with two options instead: 'Bypass Input Color Management' and 'Bypass Output Color Management'. That would keep the extra functionality hidden from novice users but power users who know about it will be able to make use of it. It would also make it easier for users who need to customise and use a CST for the input transform on particular shots.
Thanks for watching, commenting and your continued support for the channel.
The video touched on a bit of history, how an image is captured, different types of workflow, and EVEN FAQs that one might get while watching this video. Very well thought out! When I started color grading, I dove right in into tweaking the wheels without knowing about colour spaces, how an image is captured and displayed, and thus, my grades were muddy and wonky. I fee like color management should be learned first for those starting out before dabbling the wheels.
Thank you for putting the effort and time to create these hiqh-quality videos! It feels like I signed up for premium content! Haha.
I'm wondering if you have an upcoming video about the importance of scopes and how to use them during the color grading process. The vectorscope and chromaticity is a bit tricky for me. Is broadcast-safe level still applicable for internet delivery?
P.S. Also feels nice that some footage you used are from YT accounts that I also follow! CVP, Cullen Kelly, Rob Machado.
Thanks so much. Yeah, that's a great idea doing an in-depth video about scopes. Thanks for watching and commenting. Great to have you here.
This is the best video on color management I have literally ever seen, and I will be sharing it with everyone I know.
Excellent. Perhaps the best explanation and practical application of color space methods that I've seen. Straightforward and easy to understand.
Thank-you, that is really kind of you to say.
Very well explained for someone who used the LUT based approach since davinci 8 or something and always thought "hm, thats maybe not the best and efficient way of doing it, I need to really understand colour management" 😅 but it worked for my type of jobs with only more or less 2 or 3 camera types used. But I tried it for myself and already knew that thats the smart way of doing it. 🙂Thank you for this very well produced explanation! That really helped a lot!🙏
Glad it was helpful. Great to have you here.
I've simply defaulted to setting up Davinci Wide Gamut at the start of every project for the past 2 years, but admittedly i was beginning to wonder if i was doing it wrong considering how most other graders I've seen manually used CSTs in every clip. I'm glad i turned out to be doing the right thing 😅
Super informative and extremely well presented video! Among the best, if not the very best I've seen for describing Color Spaces and their uses
That's great to hear. Keep your hard work.
Everybody said it already.. Thank you for this perfect tutorial. Now i finally got it 🙏
Ah thanks so much. Appreciate you saying that.
Great video. The only thing I would add (and this is not preferential), working with RCM means that you generally don’t have FULL control over how these transforms are applied - This can limit the colour controls. For example, placing a CST near the end of your pipeline(node tree), can preserve dynamic range of a shot, rather than the transform having already taken place before you start grading as is the case with RCM. The RUclipsr Darren Mostyn (whom I’m not associated with in any way), demonstrates this quite nicely. But again, this video is not suggesting you don’t do that, just something one should know when deciding on your colour management. Thanks for the video, well thought out.
Thanks for watching and thanks for your kind comment too.
Yes, agreed, CSTs allows you granular control over each transformation. When using RCM if that level of control is needed on a particular shot, the Bypass Color Management option can be used and CSTs configured as needed. This allows users to take advantage of RCM's ease of use and CSTs power (when needed) in a single project.
I'm curious what you mean regarding preserving Dynamic Range with CSTs placed near the end of the node tree.
@@team2films When applying the CST after (e.g) grading primaries, experiment with increasing the gain to a high level. By doing so, you'll notice that the highlights are preserved better, maintaining (what I call) it’s dynamic range, with a gentle falloff. However, if you apply the CST before making this gain adjustment, the highlights are more likely to be clipped - this is case when using RCM. But as you have rightly said, one can turn off RCM independently from the project settings.
What a great tutorial! I had a hard time understanding when I watched it the first time but not due to poor explanation, on the contrary the topic is SUPER well presented, but due to this topic being very hard to grasp when you’re new to color grading like me. But already the second time I grasped it better, not only knowing how to put the settings right but actually understanding why. Thank you guys!
Thanks Daniel. We're really glad you liked the video. We deliberately pack the videos knowing that people can always re-watch portions. It's great to have you here.
I started working on resolve a couple of days ago and having tried to work on some gopro footage, I was introduced to these concepts of CST/ColorManagement for the first time, this video made me understand indepth what I was trying to do, what I want to do and how to do things efficiently. Thank you for the very clear explanation.
Thank you so much. We are glad the video was helpful.
I never actually thought I'd ever be able to understand this stuff. Excellent job explaining it, I'll definitely be referring back to it from time to time.
Thanks Terence. Great to have you here.
I guess it's time to subscribe. Very nice explanation thank you so much.
Welcome aboard! Thanks Stefan
Excellent! Thorough, consice. I'd argue that node-based can be less hassle and quicker than project based, just the setting up and assigning input colour space can be fiddly how ever you do it.
Thanks Jamie, appreciate you watching and commenting. Maybe we should organise a colour management race 🤣
@@team2films I'm too scared 😜
I totally agree. When working with footage from different cameras or with external graphics project-level color management can be pain in the ass.
Also, there is timeline based color management now!
I’m a complete newbie in this field and this video has been a revelation. Thanks!
You are so welcome.
Absolutely Brilliant! Thanks, I have been dipping my feet into DV resolve colour management and found many really helpful articles and video's - This one really hit the spot, Cheers!
Thanks so much. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
By far the clearest explenation all around colour management. Thank`s for this one!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so so much for this video. I'm a cameraman and I always had a tough time understanding ACES etc. That was very comprehensive and incredibly well explaned. From now I think I fully understand color management. Great Job. You got a new follower
Thanks Raphael, appreciate you watching and commenting.
Incredibly grateful for how clear this is.
Thanks so much. Glad it came across clear.
Thank you for the concise explanation on this important topic: color management in DaVinci Resolve.
I highly recommend to watch this video tutorial, even to those that have taken masterclasses with the best in the color grading field.
Thanks so much. We appreciate your kind comment.
I tell you this is a breath of fresh air. I feel I’ve been “shamed” into trying a CST workflow, but I do prefer the ease and amazing quality of the Davinci color managed workflow. I feel like there are 2 things with Davinci Color Managed timelines that have been difficult. 1. When I want to apply any of the built in Luta (like the Kodak lut) I just haven’t been able to get good results. Could I just sandwich that lut between 2 cst’s on a color managed timeline? 2. Other issue is I can’t figure out how to get the fusion page to give me a good scene referred color. Either way this video has been very insightful and really appreciate it.
Ah thanks James. I know what you mean. 'You're not pro if you're not using CSTs'. It's a great workflow for sure though, and I'm glad there are options to tackle different scenarios.
Yes, you can use CSTs to colour manage footage to suit a LUTs requirements. Check out our Masterclass on Bleach Bypass. We show that technique in there.
Great to have you here. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
The best explanation on the subject I have ever seen. Thank you for the great effort you put into this channel.
You're very welcome! So pleased it came across well.
This is the best tutorial i have ever seen 10/10
Thanks so much
Thanks so much for this video. As a new user of Resolve, it answers so many questions I haven’t found the answers to anywhere else.
After watching the video multiple times, there is one important detail that seems to have been under-represented.
I’m talking about in the Project Settings Color Management panel, when you show how to set up the HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate, by un-ticking Automatic Color Management.
What’s missing is any visual demonstration of what happens if you leave Automatic Color Management ticked. (DaVinci wouldn’t give you the option, if there was never a need for it…)
Update: I just opened up DaVinci Resolve and went to the Project Settings Color Management panel and checked out the options myself. Leaving Automatic Color Management ticked gives you the options of choosing between an Auto SDR workflow or an Auto HDR workflow, plus the option to choose an output color space.
For me, this raises the question, “If all your source footage is SDR Rec.709, is there anything gained by working in HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate?” Can it actually interpolate more colors than exist in the original SDR Rec.709 footage? I’m assuming the answer is no. Or does it somehow stretch it to fit the wider gamut giving you greater control over adjustments? If not, then why would I choose a less automated workflow?
I feel it would really help if you could address those issues in more detail - possibly as the topic for a new video?
My sincere thanks again for such a masterful explanation of - most - of the aspects of choosing a working Color Space.
I just thought of a follow up question regarding using an automated SDR intermediate color space vs. HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate. When all your master footage is SDR Rec.709, is there a difference in how well Magic Mask or other matte/mask tools work in the different color spaces on the same 709 footage? Do you get a cleaner or better mask using SDR footage in DaVinci Wide Gamut? Or do all color grading tools behave the same in both color spaces on the same 709 footage? Thanks.
Hello, thanks so much for watching. Here's an answer for you.
You can't make MORE from LESS. Garbage in, Garbage out. Converting Rec709 into a wider colourspace will not magically make your image better. Tools like Magic Mask won't work better. There are still benefits though.
Firstly, it's only a matter of time before you work with media shot in a wider colour space. When you do, you've already established a workflow that you can grow into, rather than one with a limited ceiling.
Secondly, some tools will respond differently in different colour spaces. That doesn't mean that you can get more quality, but you can develop familiarity with the way the tools respond in that colour space (see point 1).
This is the best explanation I've encountered on this topic! Thank you for this!
Ah thank-you so much! That's kind of you to say. We're glad it's proving helpful.
Best video I have seen on this subject by a long shot. Well done sir!!!
That's great feedback, thank you for watching.
Absolute best video on color management I've come across so far!
Wow, thanks Jason! Kind of you to say. Glad to have you here.
This was FANTASTIC! A great primer and cleared up some things for me. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Brilliant explanation and use of analogies that make sense on a first viewing.
So glad the video is helpful. Thank-you.
Thanks Leon for this presentation on the RCM and DWG intermediate. It's very clear now :-)
Thanks Eric. Appreciate you watching and commenting.
Amazing and simple explanation. I did watch tons of videos and never understood about these complicated things.
Thanks so much, glad it's simplified everything.
Very nice walkthrough of what can be really hard to wrap your head around when you’re a beginner colorist. But you managed to explain an advanced subject in a way that makes it very easy to understand. Great pace and illustrations too. Well done, Leon.
Thank-you Tony, that's very kind of you to say.
That was such a great video! Thanks for making videos on topics that are not flashy, but super important!
Thank you, appreciate that.
This is definitely the best CST tutorial I've ever seen. Ultimate!
I still don't know how to work properly with Node based CST in DWidegamut. The tools are designed to work in REC709 and are much more responsive in wide space. I couldn't think of anything better than tweaking it and setting the panel to a lower sensitivity, or key output to 0.3. I have to use Warp Grid outside of CST conversion.
Is there any reasonable/correct solution?
Thanks so much. Hmm, those are good questions. I feel like we should do a video about how tools respond in different colour spaces. i.e. if there are legitimate scenarios for doing certain operations in other colour space.
I feel your pain, for me going from display-referred to scene-referred DW was also a big jump. I kinda got used to it, but I do some corrections after CST. Also, you could change color space and gamma of each node.
Sometimes I use that approach.
@@team2films I think a video on how tools respond in different color spaces would be great and will fill a much needed void. I hear people say this all the time and I'm not entirely sure what that looks like. I don't recall seeing another video on this topic, but it would be a very useful one.
Hola Leon, great totorial as well. As a photographer I started some time ago to "discover" videos and it's something totally different. Well done!!!
Thanks so much for watching. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment too.
@@team2films You deserve it!!! 😀😀
One of the best 24 minutes spent watching a video, thank you!
Wow! Thanks :) Great to have you here.
Wow really well done. I’ve been struggling with this topic and your clear logical explanations are perfect thanks!!
Ah good! That makes us happy, glad it's shedding some light.
Exceptional video. Comprehensive knowledge combined with clear delivery. Exemplary.
I just use saved node tree as a power-grade that has a CST built in to it - gives me a bit more control especially when switching between machines. But the way you do CST is exactly how it should be everywhere done - hope more people will catch on
Thanks Mindo 😊
To be clear and semple, you did the best explain of color management and color spaces so far and to be honest i would pay for this without a doubt .. Well done man..
I hope you do a tutorial about all type of nodes and the right order of them and the limitations of each one.. Etc..
Thanks so much. More content is on it's way!
Incredible video, just incredible. Frankly, I did know quite a bit of the content BUT what you illustrated here ( 15:03 ) blew my mind. You explained that very well.
Thanks so much. Glad it came across so well.
Insane quality in here! Big ups!
Big up yourself too! 😎 Thanks for watching and commenting.
Best tutorial on YT on this topic! Thank you!!
Thanks so much, that makes us happy to hear. Happy Colour Grading!
I'm going to save this video and probably come back to it multiple times just because it's so clear and concise.
Thank you for such a wonderful video!
I’m glad it’s a good reference for you 👍
Thank you. This is the best explanation of colour management I have seen. Now I really do understand what DaVinci Color Management it is all about. Just one question though I sometimes shoot using my iPhone 14 Pro in HDR will that be picked up or if not what configeration do I need for that to get it to a REC 709 deliverable?
Thanks for watching. That's a good question. Your iPhone footage should have metadata that Resolve will recognise. Easiest way to confirm that will be to import it into a project with RCM enabled. Right click on the clip and check that the correct colour space is selected in the 'Input Colour Space' menu.
Great lesson my friend. Very helpful, I think I'll start working in this project based workflow.... thank you!
Awesome, glad it was helpful. Project based color management is awesome!
I almost gave up the whole log workflow because I was using the LUT method, and for Panasonic vlog it provided such wrong results.
Now with the right color management settings instead, it makes such a huge difference!
Finally black levels and contrast are perfect, and the wide intermediate color space gives a huge plus with the editing, especially using hdr controls.
So happy to hear! Glad the video has proved to be helpful :)
Excellent tutorial on color management. Clear, concise and easy to follow practical applications. Thank you for this masterclass!
You're welcome Eric. Great to have you here.
Wow! One of the best, if not the best video tutorial I've watched about color management. Excellent!
Thanks John! What a nice compliment. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
One of the most clear tutorial. You made a great job! Thanks 😊
Thanks so much. Appreciate you commenting.
Great tutorial. It's color management for dummies so even I could understand. Keep up the great content.
Thanks so much, that’s kind of you to say 😊
One of the best explained Color Management video!!!
Thank-you Fabio.
so far loving your straightforward tutorials! keep them coming!
Thanks so much. Really happy that people are enjoying the videos.
Thanks for all the content! Please do a video about the Tone Mapping and Gamma Mapping options on your OUT CST.
Good video and glad you mentioned about a HDR and an SDR version of an export!
We’ll do more on that soon. Thanks so much.
@@team2films please do, ill wait eagerly!
@@team2films 18:16 you never made a video about multiple deliverables of the same material, like an HDR10 one and an SDR one!
most informative video i have ever scene on youtube regarding colour managment. Thank you very much for this information.
That's our pleasure. So glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this very informative discussion of colour management. After some experimentation I have become a fan of the node-based CM workflow, mostly Davinci WG but occasionally ACES. My films are short, so the time factor isn't a major issue for me. I've also learnt a lot from Cullen Kelly, he is a great inspiration and really knows his stuff. I'm going to keep this video bookmarked, there is a lot here that I am sure I will be referring to in the future. Thanks again!
Glad it was helpful! Cullen is great. Thanks so much for watching, happy to have you here!
Very good walkthru of different proceses!
Thanks so much, glad it was helpful.
Thank you for this, your concise delivery of the material makes understanding this issue much easier
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the video.
The clearest anyone has explained color management. Future-proofing my work has been on my mind lately so this was helpful. On a somewhat related topic, I was wondering what you guys recommend as best practices for setting up Project Library and Projects in DaVinci. Ideally, I'd like one Project Library to handle all my fiction/nonfiction projects (similar to how I have one Lightroom Classic Catalog handle all my projects). However, there seems to be no clear guideline on this.
Thanks Emon, kind of you to say. When it comes to project libraries, I’d say go with whatever compartmentalisation makes sense to you. Folders and equally as good for organising things. Also, don’t forget resources like power grades can be shared between projects hosted in the same library. So if you re-use the same assets between fiction and non fiction… separating them into separate libraries might cause inconvenience. Just some thoughts… I’m sure you’ve got a good handle on it. Thanks once again for commenting and watching.
@@team2films Thank you for the reply! Very good point re: Power Grades (and I'd think, also Power Grades) between projects hosted in the same library. That simplifies my decision a bit. Looking forward to the next video.
This is by far the best video on this subject ever. 100
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it, great to have you here.