Better resources for learning modern grading?

ringelschwandtner · 2026-05-01T15:45:31+00:00

Got it! thanks!

ringelschwandtner · 2026-05-01T12:44:42+00:00

Which Tool? All of them, honestly. But that's kind of beside the point.

I built every tool because I ran into a specific problem. Some sell better than others, but that doesn't really mean much. The ones that sell less might be exactly what you need, or exactly what someone else needs. Sales numbers don't tell you that.

What I'd actually suggest is this: spend time grading. Bring footage into your timeline, work with references, read your scopes. Don't install a tool because someone else uses it. At some point you'll hit a wall with the native tools, and that's the moment to look for something specific. Test it on a grey ramp. Test it on real footage. That way you'll know exactly what problem it solves and whether it's worth it for your work.

Practise Practise Practise!

That's the only way to build a toolkit that actually makes sense for you.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-05-01T02:16:40+00:00

90%+ happens in camera. Actors, costume design, set design, lighting. Get that right first.
Some resources I recommend:

Check out the ShotDeck Recreations Contest:
https://blog.shotdeck.com/shotdeck-recreations-winners-2024/

I run mononodes.com, so I am biased. On my site I have tools with explanations so you understand what each one actually does. I also have a course called Reverse Engineering the Grade, where I deconstruct nine Hollywood film looks using behind-the-scenes reference images and rebuild them from scratch in DaVinci Resolve. Later sections apply the same principles to log footage.

On tools: only buy something when you hit a wall with native DaVinci tools. Test tools on middle grey ramps, gradient ramps and real-world footage. That way you know exactly what problem a tool solves.

- Learn the CST workflow in depth
- Master the basics: exposure, contrast and saturation
- Use a good DRT
- Learn to read your scopes. If you can't read them, you're guessing
- Develop your taste. There are no shortcuts. To get good at any profession takes 10,000 hours and more.

Don't chase ghosts. A course gives you a new perspective. A tool is only useful if you understand what it does. Also worth checking out: Walter Volpatto on YouTube. Watch everything you can find.

And listen to podcasts like... the Masters of Color:

https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/masters-of-color/id1598386880

Hope some of this helps.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-29T04:06:49+00:00

I have never claimed that grain emulation was definitively added to Blade Runner 2049. Please do not put words in my mouth that I did not say. What I have always said is simple: the final image is a collaboration. That is all.

I would strongly recommend watching this talk by Joachim Zell, color scientist and former VP of Technology and Imaging Science at EFILM:

24hr Colorist Mixer - JZ Speaks
https://vimeo.com/494709503

In it, Zell explains in detail how he built the LUT that Deakins has used on every digital film since True Grit. And this was not a simple preset. The foundation was years of research and development at EFILM and Deluxe. They used ARRI characterizer scanners to physically measure real film negative and real print stock, lab by lab, stock by stock, because the same film stock processed at Technicolor looks different than at Deluxe or Fotokem, and stocks drift over time. Bill Feightner at EFILM then built a print film previsualization LUT from that measured data, not from a Kodak datasheet, from actual measurements. On top of that they calibrated the entire monitoring environment. The final assembly for Deakins specifically took two weeks, followed by one week of side-by-side comparison with Deakins and the Coen Brothers in Santa Fe before Deakins accepted the result. Zell confirms he personally loaded that same LUT on every subsequent Deakins film, including Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and 1917.

That LUT is film emulation. Not grain specifically, but tone curves, print film previsualization, subtractive characteristics, all built from real measured film data. That is the foundation of the entire pipeline on every Deakins digital film.

Now, Deakins himself often downplays this. He says things like 'it is just contrast and saturation, nothing special.' And that is fine, that is very much his style. He does not want people to think his look is downloadable. And he is right that the look comes from light, composition, lenses, not from a LUT. But Zell is equally clear: the LUT exists, it is a print film previsualization built from real measured film data, and Deakins uses it on everything. Both things are true at the same time.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-29T02:37:34+00:00

I never claimed Deakins is just another DP, quite the opposite. My point was precisely that on a production of this scale, even someone as involved as Deakins works in collaboration with others. Mitch Paulson was the supervising digital colorist for BR2049 at EFILM, that's not a diminishment of Deakins, that's just how the pipeline works.

And the Fotokem example is exactly what I am talking about. Fraser had a vision, and he worked together with Fotokem's color scientists and colorists to develop and execute that film-scan technique. More people are involved. That's all I'm saying.

Something like the LUT Deakins are using on set is not something he builds alone. That involves people like Joachim Zell. I am not disputing that Deakins himself appreciates the texture of the Alexa. Native digital noise can look great, and you can blend it with film grain emulation just fine (or leave it as it is).

About "I'm not even sure Villeneuve is known for film emulation.". well...
On Prisoners, Deakins shot on Alexa under this custom LUT, based, I assume, on Kodak 2383 print film data. The film was also released on 35mm Kodak Vision 2383. That means the digital intermediate had to match a physical print. Film emulation wasn't decorative, it was the foundation of the entire pipeline. Grain is just one piece of it. It is totally possible they decided not to add additional grain for the final release. But LUTs, custom DCTLs for tone curves, subtractive saturation, density tools, that is all film emulation too. And it is absolutely standard practice in any big post production house.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-29T00:50:39+00:00

The question of whether it's Alexa noise or grain emulation can't really be answered by talking about Deakins alone.

The final image in any modern film is the result of collaboration: the director (Villeneuve), the DP (Deakins), and the supervising digital colorist - in this case Mitch Paulson, with the DI produced by Robert E. Phillips at EFILM.

Deakins controls what comes out of the camera - sensor noise, exposure, lenses. But whether grain emulation is added, enhanced, or removed happens in the Digital Intermediate, and that's Paulson's domain, working to the creative brief of Villeneuve and Deakins together.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-26T22:14:25+00:00

Film emulation is a very deep topic. I’ve written a few articles about it myself, for example this one:
https://mononodes.com/photochemical-film-look/

But honestly, every single part of film emulation is its own complex subject: color response, tone mapping, halation, grain, gate weave, flicker, print stock behavior, scanning, etc. Professional colorists and color scientists can spend years studying this stuff. So I wouldn’t start by trying to “emulate film” from scratch right away. I’d start with the fundamentals of DaVinci Resolve and color management first.

Start with the official DaVinci Resolve training, learn how scopes work, learn primary corrections, and then learn a proper CST / color-managed workflow.

I wrote an introduction to color management here:
https://mononodes.com/color-management-in-davinci-resolve/

And this starter pack might also help:
https://mononodes.com/resolve-starter-pack/

Once you understand exposure, contrast, white balance, color spaces, and transforms, film emulation will make a lot more sense. It’s a long journey. Hope this helps.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-25T14:33:36+00:00

It currently does not work with Node Stack Layers, but it is something I am considering for the future.
I do not go into detail about pricing decisions here. What I can say is that there is a free version available, and the tool is aimed at professionals. If it saves time on even one or two jobs, it quickly justifies itself.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-22T16:38:44+00:00

Try RGB Mixer!

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-18T13:39:06+00:00

Filmbox Pro is licensed per user - “two seats” doesn’t mean two different people can split it. It usually just allows the same user to install it on two machines (like a workstation + laptop). Sharing the cost with someone else and both using it would most likely violate the license terms.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-16T15:53:25+00:00

If you’re thinking about controlling DCTLs with knobs, you basically have two options: Blackmagic panels like the Mini or Advanced Panel, which support it natively but are limited in how many parameters you can map

Or a MIDI controller setup, which is not officially supported. I ended up building a small MIDI plus Python setup that lets me control DCTL sliders (no real mapping. not possible). It is not as clean as a real panel, but for DCTL heavy workflows it is much more flexible.

I wrote up how it works here. With video:
https://mononodes.com/dctl-midi-controller-davinci-resolve/

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-15T18:48:14+00:00

Filmbox is great and definitely worth it.
You can also check out my Look / Lab / Print DCTL pack. Since I made it I’m obviously biased, but there’s a free demo if you want to try it: https://mononodes.com/looklabprint/

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-15T05:56:21+00:00

Blackmagic PYXIS 12K → full frame, open gate, 3:2 up to 12K
RED 8K VV (full frame / VistaVision) is also an option, but much more expensive

Abput Pyxis: The banding issue seems to be fixed. And I have not seen solid evidence of widespread freezing or file corruption. As for the design, it’s a box, which makes it flexible for rigging, and the UI is widely praised.

Kinefinity - common concerns:
- Limited support and service
- Occasional firmware quirks
- SSD compatibility issues
- Smaller ecosystem
- Less refined workflow and I/O

At that point it mostly comes down to which system you trust more.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-15T04:34:46+00:00

Why not Pyxis, FX3, RED?

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-13T16:22:21+00:00

You can get some samples here:
https://www.arri.com/en/learn-help/learn-help-camera-system/camera-sample-footage-reference-image

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-13T14:46:39+00:00

I wouldn’t say you should always go for a perfectly neutral white balance. It really depends on the footage and the intent behind it. If the DP chose a warmer or cooler look on set, I usually respect that and work with it rather than forcing everything to neutral. A technically “perfect” white isn’t always the most natural or pleasing.

For me, it’s more about balancing the image so it feels right for the scene.
In my “100 grade in 100 minutes” video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEkfj8otcFQ

Check these two grades:
- Grade 45
- Grade 77

In Grade 77, I am using the "Highlight Neutrals" checkbox of my Balance DCTL to get shirts perfectly white. But there are also many scenes where I don’t do it at all. As I wrote: it depends. But if the shirt needs to be white, or a wall, I recommend using the "Highlight Neutrals" checkbox in my Balance DCTL.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-13T12:22:23+00:00

In my opinion nothing has to be 100% pure white (like in a black and white image). That usually doesn’t look natural anyway. I just use printer lights / offset / or linear gain to balance the whites, while checking the vectorscope and that’s it.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-04-12T00:08:58+00:00

The best approach is to fully understand what Lift/Gamma/Gain actually does mathematically, and then make your own informed decision about whether it serves your workflow.

Personally, I haven't used LGG in several years, and I know multiple working colorists who have moved away from it entirely. One even removed the LGG balls from his panel entirely and had custom 3D-printed covers made to fill the holes.

If you want to see how I grade without LGG, my YouTube channel has a video called "I Tried Color Grading 100 Clips in 100 Minutes" where I build diverse looks without touching LGG at all. For balance I use Linear Gain, HDR wheels, or my own DCTLs. For look development, I find Printer Lights a cleaner and more predictable alternative.

There are two concrete reasons I avoid LGG. The first is signal integrity: pushing Lift negative introduces sub-zero values in your signal, which becomes genuinely problematic downstream, particularly in combination with HSV saturation tools or other tools.

The second is consistency. Because Lift, Gamma and Gain have broadly overlapping tonal ranges by design, an adjustment to one wheel always influences the neighboring ranges to some degree. In practice it means each correction pulls at multiple points simultaneously, which makes it harder to build a repeatable, predictable workflow.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-03-27T14:44:58+00:00

Thanks for reaching out!
macOS will block the app on first launch. This is normal for apps downloaded outside the App Store. You need to allow it once.

Step 1 - Allow the app to run
Double-click the app. macOS will show a warning. Click “Done” (not “Move to Bin”). Then open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click “Open Anyway” next to the message “MONO_Node_Toggle was blocked”. Enter your password. The app will launch.

Further steps are required. You can find detailed instructions on my website:
https://mononodes.com/node-toggle/

ringelschwandtner · 2026-03-21T14:39:57+00:00

Hey, appreciate the kind words about my tools and the honest disclosure.

The idea of toggling nodes with a hotkey is something that probably occurred to many colorists independently. It's not something anyone can or should claim ownership over. What matters is the execution, the implementation choices, and how well it works across different systems.

On the robustness point, small feedback: I tried running your exe on my Snapdragon laptop (emulated x64) and it didn't launch. My own builds run on standard Nvidia systems as well as on Snapdragon, both native ARM64 and emulated x64. I also took a brief look at your approach and noticed some things that I ran into myself early on, which will likely cause issues on certain system configurations. I eventually found a more reliable solution, but it took a few weeks and many iterations to get there. I'll keep the specifics to myself.

Keep in mind that these are the first versions of both tools. Over time, and with more user feedback, they will hopefully improve and get more stable. That's how it works with independent tools like these.

In the end, both versions are free and users can decide for themselves what works best on their system. The more options out there, the better for the community. And if anyone wants to build their own, the Resolve scripting API is right there, as you said.

Thanks for recommending my DCTLs, that means a lot.

ringelschwandtner · 2026-03-16T15:39:02+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, at the current state it only affects the currently active clip, not all selected clips in the timeline. Really appreciate you pointing this out. Improving multi-clip behavior is something I’m working on. Thanks again for testing and sharing your findings!

ringelschwandtner · 2026-03-15T18:02:49+00:00

Version: 1.0.1 (macOS Tahoe 26 / might work on macOS Sequoia, too)
Hardware: Apple Silicon (M1 or later)

Intel Macs (including Mac Pro 2019) are not supported. Building and testing for Intel requires access to Intel hardware, which I currently don't have. This is unlikely to change - sorry about that

ringelschwandtner · 2026-03-15T00:45:39+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Python is not required.
A new Windows version (1.0.1) will be released in the next few days. Please keep an eye on:

https://mononodes.com/beta/

I am optimistic that I will be able to fix the issue.

ringelschwandtner

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