Tom Antos is one of my favourite YouTube’ing filmmakers. Maybe it is the accent? He is also a Blackmagic fan and since he shoots with various different Blackmagic cameras he will regularly have to match the footage between them. Even though the process may initially seem simple and straightforward, it still poses some quirks and challenges.
Check out Tom’s process for developing his custom LUTS and follow on to download them for free and enjoy lovely Blackmagic pictures.
The basic Blackmagic LUT does seem to push the highlights quite far, even to the point of overexposing and ‘blowing-out’ the highlights in Tom’s images. Tom has developed a nice LUT that increases saturation and contrast without losing information in the highlights resulting in a more filmic look.
A LUT, or Look Up Table, is a preset colour correction that is tailored to the camera and settings used to capture the image. Shooting with a flat, LOG image allows more latitude in the colour correction and grading process but it can be difficult to create the final look from scratch. Adding a LUT is a good starting point.
Cameras have many differences, even within the same family brand. The URSA has a greater dynamic range so handles highlights a bit better than the Pocket Camera but even those can be equalised somewhat with the application of a little grading.
Matching cameras can be frustrating and challenging but it is incredibly important to creating a smooth edit without the distraction of a somewhat amateurish difference in the picture. Lenses, lighting and settings will all play a role, but all being equal a good place to begin is colour matching the camera.
Tom’s LUTs can be found on his website and while other LUTs are available, these are free, so why not give them a bash?
[source: Tom Antos]
Order Links:
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (B&H)
Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K (B&H, Amazon)
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