Hi, I’m Stefan Ringelschwandtner. Welcome to MONONODES. I am a colorist / director / cinematographer based in Berlin. I studied at the Offenbach Academy of Art and Design, where I graduated in Film and Video in 2009.
Even if your timeline is set to REC 709, the need for a CST node depends on the color space of your source footage and the desired output. The timeline color space and the CST node serve different functions. Keep in mind that the DCTLs works best in larger color spaces. If you need help with color management, I recommend checking out my blog where I dive deeper into the topic.
@@StefanRingelschwandtner Thank you so much!!!! I'm working with DNG (an old Blackmagic cinema codec Cinema NG) Davinci Resolve 18.6 doesn't offer any CST for this codec. Nor I found in viable suggestion on their blog. Do you think there is any work around? Thank you!
@@redumbrella4218 Hmm, you could try setting the Input Gamma to Blackmagic Design Film in the Color Space Transform. It might work for the original Pocket Cinema Camera, though I’m not 100% sure. You could also ask in a Facebook group for Blackmagic Pocket cameras-they might have more specific advice.
I initially installed the free version of the Utility Pack, and then purchased the paid version. Can't figure out how to remove all those initial free options in the DCTL drop down menu in the EFFECTS tab, so I don't have to keep seeing them. Can you explain how to remove those free options?
You can't remove the watermark from the DEMO files themselves. You'll need to install the paid version, then select the paid DCTL file (without "DEMO" in the name) and apply it to a node. That should resolve the issue. If you're still having difficulties, feel free to send me an email with a screenshot, and I'll be happy to help further. EDIT: Just delete the "DEMO" dctls from the LUT folder. Restart DaVinci. That should work.
would you recommend using this in a rec709 color space specifically. i noticed the twist in the vectorscope is a bit different when using in DWG. would i use after the final CST back into rec709
Will this work as intended in with Slog3 footage or does it have to be arri log c footage? Also will this work in DWG or needs to be in arri log c color space?
Hi, I purchased this tool and am using it. I placed 3 film damage effects (dot, hair, stain) on the timeline and adjusted them to cover a 14-minute clip. However, when I try to render in DaVinci Resolve, I keep getting an error saying there is not enough RAM memory, and the program crashes. My computer is a Mac Studio with the M1 Max chip and 64GB of RAM. When I delete the film damage effects and render, it works fine without any issues. I haven’t used the method involving the Color page that you mentioned before because I don’t know how to create DNxHR. I’ve just been using the film damage effects in the timeline with the clip length as it is. The export fails due to memory issues when the effects are applied. What could be the problem?
Here are a few steps you might try to resolve the issue: 1. Use Editing-Friendly Codecs: Consider converting your footage to an editing-friendly codec like ProRes, as these can be less demanding on your system than other codecs. 2. Test on a Solid Color Background: Before applying effects to your main footage, test them on a simple solid color background to see how they perform without other variables in play. 3. Shorten the Test Duration: Start by applying the effects to a short 10-second clip to ensure everything works without taxing your system too much. 4. Alternative to DNxHR: If DNxHR is not an option, using ProRes is a good alternative that might be more efficient in your workflow. 5. Lower the Resolution: Temporarily reduce your timeline resolution to 1080p to lessen the memory load during rendering. 6. Optimize Your Cache Storage: Ensure your render cache is stored on a separate drive from where DaVinci Resolve is installed to optimize performance. 7. Separate System and Cache Storage: It’s beneficial to keep your system drive and your cache on different drives if possible. 8. Use Film Damage on a Solid Grey Background: For an efficient workflow, create a 10-second or 30-second loop file of the film damage effect on a solid grey background. You can then use this loop as an overlay on your main footage. A tutorial on how to accomplish this is provided in the video. These steps might help alleviate the memory issues. If you continue to experience problems, it could be beneficial to look into how DaVinci Resolve manages memory with these specific effects applied. As a side note, I appreciate your engagement on RU-vid. For support-related queries, could you please direct your questions to our email support? This helps us keep track and respond more efficiently. Thank you for understanding!
This video is every reason as to why I use your DCTL's 😅 I'm absolutely done with LUT's in my workflow - they're guessing at best, they often make the image fall apart very quickly and they provide no gratification or fun in the process of grading an image 😊
I'm curious about the difference between Look/lab/print and film emulation, soft 2 strip. Do you have any recommendations? I am planning to buy color shift dctl.
@@ggomori3904 soft 2 strip is no longer available. Film emulation pack features a lot of spacial effects. I cannot really give any recommendations. All information is on the website and in my videos.
2k is marketed as 1440p, which is what i thought this video was comparing 4k to. There is a very obvious difference between 1080p and 4k, there is a notable difference between 1080p and 1440p even.
This pack is currently optimized for Arri LogC3 only, not for ACES. However, we are planning some updates and changes by the end of the year to increase its flexibility.
Stefan, could you comment on which of your tool(s) would be most effective for moving magenta discolourations in skin to create a more uniform skin tone?
If you are looking to specifically adjust the hues in either the highlights or shadows of skin tones, I suggest using either the "Color Shaper" or "Hue Twist & Bend" DCTL. On my website, I provide free demos for these tools, which are fully functional. I recommend downloading the demo versions first to explore which tool best suits your needs for achieving a more uniform skin tone in your project.
@@StefanRingelschwandtner Thank-you, Stefan! I couldn't think of the word before, but I was referring to colour compression, I guess. I'll give these a try!
@@WilliamBWilliams-fm1pc Thank you for clarifying! From time to time, I experiment with it, but I generally avoid conforming and compressing hues around skin tones. My philosophy is to embrace the natural variety of skin shades without altering them. Therefore, I don’t have any tools specifically for hue compression, nor do I have plans to develop one at this time
Hi Stefan, amazing work, thank you! Where would you recommend I put the Clipping node on the timeline? Sometimes if I put it in the end after a lot of nodes and CSTs it doesn't show any clipping in highlights or the shadows.
Thank you! Regarding where to place the Clipping node on the timeline, it's really dependent on your workflow. If you don't notice any clipping in highlights or shadows, it might be because your CST settings are already converting from a larger color space to something like Rec. 709, which can naturally manage those extremes. I usually find it makes sense to apply the clipping in a Rec. 709 space, but it's perfectly okay to experiment with placing it earlier in the chain. Ultimately, it’s up to the user and what works best in their specific setup.
@@StefanRingelschwandtner I did some more tests and it seems that Dehancer and the Clipping DCTL don't work well together. I position my Dehancer node around the middle of my node tree and the Clipping DCTL after my Rec709 CST transform in the end. When Dehancer is not active, the Clipping DCTL works perfectly, but the moment I switch on Dehancer (with let's say "Print" turned on) - the Cliiping DCTL stops showing any info on clipped highlights and shadows. Do you have any idea how I can make them work together properly?
@@BoyanDechev I don't use Dehancer myself, but I believe it handles the conversion from Log to Rec709 accurately. If the Clipping DCTL is applied in the Rec709 space, it's possible that the image doesn't have any clipping issues to report. I recommend checking the video scopes, particularly the Waveform Monitor, and adjusting the white and black threshold settings (DCTL) to values that better meet your requirements.
Hi Stephan, awesome tutorial, thanks a lot for this amazing ressource ! Do you know where I could find the color chart with color bands you're using when emulatinf the film LUT ? Have a great day
Installation guidelines are clearly provided on my website. Additionally, you'll find an installation guide within the ZIP file you downloaded. If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to email me directly. I'm here to help!
Hey Stefan, this tool is fantastic. In Resolve 19 I noticed the pre-defined aspect ratios are gone. Is that an upgrade issue? Edit: Disregard. Sounds like I need a 16:9 timeline. :) Edit: Maybe I got this wrong. My video is 3840 x 2160. So I think it is 16:9.
What exactly do you mean by 'gone'? Make sure you have installed the 'mononodes-blanking-presets.drfx' version. Can you see the buttons? Do they function correctly? I'm running the latest Resolve 19 beta version and everything should be working fine.
Thank you for your kind words. The “Looks” in this pack are designed specifically for ARRI ALEXA LogC3, with an output for 'negative film emulation' that remains within the Arri Log C3 color space. If you prefer, you can perform a CST to convert from LogC3 to DWG for additional grading. This is up to the users.
The color palette tool isn't designed for directly copying looks. To recreate specific looks accurately, it's better to familiarize yourself with tools like waveforms and vectorscopes, which help analyze the technical aspects of color and lighting. The palette tool is more suited for creating mood boards where the overall vibe and color scheme are more important than technical exactness. It's about capturing the essence and emotion conveyed by the colors rather than duplicating exact settings.
I have a question with the pivot mid slider say i want the mid gray not to move when im split toning and im using Arri footage would i type 0.391 since thats arri log3 midgrey vaules or would i just leave it alone
@@StefanRingelschwandtner thank you so much btw you don’t have a DCTL that does a flimic contrast do you? That has a transfer function for RED footage and ARRI not just daVinci intermediate
This is excellent. Just purchased this myself. I am curious about if it would be fine to use the LOOK/LAB/PRINT on the group level and work under it within the clip level? Ideally, id like to avoid having a look lab print node per each clip, but unsure if doing timeline/group based look design would be detrimental to how this DCTL works? My normal workflow is exposure, contrast, bal, then secondaries. If it is best to keep LOOK LAB PRINT on a clip level, I can work with that too. Just curious.
You can find the suggested node tree on my website for more detailed guidance. As for your query, here's a recommended approach: - Look.dctl: This can be placed at the pre-group level. This allows you to apply a consistent look across multiple clips. However, the placement is ultimately up to you and your specific workflow preferences. - Lab.dctl: I suggest placing this at the clip level. This provides the flexibility to adjust the parameters for each clip individually. - Print.dctl: This can be positioned at the post-group level or even at the timeline level. Again, the exact placement depends on your workflow and desired outcome. In summary, you can use the Look.dctl at the pre-group level, Lab.dctl at the clip level, and Print.dctl at the post-group or timeline level to maintain flexibility and control. Adjusting based on these suggestions should help streamline your process while achieving your desired results. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions!
Yes, the pivot value number on the slider typically reflects the IRE number on the waveform. However, this correlation depends on the input color space you are using. You can adjust the slider to fit the mid-grey range specific to your camera's log format. I recommend checking out the free demo version available on my website to conduct your own tests and see the results firsthand.
@StefanRingelschwandtner thanks! That's why im asking - im using Vlog, and its middle gray is 433ire. How does the color input space affect that number? I usually CST vlog to ArriLog or Davinci Widegamut.
@balsakrkeljic6334 If you're using the Color Space Transform to convert V-Log to Arri LogC and apply the DCTL in the LogC color space, you can adjust the mid-grey value to fit the typical mid-grey range of LogC. If you're working with DaVinci Wide Gamut (DWG), use the mid-grey value specific to DWG. Additionally, you have the flexibility to adjust the pivot according to your artistic preference.
there is a very sutble difference, I can tell 4k over 2k but only when I'm really looking to spot the difference like on the iris; otherwise, 99% similar because 2160p is double the 1080p
Not gonna lie, I bought this DCTL just a few months before 19 got announced, and thought "shit, I don't regret it, but now they're useless." I'm so pleased with the new update, and this demonstration of why it will still be in every single grade I do.
One question: What would be the best Color Management to use in case of grading Leica RAW photo files ?Is it necessary to use a CST node before? Thanks!
For grading Leica RAW photo files, I recommend using specialized photo editing software. While DaVinci Resolve excels in video grading, it may not be the best fit for RAW photo files like those from Leica. In my workflows, I typically use a CST node, but I'm not aware of direct support for Leica RAW in Resolve. For more detailed information on color management, please visit my blog on my website. You might also find community forums discussing alternative methods to edit photos in DaVinci Resolve, though I don't have specifics on such workflows.
For $15-20 many people will buy it instantly, and for $59 a lot will concider to buy or not (and mostly not). I totally understand and respect work, but in general you might sell much more at lower price, IMHO
Thank you for your feedback. It's important to note that lower prices do not always lead to higher sales. You can find various studies and articles online that explain why this isn't a one-size-fits-all rule. While cheaper options can attract more customers, this doesn't necessarily mean increased overall revenue or profitability. It's essential to balance price with the value provided and the expectations of our target market. Discussions about pricing should consider the substantial effort and resources that go into development. As a small business owner, I set prices based on a thorough understanding of the market and the unique value of our tools. Engaging in frequent pricing debates can detract from focusing on development and support, which are more beneficial to our users. While I appreciate constructive criticism on our software’s functionality and performance, debates over pricing often don’t lead to practical enhancements. So, thanks for your opinion. But please, let’s keep the discussion focused on the tool itself and not on how much it costs.
@@StefanRingelschwandtner just feedback in my example, for 20 I would buy instantly and for 60 will skip it. But not arguing. In general BlackMagic should give you couple bags of money and include it is a default tool.... Regarding tool itself is it a plugin in c++ with SDK? Or fusion packet packed somehow?
@@rendermanpro Thanks again for your feedback. However, as I've previously mentioned, pricing is not open for negotiation here. I appreciate your understanding that we need to focus our discussions on more productive topics. Regarding the tool itself, it is a DCTL, which stands for DaVinci Color Transform Language.
@@StefanRingelschwandtner regarding video course is it platform agnostic and not require compiler etc, right? Just could be done in a simple text editor as I understand
@@rendermanpro I don’t offer any DCTL video course; it has been discontinued as stated on the website. And yes, DCTL coding can indeed be done with a simple text editor.
This is incredible! Stefan, I think it would be very helpful if you showed how to use 2-3 of your plugins simultaneously, whether through a parallel or layered structure, and what best practices for this approach would be. Phenomenal work!
