You would like to use LUT? Here is what you need to know.
First things first, what are LUTs?
The abbreviation LUT is an acronym that stands for “LookUp Table”. Very basically, LUTs can be seen as “video filters”, like (photo) Presets for Adobe Lightroom.
LUTs are used in many different scenarios from creative looks, calibrating monitors or even log conversion LUTs. They are universal compatible in most video editing software which makes them very easy to transfer color profiles between all your software and devices.
Technical explanation
A LUT file is only a simple table of numerical values used to adjust an image’s visual properties.
You can open a LUT file in TextEdit or Notepad and read it.
Just plain text readable numbers, in a specific order. But this simplicity, makes the tool so powerful. Because you can use LUTs in almost every Video editing software like Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve, Adobe’s Premiere Pro, Apple’s Final Cut Pro X or any other program that supports 3D .cube files.
Every LUT file spells out what those numbers mean. So each number in the table refers to a specific color value in your footage and the numbers in the table tell the video editing software how to change it. Make it brighter or darker, more contrasty, more saturated, redder, greener, bluer or whatever combination is specified.
1D and 3D LUTs
There are 1D and 3D LUTs. The difference between them is that a a 1D LUT only applies to a single color channel (like the curves control in Photoshop) whereas a 3D LUT is a cube like matrix covering transforms for all three color channels across any and all combinations. Whenever “LUTs” has been mentioned so far, it has always meant “3D LUTs”.
Color Space and Picture Profiles
Many of the latest mirrorless cameras come equipped with advanced video features, such as the ability to shoot in a flat picture profile like LOG, Cinestyle or HLG. However, when you view the resulting footage without any further color grading, it may appear unimpressive, lacking depth, and looking rather "washed out."
The reason behind this is that these profiles are designed to capture as much dynamic range as possible. The internal data of the camera, such as saturation, shadows, mid-tones and highlights, needs to be as neutral as possible to avoid losing color information or overexposing highlights, resulting in blown-out areas.
This neutral starting point is critical when color grading in post-production, as it gives us the freedom to manipulate the footage's color and contrast as desired without compromising the image's quality. Therefore, while the footage may look dull initially, it provides a solid foundation for creating a stunning final product.
How to use a LUT?
You can use LUTs in almost every Video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X or DaVinci Resolve or any other program that supports 3D .cube files. In most programs you can do so by adding a LUT Effect to your clip and then add the .cube LUT to your footage.
What are the benefits of LUTs?
A few reasons why Lookup Tables (LUTs) have become an essential tool in modern digital media production. They are versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, from adding creative looks to videos, to calibrating monitors, and even