Sony Slog LUT workflow for A7S

[Pablo Apiolazza]

Hi everybody! I just stumbled upon some footage shot in Slog2 from an A7S, and I wanted to know what's the proper workflow to grade these files.

Is there an incoming LUT to begin with?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Cheers

Pablo    

[R Neil Haugen]

I don't know if you could pick up a LUT (might be free, maybe for cost) to utilize on the A7S SLog2 files, but you could google it I'm sure.

I do know with other cameras the typical utilization is that one applies a LUT of the log-normailization for that camera in a layer right on top of the 'base' primary layer, and then do your basic WB/neutralization of color/tone on that underlying base primary. Then apply further corrections & stylistic work either in layers above the SLog2 LUT layer or on adjustment layers (from PrPro if you're using the Direct LInk in CC) or grading layers if you're using Sg in "native" mode.

Is this helpful? Running a GH3 here ... those A7's are a heck of a camera.

Neil

[Pablo Apiolazza]

Yeah so far I tried the log to linear, and then the correction and grading layers, but I was uncertain if that's good or enough. So the concept is somehow right. Thanks!

[RoninEdits]

i dont think speedgrade has any luts for that camera but there are some floating on the web and perhaps sony has some?

LUT for the A7s - Sony's Community Site

Grading the Sony A7S with S-LOG 2 and some EOSHD cinematic looks for download - EOSHD

Set of 20 Cube LUT’s for the Sony A7S. | XDCAM-USER.COM

just be careful where you place the lut in the workflow pipeline, as it could add clipping that cannot be undone. if you add it to a grading layer above the footage/clips you will still have access to the clips before the lut is applied. can also add other correction layers before the lut in the grading layer.

[Pablo Apiolazza]

RoninEdits‌ that's wonderful! Thank you very much!

Is it better to create some adjustment layers maybe for each clip? or is just enough the stack on each clip?

[R Neil Haugen]

As always, it depends.

1) How extensive is your project?

A small project like most of mine, typically short (10-20 minute personal interviews or short highlights or weddings or portrait times) comprises mostly shots from the A camera that tend to be pretty similar, with some B roll & graphics to add in. Often a base grade works fine in an indoor interview that's all controlled, but when going outdoor ... things get iffier. And then even my projects will oft require adjustment/grading layers. Especially if I'm say doing more that take X grade, and some that take Y grade, it's even faster to apply an adjustment layer than copy the grade clip-to-clip. And b-roll/graphics are where I'll actually more likely use adj/grade layers.

Still ... many of these projects don't involve enough complicated work to do so.

If you are doing any kind of documentary or b-cast work, or mixing multiple cameras and their differing files, you'll be needing adjustment layers to blend those groups together.

2) How high are your or your client's demands?

Even in "simple" projects, if there are complex demands for say, particular skin tones or an overall "look" stylistically, you will need to both utilize the layer stack to balance/adjust each clip and perhaps adjustment layers to blend groups of clips and then an overall adjustment layer, two, or three for style.

Just working the stack on a base clip is simple ... but not always best. I'd recommend looking at the overall project ... separate your clips by which "fit" together with the least work, then start blending groups together, then blend the overall project.

Neil

[Pablo Apiolazza]

Well I work in short pieces but very intensive (lots of shots of different cameras) so I guess I'll do a mix of both as you suggest. Maybe I can create a template Look for each camera and tweak the settings then on a particular basis.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Thanks for the help!

[R Neil Haugen]

Creating a Look for each camera can be a HUGE timesaver. A lot of people don't realize that Adobe's "Look" is actually just their proprietary name for a ... LUT. It's a different file type ... but as in there are dot-cube, dot-this, dot-that in the wider LUT world.

So in creating a custom Look, you're creating a LUT for that camera in that situation. Say if you photograph a detailed video-color card in a particular lighting, and then "normalize" that via the tools in Sg, save as a Look, you can simply apply that to any shots from that camera in that lighting/situation and get close to "there" ... if of course, you have a standardized way of prepping the cam between metering/WB and such for every shot.

Standardization ... testing your gear in X situation, learning how to ALWAYS set that gear in X situation ... then creating a Look for that camera for that situation ... can massively cut down the time needed to match different cameras together or even one camera but in different situations. It's a colorists tool for both getting "clean" and getting "hot" ... and those both right quick ... by saving a ton of LUT's or Looks for your different situations. Using them, blending them, growing them ...

Neil

[caseywilsondp]

I wasn't super happy with the luts i found online so i made my own. the others might work for you, but if not:

rec709ish:

http://caseywilsondp.com/2015/03/25/a7s-slog2-rec709-lut/

stylized:

http://caseywilsondp.com/2015/03/18/a7s-slog2-3d-luts-for-shogun/

note that these were designed primarily with the atomos shogun in mind, so the blacks are fairly crushed to kill noise (no noise reduction on hdmi output). if you're using 1080p internally recorded files, you'll probably just want to reduce contrast.

they're all based on the sony F55/65 slog2 lut that sony released a while back.

[Pablo Apiolazza]

That's great caseywilsondp‌ ! I'll try them today. They haven't shot with a shogun but just a regular mp4. I hope is not bad.