
By James Milne, FilmLight's Lead Developer on Prelight
Prelight & Prelight ON-SET 4.4m1 are now available. Visit our Web Store to buy or try.
When the industry moved to digital cameras, the temptation was to think that it would be easy to view what you were shooting on screen, and that the workarounds from the old days of film shoots - where cameras had to be modified to fit in a video assist so directors and DoPs had some idea of what they had just shot - were gone.
We quickly discovered that it was not that simple.
Digital cinematography cameras shoot with far greater dynamic range than can be accommodated on a video screen. If you just take the camera output, it looks very flat; to get a viewable picture, you have to apply a mathematical transform to the signal, which converts colour values in the camera's raw format to colour values in the display format. To do this the processor uses a look-up table, and so we have all become familiar with the idea of the LUT.
The other huge shift from film days, where colour controls were limited, is that LUTs then moved on from a simple transfer to becoming part of the creation of the look of the movie. Fast forward to today, where the look is created in the grading suite by the colourist, using powerful tools like Baselight.
So where does the DoP now sit in this process?
DoPs often take reference stills in the pre-production stage of a project. Using Photoshop, they will modify these to the grade the director is seeking. These are invaluable tools, yet they are often used simply as visual references that then have to be recreated from scratch in the grading suite.
Once production begins, their craft is in using light and lenses to make pictures that underline, and often drive, the story forward. These skills are what make it art and not a YouTube video. And to be able to concentrate on making those beautiful pictures, they need to be able to see something on set that is quite close to the finished image. But the danger is that this comes at the cost of getting too involved with the colour science, which may take them away from their primary objective. While the DIT can help a little, they too have a demanding role in data wrangling and do not necessarily have the skills or knowledge in grading.
Rather than just imposing a LUT on an image so the DoP can see that it is framed correctly and that there are no serious lighting errors, what would be ideal would be a visual way of setting a look on set that is simple, not time-consuming, and most importantly can be done without specialist knowledge of colour management.
The need is for an application, too, that can capture the underlying colour transformations in the original reference still, then apply them to the output of a digital cinematography camera in real time. As well as making the scene match the pre-visualisation as it is shot, the grading information should be saved and delivered to the colourist upstream, as the foundation of the grade.
Other workflows will see the director, DoP and colourist working on the look of the movie in pre-production, perhaps with the benefit of some test shoots. At that point, the colourist (backed up by the post house's colour scientists) can define the LUTs to be used, and set some basic looks. As with the reference stills, these can be used on set so that the video assist output of the camera has the foundations, at least, of the finished grade.
To achieve this, there has to be consistency in the way that the grade is imposed, and some degree of control over the display devices, so you are making a reasonable comparison. There is no point setting a look on set if the monitor you are using has a very different performance to projection. Similarly, there is no point in setting details on set if there is no way of guaranteeing that they will be precisely carried through to the final grade.
The ASC CDL was an attempt at making a portable format, but in truth it is a limited set of instructions. In practice, it puts a brake on creativity rather than enhancing workflows. But the need for complete and accurate capture of grading decisions from the camera to the final deliverables is vital.
The FilmLight approach is to use a common file format that describes every aspect of the grade.
This format describes not just colour decisions but also windows, vignettes, shading, position and all the other tools the colourist has. The BLG format (Baselight Linked Grade) operates on the basis of cumulative metadata: nothing is baked into the raw footage until the point of rendering the final deliverables. Any decision can be altered or rolled back at any time.
To meet the needs of DoPs and DITs on set, FilmLight has now taken its colour science and the BLG format and wrapped it into a simple package, called Prelight. This has the full grading power of Baselight, along with all its colour science, but in a very simple shell so that it can be used on set without getting in the way of the shoot.
There are two versions. One - Prelight - is a free download, and gives the DIT the ability to load looks and tweak the grade using stills. The full version - Prelight ON-SET- puts a lot of power on set.
First, it applies the look to the camera output in real time, either through an external device or, in the case of cameras like the ALEXA SXT, in the camera itself. Because it incorporates all of the Baselight colour science, it can impose one transformation for the display device - there might be an HDR screen for playback on set - and another for the HD output, so the material going to editorial looks right, too.
Once connected, the DIT and DoP can do as much or as little as they want.
They can simply accept the LUTs and maybe any looks pre-set by the colourist. They can choose to match to reference stills. Or, if they want to, they can adjust the grade, usi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
25/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/03/2026
Starfish highlights flexible TS Splicer releases and new Monitoring Dashboard at...
25/03/2026
XLNTSOUND Elevates Video Production with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 24, 2026
0 Comments
Audio company upgrades workflow with Blackmagic Cine...
25/03/2026
First Time Exhibitor IPC Introduces One Link Keypanels for One Connect Intercom ...
24/03/2026
Utah Scientific to Showcase a Variety of Hybrid SDI/IP Innovations at the 2026 N...
24/03/2026
Mediaproxy will showcase an updated version of its LogPlayer interface at NAB Sh...
24/03/2026
C gep de Jonqui re, a public college in Qu bec, has upgraded its TV studio complex with five Calrec Brio consoles and a Dante IP network. The installation was c...
24/03/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced new and r...
24/03/2026
National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) used Ateme's KYRION platform fo...
24/03/2026
Grass Valley has expanded its relationship with ImSoPROD, the TV production entity of FDJ United, with the deployment of LDX C98 compact cameras across its nati...
24/03/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company is launching Scripps Sports Network (SSN), a free, ad-s...
24/03/2026
NEP Group has launched NEP Platform, a new software orchestration system that un...
24/03/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks to design, manufacture and install a new LED video display and three ribbon boards at Chase Field in Phoe...
24/03/2026
Grass Valley has completed an upgrade of University of Pittsburgh Athletics'...
24/03/2026
Daktronics is upgrading eight LED displays at Wrigley Field in Chicago, totaling more than 8,300 square feet, using the Daktronics Renew product line. The upgra...
24/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group has appointed Kevin Poole as Senior Project and Support Manager within the ASG Workflow and Tools practice. The position is newly created...
24/03/2026
In an increasingly streaming-centric world, protecting high-value live sports co...
24/03/2026
Mediaproxy will showcase an updated version of its LogPlayer interface at NAB Show, April 19-22 in Las Vegas, booth W1423. The update includes AI tools, native ...
24/03/2026
The production studio has worked with content juggernauts such as MrBeast, The R...
24/03/2026
The event will also feature a State of the Industry address from sports-media veteran and strategic advisor Patrick Crakes....
24/03/2026
Victory , a free sports streaming service owned by A Parent Media Co. (APMC), has launched its NWSL Sunday Night Soccer franchise. The platform says the launch ...
24/03/2026
Sports content in free streaming is still relatively scant, but it's growing, right along with its monetization capabilities
Streaming-tech company Wurl re...
24/03/2026
Directed by Greg DeHart, the doc will feature Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers...
24/03/2026
For the first time ever, Tubi - Fox's free streaming service - is working w...
24/03/2026
As the music industry gathers for Canada's Juno Awards, the local edition of...
24/03/2026
Behind every great song is a complex web of people, stories, and inspirations th...
24/03/2026
Few filmmakers have shaped popular cinema as profoundly as Steven Spielberg. So ...
24/03/2026
Latest Eurorack modules revealed
ALM/Busy Circuits have just introduced another two Eurorack modules, delivering a powerful new modulator that builds on the...
24/03/2026
Smallest, most affordable MPC to date
Akai Pro have just introduced their most accessible standalone sampler to date, making the iconic MPC experience avail...
24/03/2026
Create & manage presets on Windows & macOS
Electro-Harmonix have announced that their free Mac/Windows application now allows users of their Oceans Abyss re...
24/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz amplifiers enable high-field immunity testing expansion at IB Le...
24/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites eligible Tier 1 and 2 South African production companies to submit proposals to serve as the Facilitating ...
24/03/2026
L3Harris ramps up production of its VAMPIRE C-UxS system....
24/03/2026
For more than 70 years, L3Harris has delivered essential fuzes and safe-and-arm solutions that bring the might to multi-domain battlefields across the globe, ...
24/03/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
24/03/2026
Rick Bernier reflects on a career that has taken him to the very top of live broadcast audio. As a Senior Broadcast Audio A1 Engineer and Music Director, he has...
24/03/2026
Grass Valley has strengthened its long-standing relationship with ImSoPROD, the TV production entity of the FDJ United, with the deployment of Grass Valley LDX ...
24/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Utah Scientific will spotlight its expanding portfolio of hybrid SDI/IP routing, conversion, control, and signal management s...
24/03/2026
Fresh off its global reveal at ISE 2026 in Barcelona, the new V410 live 4K encoder/decoder from Miri Technologies Inc. will make its North American debut at the...
24/03/2026
Cinegy GmbH, premier provider of software-defined television technology, will show how its solutions answer the real challenges facing content creators and broa...
24/03/2026
Canberra-based radio and online broadcast network ArtSound FM (https://artsound.fm/) has invested in DHD audio mixing consoles for two new studios at its headqu...
24/03/2026
IBC today announced the nine projects selected for its 2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, bringing together organisations from across broadcast, strea...
24/03/2026
Mediaproxy, the global standard for software-based IP compliance monitoring and multiviewing solutions, will showcase the next generation of its industry-leadin...
24/03/2026
Underscoring its global reputation as one of Canada's most renowned colleges for television production, the C gep de Jonqui re public college in Qu bec has ...