HDR Grading

High Dynamic Range (HDR) grading is not simply about making a video brighter; it is about utilizing the massively expanded color gamut and luminance range of modern displays (like OLED TVs and Apple XDR monitors) to show details in highlights and shadows that were previously impossible to display.

Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) vs. HDR

• SDR (Rec.709): The maximum brightness of a standard TV is mathematically capped at 100 nits (a measure of light output). If you have a shot of the sun, and you push the brightness past 100 nits, the data is clipped, and the sun becomes a flat white circle.
• HDR (Rec.2020 / ST.2084 PQ): Modern HDR displays can output 1,000 to 10,000 nits. This means the sun in your shot can actually emit blinding light from the television, while the shadows next to it remain pitch black, creating a vastly more realistic and immersive image.

Setting Up an HDR Project

To grade in HDR, you must tell Oraphim's Color Management engine to utilize an HDR working space.

1. Open Project Settings > Color Management.
2. Set Color Science to Oraphim Color Managed.
3. Uncheck "Automatic color management".
4. Set the Color Processing Mode to HDR.
5. Set the Output Color Space to match your delivery target (e.g., Rec.2020 ST2084 1000 nits for a standard HDR10 delivery).

Crucial Warning: You cannot grade HDR on a standard computer monitor. You must have a calibrated HDR reference monitor connected via a dedicated I/O device (like a DeckLink card) to see the actual 1000-nit output.

The HDR Color Wheels

When working in an HDR project, the standard Lift/Gamma/Gain wheels become inefficient, as they are mathematically scaled for a 100-nit SDR environment.

Oraphim features a dedicated HDR Palette (accessible via the wheel icon with the HDR label).

The HDR palette divides the image into highly specific, mathematically defined "Zones" of light:

• Black: The absolute darkest shadows.
• Dark: Deep shadows.
• Shadow: Standard shadow areas.
• Light: Standard highlight areas.
• Highlight: Bright specular highlights.
• Specular: The absolute brightest points (the sun, a lightbulb filament).

These zones are mapped to physical nit values. This allows you to specifically target and color a 800-nit highlight (like a reflection on a car bumper) without accidentally altering a 400-nit highlight (like a bright cloud).

Dolby Vision and HDR10+

If you are delivering for Netflix or Amazon Prime, you will likely need to master in Dolby Vision or HDR10+. These formats use Dynamic Metadata. Oraphim can analyze your finished HDR grade and automatically generate the metadata that tells a consumer's TV exactly how to map the 1000-nit HDR master down to a standard SDR TV without clipping, ensuring your film looks perfect regardless of what television the audience owns.