Look Up Tables (LUTs)

A LUT (Look Up Table) is a mathematical file containing a matrix of values that dictates how colors should be transformed. If you input Red value A, the LUT outputs Red value B.

In the modern digital era, LUTs are often misunderstood as "Instagram filters" for video. While they can be used stylistically, their primary purpose in a professional pipeline is technical translation.

1. Technical Conversion LUTs

When you shoot Log footage, the image is mathematically flat. A conversion LUT translates the specific math of that camera (e.g., Sony S-Log3) into the math of your monitor (Rec.709).

  • How to apply: You can drag a technical LUT from the LUT browser onto a node.
  • Workflow Note: If you are using Oraphim Color Managed (OCM) as described in the Color Management section, you do not need technical LUTs. Oraphim's engine calculates the conversion automatically with 32-bit float precision, which is mathematically superior to the rigid, fixed grid of a LUT file.

2. Creative "Look" LUTs

Once your footage is balanced and normalized to Rec.709, you can apply Creative LUTs to emulate specific film stocks (like Kodak 2383 or Fujifilm 3510) or achieve popular cinematic looks (like the teal and orange blockbuster look).

Proper LUT Node Placement

Never apply a creative LUT to your very first node. A LUT expects a perfectly balanced, properly exposed Rec.709 image to work correctly.

  1. Node 1: Exposure/Contrast.
  2. Node 2: White Balance.
  3. Node 3: Skin Tone tweaks.
  4. Node 4: Apply the Creative LUT.

By placing the LUT at the end of the chain, you can make adjustments in Node 1 (before the LUT). If a shot is too dark, you push the exposure into the LUT, ensuring the LUT processes the data exactly how it was designed to.

Generating Your Own LUTs

If you build a complex color grade using 10 nodes (curves, qualifiers, and primary wheels) and you want to save that "Look" to use in another application (like a camera monitor on set, or OBS for streaming):

  1. Right-click the clip thumbnail in the Color workspace timeline.
  2. Select Generate LUT > 33 Point Cube.
  3. Choose a destination folder.

Oraphim will compress all the mathematical changes you made in those 10 nodes into a single .cube file. Warning: LUT files cannot contain spatial data. If your grade includes Power Windows, tracking, or Magic Masks, that data will NOT be saved in the LUT.