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What is Color Management?

NOTE: As a complement to this article, this video presentation gives a good overview of The Benefits
of Color Management.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intro

What is the Value of Color Management?

General Requirements for Proper Color Management

Stages of Color Management

Example Color Pipeline

Additional Resources

Translations

INTRO

PURPOSE

Currently, color management is achieved through careful best practices and collaboration between
creatives, post facilities, and the Production Workflow Technology & Creative Tech Imaging team.
While there are open standards for Color Management like ACES, this document provides an overview
of what we mean when we say a project is ‘color managed’ - whether a project is using ACES or not.
The long term plan is to increase industry understanding of these concepts, and improve existing
standards like ACES v2.0, in order to make color management easier and more accessible.

COLOR MANAGEMENT

The term ‘color managed’ is used a lot at Netflix and within our industry, but can mean different things
to different people. For some content types, ‘color managed’ could mean shooting in Rec. 709,
finishing on a calibrated Rec. 709 monitor, and uploading a ProRes to YouTube. In its most advanced
form, say for a high-end VFX facility, it could mean creating textures and CG elements in a scene-
referred color space, such as ACES, pre-converting assets using OpenColorIO, compositing with live-
action camera footage, and exporting DPX or EXR files to a DI facility for final color grading. As you
can see, there is a wide range of interpretations. The purpose of this document is to define what ‘color
managed’ means for Netflix productions.

For Netflix, there are three main goals of color management. The first is to ensure a predictable and
repeatable way to view images and convert between different color spaces, based on a variety of
capture devices and display types. This ensures that creative intent is maintained throughout
production and post processes. The second is to ensure all color decisions and VFX work are done in a
scene-referred color space, in order to maximize creative flexibility in post, and third, to ensure that
our picture archival masters are of high quality and future proof.

A tech blog post was written by members of Creative Technologies in order to give some historical
and scientific context around what we mean by color management, some tips on how to achieve it,
and how it helps enable certain archival assets to be generated.

COLOR PIPELINE

A color pipeline represents the essential color space definitions, transforms, and deliverables for a
project. This usually requires knowledge of the source(s), working, and final delivery color spaces to
ensure that all points in a color pipeline are aligned. This must be defined in coordination with all
departments responsible for viewing, sending, and receiving images on a production.

INPUT COLOR SPACE(S)

This is based on the initial image capture device or source color space. Some examples are Sony
SLog3 / SGamut3.cine, RED Log3G10 / WideGamutRGB, ARRI LogC / WideGamut. For certain
workflows, this could include archival footage or graphics already in a display-referred color space
such as Rec. 709 / BT.1886 or sRGB.

WORKING COLOR SPACE

This is the color space where manipulations of the image take place. If the source is not already in the
working color space, the source should be converted into the working color space prior to any image
manipulation done. Examples of working color spaces are Sony SLog3 / SGamut3.cine, RED Log3G10 /
WideGamutRGB, ARRI LogC / WideGamut, or ACES. When viewing things in their working color
space, without the use of some Output Transform (see below), they may look incorrect to the human
eye. This is because these color spaces are designed to store the full dynamic range and color
information from the scene, rather than storing the image in the display’s color space.
OUTPUT TRANSFORM

This is an agreed-upon color transform which converts the image from the Working Color Space to the
Display Color Space. Using an Output Transform or “viewing LUT”!—!such as a creative LUT designed
by a colorist or DI facility, or even a default camera LUT like ARRI’s 709 LUT!—!can not only serve as the
base “look” of the show, but it protects and preserves the working color space and the full dynamic
range it has to offer for color and VFX.

DISPLAY COLOR SPACE

This is the color space that a display or monitor is capable of supporting where the images look
correct. Examples of display color spaces are Rec. 709/BT.1886, PQ (ST.2084) P3-D65 or Rec. 2020,
etc.

In this example, the working color space is Log (logarithmic) and the display color space is Rec. 709 /
BT.1886. The Output Transform separates the two, and is only baked in for the Rec. 709 / BT.1886
streaming master. The archival master (NAM) remains in Log color space.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF COLOR MANAGEMENT?

CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE IMAGE

Confidence and trust in the color pipeline means that productions spend less time on support and
troubleshooting and more time on creative decision making. Fixing or re-doing work due to color
issues can be very expensive and time consuming. This is why it's so important for all parties in the
production and post-production stages who are responsible for viewing, sending, receiving, and/or
manipulating images to align on the color pipeline.
FLEXIBILITY IN VIEWING IMAGES

A color pipeline like the one described in this article enables the possibility of viewing images in
different scenarios with more confidence. Whether it is an SDR or HDR display, a monitor or projector,
the appearance of the image should be consistent and creative decisions should be maintained. This is
only possible with a solid color management system.

ARCHIVAL ELEMENTS

Color management, and specifically defining a working color space that contains all of the information
captured (or CG generated), helps to protect all of the creative work in a future proof picture archival
master. For example, color managed images from past seasons can easily plug into new seasons or
projects, VFX or Animation elements can be used across projects, or simply the archival masters from
current projects can live on in the archive for historical or remastering purposes.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPER COLOR MANAGEMENT

CONSISTENT COLOR TRANSFORMS

Standard color pipelines like ACES are an attempt to have consistent color transforms between
different software and hardware, and know ‘how do I view this working image’ without having the
image baked into a display color space. While ACES defines the transforms themselves, software like
OpenColorIO (OCIO) make implementation of a color pipeline more consistent across software, as well
as opening up the ability to define custom color pipelines, and making sharing them between facilities
and software packages easier. OCIO has been well adopted in the VFX industry, but needs work in on-
set, editorial, and final color grading software.

HIGH BIT-DEPTH PRECISION FOR FORMATS AND PROCESSING

A high-quality color management system needs high bit-depth processing in order to transform
images between color spaces non-destructively. We recognize that certain non-linear color spaces
(such as Rec. 709 and Log flavors) exist so that high-quality work can be done at lower bit-depths, but
increasingly there are linear representations and complex operations that require 16-bit floating point
or higher precision to be done non-destructively. We would consider 10-bit a bare minimum for any
professional imaging system handling SDR images, and 12-bit for HDR images. Ideally, all systems
would be capable of floating point (16-bit half or 32-bit full float) in order to reduce the chances of
clipping or other destructive operations.

STAGES OF COLOR MANAGEMENT

PRE-PRODUCTION
This is a crucial point of communication which increases the likelihood of a smooth color experience
through a production. Once a primary camera is chosen, or even before, conversations should be had
with all parties responsible for the image. This includes the DoP, DIT, colorist, VFX facilities, and Netflix
representatives responsible for the project. While certain decisions may not be able to be made at this
stage (for example the exact final colorist may be TBD), it is important to have these conversations as
early as possible. What camera and recording format will be used? What is the working color space?
Will they use ACES? If not, is there an agreed upon show LUT?

DISPLAY CALIBRATION

Calibration of all displays to industry color standards is essential. This ensures that the color transforms
used are relevant, image appearance is consistent, and color decisions are meaningful. Exact methods
of display calibration are outside of the scope of this document, but the important standards and
target color spaces can be found in our Color Critical Calibration Guidelines.

ON-SET MONITORING

On-set is usually the first place where color and images are judged, so it is arguably the most
important to get right. Hopefully, the pre-production conversations have informed an agreed-upon and
widely communicated setup of on-set video signal path, CDL + LUT boxes, and calibrated monitors.
The goal of on-set monitoring is usually to have a non-destructive and repeatable color pipeline, in
order to give flexibility and consistency to the downstream dailies process.

DAILIES & EDITORIAL

Dailies is where the color pipeline has the biggest effect on post, since the same camera RAW files
which will be used in finishing are used to generate color-baked dailies and editorial media. The on-set
color decisions should be communicated via ASC CDLs and be passed along into ALEs which are
ingested into the Avid. Those CDLs and the same show LUT / Output Transform from on-set should be
applied in the same working color space so that editorial sees the same color that was seen on-set.

VFX

VFX vendors should receive documentation outlining the color pipeline for every project they are
working on. Ideally, a VFX pull should include: a description of the VFX plate color encoding and
format (i.e. 16-bit EXR, Linear ARRI Wide Gamut), a color ‘recipe’ to achieve dailies color (i.e. CDL +
LUT, working color space), and a reference frame for checking color against existing dailies. The VFX
plate color encoding is essential in order for VFX to be done in a scene-referred color space for high-
quality compositing and using physics-based rendering methods. The color ‘recipe’ and reference
frames are essential in order to send completed VFX shots back into the editorial cut with matching
color to the surrounding shots.
FINAL COLOR GRADING

The color pipeline culminates at the point of the online conform of original camera files (OCF) and final
color grading. Ideally, the colorist should have access to the color decisions (CDL + LUT) that was used
for dailies, in order to have a starting point similar in appearance to what has been seen throughout
the process. Color grading should be done in the working color space, ahead of the Output Transform
/ show LUT, in order to protect those decisions for the archival deliverables explained below. This can
be achieved by grading in ACES, or by setting up the grading system with careful color management
settings to ensure that all creative decisions are applied in the working color space (order of
operations is key).

ARCHIVAL

When this type of color management is employed, it enables the delivery of the NAM (Non-graded
Archival Master) archival deliverable in a single unified color space. For more information about this
deliverable, please see the NAM specification.

EXAMPLE COLOR PIPELINE

As explained above, it is important to ensure that images are stored in the widest possible color space
until the very final stages of the color pipeline. This is easily achieved by using ACES, which keeps
images in a high dynamic range, wide color gamut space, and allows the user to simply select the
Output Transform for the target viewing display. This can also be achieved while working in the
dominant camera color space with careful, pro-active color management and the use of conversion
and viewing LUTs. As an example, the diagram below shows a color pipeline at the on-set, editorial,
and finishing stages.

ExampleColorPipeline(SDR)
SDRor HDROn-set
On-set& Offline
Camera CDLS HDR Monitor
Proxies
Dailies Output
Transform*

SDRor VEX
Offline EditList HDR Monitor
Editorial Proxies w/CDLS VFX Output
Transtorm

VFX
4KOnline Rec709
D.I Output Rec709
Conform IME
Transform°
Finishing Color
Grading

DCI-P3 DigitalCinema
Output Master
*OutputTransform: DCP
Transform* (DCDM)
ThiscanbeeitheracustomLUTorstandardACESOutputTransform.
 EXAMPLECOLORPIPELINE(DOLBYVISION)
SDROR ON-SET
ON-SET& OFFLINE
CAMERA CDLS HDR MONITOR
PROXIES
DAILIES OUTPUT
TRANSFORM*

SDROR VEX
OFFLINE EDITLIST HDR MONITOR
EDITORIAL PROXIES W/CDLS VEX
OUTPUT
TRANSTORM

VFX
4KONLINE HDR HDR DOLBY
D.I. COLOR OUTPUT
CONFORM VISION
GRADING TRANSFORM*
FINISHING IMF
SDR SDR

TRIM METADATA

DCI-P3 DIGITALCINEMA
*OUTPUTTRANSFORM: OUTPUT MASTER
THISCANBEEITHERACUSTOMLUTORSTANDARDACESOUTPUTTRANSFORM. DCP
TRANSFORM* (DCDM)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ACES Set Up in DaVinci Resolve

ACES Deliveries in DaVinci Resolve
Color Roundtrip from Dailies to Final Grading Using Davinci Resolve: Part One
Color Roundtrip from Dailies to Final Grading Using Davinci Resolve: Part Two
ARRI Color Workflow in Baselight
RED IPP2 Projects in Baselight
ACES Color Workflow in Baselight

CHANGE LOG

2021-12-3

"Additional Resources" added.

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