My Survival Guide!

When I started shooting on a Blackmagic camera, I quickly learned two things:

  • The image looks amazing
  • It looks very flat straight out of the camera

That flat image used to panic me. Now I actually like it – because Blackmagic Log with Gen 5 colour science gives you loads of control if you approach it calmly.

This is the workflow that finally made grading Blackmagic footage make sense.

Understand What Blackmagic Log Is Doing

Blackmagic Log is designed to preserve as much dynamic range as possible. That’s why it looks washed out – the information is there, it just hasn’t been shaped yet. With Gen 5 colour science, skin tones are already in a good place, which means your job is mostly about exposure, contrast, and not ruining what the camera captured.

Start With a Colour Space Transform (or LUT)

The moment Resolve became less scary for me was when I stopped trying to grade log footage by eye alone. My preferred method is a Colour Space Transform (CST) node:

  • Input Colour Space: Blackmagic Design Wide Gamut
  • Input Gamma: Blackmagic Design Film Gen 5
  • Output Colour Space: Rec.709
  • Output Gamma: Gamma 2.4

This converts the image into something that looks “normal” – without baking in a heavy look. If you prefer LUTs, Blackmagic’s official Gen 5 LUTs are a good starting point, but CSTs give you more control and flexibility.

A Simple Resolve Node Diagram (but in words)

Here’s the basic node structure I use for almost every Blackmagic project. Think of each node as doing one job only.

  • Node 1 – Noise Reduction (optional)
    Only if needed. It’s better to do this first, while the image is still flat.
  • Node 2 – Primary Balance
    Adjust exposure and white balance using lift, gamma, gain, and offset. This is where you fix problems.
  • Node 3 – Colour Space Transform
    Convert Blackmagic Log / Gen 5 into Rec.709. This gives the image contrast and saturation.
  • Node 4 – Contrast and Pivot
    Fine-tune contrast after the CST. Small adjustments go a long way here.
  • Node 5 – Skin Tone Adjustments
    Use qualifiers or curves gently. Gen 5 skin tones are good already – don’t overwork them.
  • Node 6 – Creative Look
    Any stylistic changes live here. If you turn this node off, the image should still look correct.

If something looks wrong, you can instantly see which node caused it – and fix it without breaking everything.

Expose for Skin, Not the Lights

Stage lights, windows, and practicals will clip. That’s normal. What matters is skin tone. I rely heavily on scopes:

  • Waveform to keep faces around 55–65 IRE
  • Vectorscope to check skin tone alignment
  • RGB Parade to avoid colour casts

Gen 5 colour science is very forgiving if you protect faces.

Don’t Over-Saturate Blackmagic Footage

Blackmagic colours are rich already. Adding too much saturation quickly makes footage look artificial. A good rule I use:

  • Increase contrast first
  • Add saturation last
  • Then reduce it slightly

If you’re unsure, you’ve probably already pushed it too far.

Match Shots Before You Get Creative

Before adding any “look”, I always:

  • Match exposure across angles
  • Match white balance
  • Check skin tones shot to shot

Resolve’s split-screen and scopes make this much easier – use them.

Final Thought

Blackmagic Log footage isn’t meant to look good straight away. It’s meant to give you options. Once you treat colour grading as a series of small, sensible steps – rather than a creative panic – Resolve becomes enjoyable instead of intimidating.

Fix first. Shape second. Style last.

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