Greetings MTI,
Below you’ll find a request submitted to me by our colorist explaining why he feels having the option to work with Lift/Gamma/Gain along with/ instead of Offset/Power/Slope.
"… integrating the use of Shadows/Midtones/Highlights (aka Lift/Gamma/Gain) into their color correction, in addition to or in place of Offset/Power/Slope.
While it is true that Offset/Power/Slope are the exact items represented in a CDL, there are a few reasons that almost all color correction software uses a Shadows/Midtones/Highlights approach. This approach uses a few math calculations to translate adjustments made with the board to Offset/Power/Slope values so that the data is ultimately reflected as values of those three types, but is easier and faster to work with on the board.
When trying to use Offset/Power/Slope directly to adjust color, the three have more influence over one another, meaning an adjustment to one will affect the other two more than what occurs with a Shadows/Midtones/Highlights approach. This requires a lot of time and dancing between the three if you are going for a more dramatic correction, as some of our shows do. The math used for most Shadows/Midtones/Highlights allows you to set your white point, set your black point, and then simply move the midtones with absolute minimal effect on the black and white points. The speed and ease with which you can set your exposure and contrast is vastly improved.
As this approach has been generally adopted for its ease and speed, it has become the de facto standard approach for color correction, which means working and communicating with other colorists and with DPs is reliant on speaking in these sort of terms. When a DP comes in and wants to look over corrections with the colorist, they expect to be able to communicate with the colorist on that basis and give notes according to that approach, and see the desired changes made quickly and efficiently during a color session.
So with Shadows/Midtones/Highlights being the standard for communication and processing due to its higher level of ease and speed"
let us know if this is a feature that’s planned or if we can assist in any way to implement such a feature. Thanks,
~Ethan