VFX ACES Guide – Brutalist Edition

How to send VFX footage in ACES 2065-1

Davinci Resolve Guide

WARNING: Don’t worry about how the footage looks after applying these settings. The output ColorSpace is ACES and your monitor is seeing out of range, so it looks compressed because it’s supposed to see RGB or other space supported by your monitor.

Lens Distortion Footage

1. Set Color Space

Configure your color space settings in Davinci Resolve for ACES workflow.

Color Space Settings Screenshot

Shows ACES color space configuration in Davinci Resolve ACES

2. Build Timeline Sequence

  • Timeline should perfectly match raw footage
  • Do it manually
  • Center crop with no resizing
  • SHOULD NOT affect appearance or have black holes/empty info

Timeline Setup Screenshot

Shows correct timeline configuration ACES ACES

Center Crop Example

Demonstrates proper center crop without black edges ACES

3. Anamorphic Footage

  • Leave on Square aspect – same as shot aspect ratio
  • Will desqueeze after
  • Include more levels of Barrel Distortion, Moustache Distortion
  • Include 6+ focus distances (including infinity and near focus)
  • Add 4-5 spreads within lens range

Anamorphic Settings Screenshot

Shows proper anamorphic configuration

4. Frame Selection

Cut and leave 5 frames of the middle with:

  • No shake
  • No movement of focus
  • Stable image

Frame Selection Footage Example

Shows selection of Lens with labels colors in timeline ACES

5. Metadata

Burn in camera data:

  • Fill all slate data into metadata parameters
  • Data transfers to final EXR file

Metadata Panel Screenshot

Shows metadata configuration panel with proper settings ACES ACES

6. Clip Naming

WARNING: Take precaution modifying name files. Suggest duplicating timeline clip and putting mod version upside-down of clean file.

Naming format:

ClipName_BrandLens_FocalLengthmm

Example:

A000C000_arriMasterPrime50_50mm

Clip Naming Example

Shows proper clip naming in timeline ACES

Timeline Organization

Shows clean file and modified version arrangement ACES

7. Export Settings

Plate Naming Convention

Format:

showID_episode_scene_shotID#

Plate Naming Example

Shows proper plate naming configuration ACES

Filename Structure

Example:

RNT_LD_arriAlexaXT_A000C00_arriMasterPrime50_50mm

Export Parameters

  • ShowID_LensDistortion_Camera_%Clipname_
  • RNT_LD_**arriAlexaXT_A000C00_arriMasterPrime50_50mm_**
  • Paste This on Filename
  • RNT_LD_**arriAlexaXT_**%Clipname_
  • EXR Float PIZZ
  • Render at source resolution

Export Settings Screenshot

Shows final export configuration ACES