Free Sony VENICE 2 LUT Packages From Josh Pines and Chris Kutcka

Software News

by Jeff LochNovember 15^th, 2022

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Sony recently released several free LUT packages for the VENICE 2, designed by award-winning color scientists Chris Kutcka and Josh Pines from Picture Shop. In these packages, you’ll find Low Contrast LUTs, which are a good starting point to build your look from the ground up, and many creative LUTs with more contrast/saturation and personality. So let’s take a closer look at all these new LUTs! (For additional FREE LUTs courtesy of Sony Europe, please click here).

The Sony VENICE 2 was introduced exactly one year ago – happy first anniversary! – and is still the top-of-the-line CineAlta cinema camera. The VENICE 2 comes with two full-frame sensor options, either 8.6K or 6K, and it performed well in our Lab Test.

Technicolor has already released an entire collection of free LUTs for the original VENICE. Since StreamLand Media – home of Picture Shop, Ghost VFX, Formosa Group, and Picture Head – purchased Technicolor in 2021, the company partnered again with Sony to launch additional LUT packages for the flagship VENICE 2.

Sony VENICE 2 LUT packages

Sony and Picture Shop have partnered to release a set of LUTs mainly designed for the VENICE 2. Indeed, you can also use these LUTs with any Sony camera that supports S-Log3/S-Gamut3.Cine.

As I mentioned, this collection of LUTs was designed by legendary color scientists Chris Kutcka (Kill Bill, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Josh Pines (Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, The Revenant).

As Josh Pines emphasize a lot in the video above, the star of these packs is the Lo Con Base LUT. This low-contrast base LUT is intended to be modified and graded.

However, it offers a low-contrast starting point and has the S-curve built into it. This base LUT is designed for DITs and DPs who want to create their own LUT or look development for each project.

In addition to the Lo Con Base LUT, Josh Pines also developed two other versions of the base LUT if you’re looking for a finished look. Obviously, these LUTs offer more contrast and saturation while remaining color accurate. These LUTs include:

• Hi Con LUT: the high-contrast version of the Lo Con Base LUT.
• 50-50 LUT: the Goldilocks version of the LUT trio with more contrast and saturation than the Lo Con Base LUT.

• Look 1: developed by Picture Shop Senior Colorist Jason Fabbro (Captain Marvel, Thor: Ragnorak, Ready Player One). This look was created using the Lo Con Base LUT. It offers slightly more contrast and saturation, while the reds and highlights have been pulled down to look less digital.
• Look 2: it offers more warmth to skin tones and adds contrast and saturation.

D’Amore’s LUTs

Lastly, a new LUT package was created by Tony D’Amore, Picture Shop Senior Colorist, who worked on Fargo, Elementary, Daredevil, and Mayans MC. D’Amore created three LUTs: a daylight LUT, a tungsten LUT, and a stylized look LUT. Here’s what D’Amore had to say about it:

The look LUT pushes the color separation a bit further than the daylight LUT by adding a warm shift to the highlights and mids for rich skin tones; then I’ve offset the warm shift by cooling off the blacks to help maintain good color separation.

Tony D’Amore

Free LUTs

All of these LUTs are available to download now on Sony’s website, free of charge. The Josh Pines family of LUTs are available in Rec.709 and HDR color spaces. The D’Amore LUTs are available in Rec.709.

For additional FREE LUTs courtesy of Sony Europe, please click here.

What do you think about these new Sony VENICE 2 LUT packages? Will you try these on your Sony footage for your next project? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!