Redshift using ACES with After Effects

Emanuele Serra·
3DArt NewsACES TutorialRedshift TutorialTutorial Archive
··4 min read

Hey Everyone! today we are sharing this tutorial by Zak, a 3D generalist based in Los Angeles. In this tutorial, Zak shows you how we can use a simpler ACES workflow from Cinema 4D & Redshift into After Effects.

On-line, you can find many videos about how to use ACES color space, but in this new video Zac shows you their own method, which could be an alternative simple to use.

In this tutorial, we will see you the color space workflow for ACES. Zak will demonstrate how to set up an ACES workflow between Redshift in Cinema 4D, then composite in After Effects.

Part 1
Better Redshift Renders using ACES with After Effects

00:00​ Intro / Downloads
01:10​ Setting up ACES in Redshift
06:09​ Tonemapping example in Lightroom
11:13​ Lighting differently with ACES
14:33​ Redshift Render Settings for ACES EXRs
17:40​ ACES in After Effects
20:15​ Look Back at the Old way of using ACES in After Effects
22:30​ ACES in After Effects Continued
28:55​ Mythbusting ACES with C4D and Redshift
45:26​ Standard sRGB Lighting Compared to ACES Lighting
47:39​ About Part 2 / Outro

NEW SIMPLIFIED WORKFLOW: ACES in After Effect with Color Management On

  • 1. Under “Project Settings” “Color” tab “Depth: 32 bits”; Working Space: sRGB (or Rec.709); “Linearize Working Space” checked ON
  • 2. Drag your .EXR footage into a new 32bit comp; “View” “Use Display Color Management” should be ON
  • 3. Add a new adjustment layer above your .EXR; Add the “OpenColorIO” effect. For “Configuration” browse to your “config.ocio” under the latest Aces folder in the OpenColorIO configs you downloaded.
  • 4. In the OpenColorIO Effects Panel under “Input Space” select “ACES – ACEScg”; In the “Output Space” select “Output – sRGB” or “Output -Rec.709” or whatever your output space is going to be.
  • 5. Add a new adjustment layer on top; Add the “Color Profile Converter” effect. Set both the input and output space to your output color space chosen in the previous step (i.e. sRGB, Rec.709); Check ON “Linearize Output” checkbox. (This negates the double gamma curve applied by After Effects and OCIO plugin)
  • 6. Any color correction should be applied to an adjustment layer or layers above the .EXR/footage layer but below the OpenColorIO layer; color corrections are the meat of the sandwich. .EXR layer and OpenColorIO are the bread.

OLD WORKFLOW: ACES in After Effects with all Color Management Off

  • 1. Under “Project Settings” “Color” tab “Depth: 32 bits”; “Working Space: ACEScg”; “Linearize Working Space” checked ON
  • 2. Import your rendered .EXR and/or footage, Right click and select “Interpret Footage – Main”; Under “Color Management” tab check ON “Preserve RGB”
  • 3. Drag your .EXR or footage into a new 32bit comp. Under “View” menu UNcheck “Use Display Color Management”
  • 4. Add a new adjustment layer above your .EXR; Add the “OpenColorIO” effect. For “Configuration” browse to your “config.ocio” under the latest Aces folder in the OpenColorIO configs you downloaded.
  • 5. In the OpenColorIO Effects Panel under “Input Space” select “ACES – ACEScg”; In the “Output Space” select “Output – sRGB” or “Output -Rec.709” or whatever your output space is going to be.
  • 6. Any color correction should be applied to an adjustment layer or layers above the .EXR/footage layer but below the OpenColorIO layer; color corrections are the meat of the sandwich. .EXR layer and OpenColorIO are the bread.
  • 7. When ready to export; “Add to Render Queue”; Under “Render Queue” tab, click “Output Module – Lossless”, under “Color Management” tab check ON “Preserve RGB”

How sets up ACES workflow in Redshift, C4D, and After Effects?

Part 2
CG into Live Action After Effects Workflow

In this tutorial “by the book” Zac shows you ACES workflow where all color textures and HDRI images are converted to ACES before rendering with Redshift. Then we’ll composite our render into live-action footage using our color-managed ACES workflow for After Effects.

00:00​ Intro
00:50​ Converting an HDRI into an ACEScg HDRI
05:58​ Converting a Photo into ACEScg
12:20​ Adding a ColorChecker to the scene
14:25​ A Note About Color Section in C4D with ACES
16:12​ Redshift Render Settings for ACES EXRs
17:50​ Review of Image/Texture Prep for ACES
19:00​ Don’t Do This
20:17​ Changing Log Footage to ACES in After Effects
31:36​ Bringing our ACES Back Plates into C4D
43:30​ Matching Our Camera Angles and Cuts in C4D
45:44​ Viewport Render Animatic
48:36​ Setting Up a Shadow Matte & Shadow Pass
50:40​ Alpha Settings
52:00​ Bringing the EXRs into After Effects
54:35​ Comping Shadow AOV in After Effects
58:05​ Adjusting our CG Against the Back Plate
59:55​ Beware the Lumetri Color Effect with ACES
1:01:01​ Easily Add Color Critical Client Logos
1:02:53​ Trying to Add a Logo The Old Way with AE Color Management Off
1:06:15​ OSL ACES Futures
1:08:05​ Multipass EXRs are Just as Easy
1:08:37​ Love Letter to ACES / Outro

ACES is a free, open, device-independent color management and image interchange system that can be applied to almost any current or future workflow. It was developed by hundreds of the industry’s top scientists, engineers, and end-users, working together under the auspices of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

ACES DOWNLOADS Resources:

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ACES RECOMMENDED TUTORIALS

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