The FX9 and Burano have great features like Dual Native ISO, Impressive Dynamic Range, Full Frame Sensor and many more.
The problem I set out to address was with the colours - Sony has always strived for ‘accurate’ colours but this has often left Sony users wanting something a little more impressionistic or creative out of their conversion LUTs. In particular I found the rendering of skin tones looked quite unhealthy and stale.
To me, the gold standard for colour science is still to be found in the ARRI Digital Camera family, and so using my own ARRI Alexa Mini as a benchmark, I developed a LUT that accurately emulates the ARRI Alexa 709 colour science, which I’ve always found to look great straight out of camera; The result is my ‘Phantom Neutral LUT’.
Phantom LUTs are Rec.709 finishing LUTs designed to take your camera’s native Log footage into the Rec.709 colour space, delivering a finished look that emulates the Alexa709 LUT.
Using this ARRI Emulation as a base, I further developed 10 additional creative LUTs divided into two LUT Packages centred around two themes:
‘ARRI Look’ 5 Pack - $49 USD
‘Film Look’ 6 Pack - $49 USD
All 11 In One Bundle (Most Popular) - $79 USD
The ARRI 5-Pack
Along with the emulation LUT, there are 4 creative variation LUTs that come with it packaged as the ARRI LUT 5 Pack.
The ‘ARRI Look’ LUT pack was developed alongside my ARRI Alexa Mini to first and foremost provide a way to emulate the Alexa709 look with the ‘Neutral LUT’. Included with Alexa709 Emulation LUT are four look LUTs to act as creative variations and alternatives for further colour grading options.
Comparing my LUT’s Characteristic Curve to the ARRI Alexa 709 LUT you can see they’re practically identical right down to the 10 bit values and middle grey IRE level. Ensures for very simple and intuitive matching with the Alexa. This curve is the backbone of the Alexa look largely responsible for the silky smooth tonality which makes it famous.
The 5 ARRI LUTs Described Below:
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Developed to emulate the Alexa Rec709 LUT as close as technically possible.
Featuring immaculate Alexa-like skin-tone reproduction.
Drastically Improved colour accuracy with all primary colours and skin tones for a clean, neutral starting point for grading
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A slightly warmer golden cast designed to be utilised for subjects bathed in tungsten light.
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Ice Blue - Blue, colder cast with punchy, deep blues (looks amazing on subjects with blue eyes).
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Green and gold cast - distinctive, rich, filmic greens and beautiful golden skin tones.
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The most filmic look of the LUTs
Blood red reds and filmic blues and greens with a slight boost in contrast.
It’s my personal take on what Utopia would look like.
The FILM 6-Pack
For the nostalgic among you, I have developed 6 Film Emulation LUTs that each emulate film stocks from the past.
The ‘Film Look’ LUT Pack contains 6 LUTs inspired by real film stocks designed to give your S-LOG Footage the Film Look. The emulations are based on my own research and subjective impressions of the film stocks listed.
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‘Vision’ - Modelled on Kodak Vision 5274
Shot on: The Matrix, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Gladiator
The most colour accurate stock with accurate blues, slightly cool greens, accurate skin tones which slightly skew pink/gold
Strong contrast and filmic subtractive colour model in saturation
Gentle roll off and rich, smooth fall off in shadows
Skews green in shadow areas and when underexposed
Classic film character but less stylised than any other stock
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‘Eastman’ - Modelled on Kodak Eastman 5247
Shot on: Apocalypse Now, Bladerunner, Alien, ET
Vintage, dated Kodak look and feel.
Saturation strongest in mids and falls off in shadows and highlights.
Greens skew warm, blues slightly turquoise, gold/pink skin-tones.
Smoother contrast than modern stocks.
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‘Eastman RM’ - Variation on Kodak Eastman 5247
Classic Eastman Look but modernised (Orange & Teal)
Greener in cast than the more magenta original Eastman 5247
Modelled on the Re-Graded versions of classic films from 70s & 80s
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‘Vision Teal’ - Variation on Kodak Vision 5274
Subtle Orange/Teal colour scheme.
More stylised version of ‘#1 Vision’. Less realistic - ‘prettier’.
Greens are slightly warmer, blues slightly turquoise and skin more golden.
Overall lift in saturation and contrast compared to ‘Vision’ but still balanced.
Can elevate a dull scene with its look but not overpower a rich scene.
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‘Eterna’ - Modelled on Fuji Eterna 8563
Shot on: Captain Phillips, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Butler
Overall smoother contrast and rolloff compared to Kodak.
Rich but not overpowering colours and saturation characteristics.
My go-to for Fashion and Beauty but can work with almost anything.
Very flattering skin-tones.
Greens are cool and rich, skin is golden, blues skew turquoise and modern, colour accurate yellows compared to Kodak.
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‘Bleach’ - Modelled on Fujifilm Super F 8552
Shot on: Munich, War of The Worlds, Crash
Modelling the Bleach Bypass process for strong contrast and low saturation.
Aggressive, gritty look - halfway between black and white and colour film.
Great for War Films, Crime, Urban Fashion.
Works especially well with heavy film grain.
The 6 FILM LUTs Described Below:
The images below are taken from video projects that were colour graded with Phantom LUTs.
Phantom LUTs for SONY FX9 & BURANO/A1
The 'ARRI Looks'
The 'Film Looks'
Color Grading with Phantom LUTs
What Exactly Are LUTs?
A LUT (Look-Up Table) is a file containing a predefined set of mathematical instructions to transform colors in an image or video. In filmmaking, LUTs are essential for converting flat, low-contrast log footage into a rich, cinematic image. They are the fastest and most consistent way to achieve a professional color grade, but their quality is determined by the precision of their creation.
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While most LUTs are simple color presets, Phantom LUTs are professional-grade conversion tools built on a foundation of scientific accuracy. We are trusted by filmmakers worldwide because our process is unmatched:
Calibrated Against the ARRI Alexa Gold Standard: We don’t guess; we calibrate. Every Phantom LUT is meticulously developed over months by shooting charts and scenes side-by-side with our in-house ARRI Alexa camera. We profile each camera system (Sony, Canon, etc.) to perfectly emulate the Alexa’s legendary color science, organic skin tones, and cinematic highlight roll-off. This process ensures a true, high-end filmic look, not just a filter.
Perfectly Balanced, Natural Skin Tones: As a direct result of our Alexa-based calibration, our primary focus is on producing natural and pleasing skin tones that hold up across various lighting conditions, a common failure point for generic LUTs.
Cinematic Tonality & Color: Achieve the smooth highlight roll-off, clean shadows, and rich color separation that define high-end cinema—because our LUTs are born from it.
Time-Saving Workflow Efficiency: Drastically speed up your post-production by applying a technically perfect and aesthetically beautiful base grade instantly. Your footage will look better, faster.
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We develop conversion and creative LUTs for the cameras and log formats used by today's leading filmmakers. This ensures a unified look on multi-camera shoots and a seamless editing experience.
Sony LUTs: Expertly crafted for S-Log2, S-Log3.
Canon LUTs: Precision-built for C-Log, C-Log2, and C-Log3.
Panasonic LUTs: Perfectly tuned for V-Log to achieve that signature look.
RED LUTs: Fully compatible with the IPP2 workflow and REDWideGamutRGB/Log3G10.
Blackmagic LUTs: Designed for Gen 4 & Gen 5 Film color science.
ARRI LUTs: The industry standard for converting Log C footage from Alexa cameras.
Apple iPhone LUTs: Unlock the full cinematic potential of Apple Log on the iPhone 15/16/17 Pro.
DJI LUTs: Get the best results from your drone footage with our D-Log & D-Log M LUTs.
Fujifilm LUTs: Optimized for both F-Log2 and F-Log2c to enhance Fuji's renowned color science.
Whether you're color grading a feature film, documentary, music video, or YouTube content, Phantom LUTs provide the reliable, high-quality foundation your project deserves.
