CLEAN FEED VS LUT FEED: WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT NEEDS
A clear understanding of the difference between clean feeds and LUT feeds is crucial to creating efficient video production workflows. A clean feed is an untouched, raw video output straight from the camera, unaltered by overlays, graphics, or any color grading. This version shows you the precise image as the sensor records it, which lets you judge composition, exposure, and lighting with complete accuracy. Cinematographers and camera operators rely on this unprocessed feed to make sure every shot aligns with the visual and technical standards required for the project. Clean feeds typically travel via HDMI or SDI cables at standard resolutions like 1080p or 4K, and their clarity and neutrality make them indispensable for live broadcasts and on-set monitoring.
In contrast, a LUT feed takes the raw camera output and instantly applies a Look-Up Table (LUT) for on-the-fly color grading and tonal adjustments. This allows you and your team to preview footage as it might appear after post-production, factoring in desired stylistic choices and intended mood. The LUT feed doesn’t just enhance visuals for creative decisions; it also helps directors and DITs ensure continuity in look and feel while shooting. By providing a color-graded preview, the team can immediately decide if lighting, camera settings, or blocking require changes before moving on to the next setup. These feeds are often 8-bit or 10-bit, supporting rich color details so the creative vision stays consistent.
COMPARING CLEAN AND COLOR-GRADED FEEDS IN PRODUCTION SETTINGS
When comparing clean feeds and LUT feeds, it’s important to focus on how each one serves different production needs and stages. The clean feed stands out for its technical purity and is the standard choice when you need uncompromised image data for editing, archiving, or live output. It is the feed that most satisfies the needs of cinematographers and editors, helping them maintain flexibility in post-production and guaranteeing that no undesired alterations are baked into the recorded image. On the other hand, a LUT feed serves an immediate creative function by showing a stylized image on set, allowing directors and producers to visualize how finished scenes will appear.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of how each department typically uses these feeds:
Choosing the right feed at the right time maximizes efficiency, accuracy, and creative freedom within your crew.
DEPARTMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS: SELECTING THE RIGHT VIDEO FEED
Each department has unique requirements when assessing footage, making the selection of feed type a critical decision. If you’re behind the camera, the clean feed’s transparency ensures you catch exposure errors, focus issues, or unwanted color shifts before they’re recorded. This step is essential because, once on set moves forward, these mistakes become difficult—and sometimes costly—to fix. For directors and creative leads, LUT feeds allow instant feedback on whether the visual tone matches storyboards or mood boards, keeping the visual narrative on track.
Using both feeds in tandem maximizes collaboration, ensuring that technical accuracy and creative vision move together from set to post-production.
In fast-paced live production scenarios, such as broadcast or streaming, integrating both clean and LUT feeds can be particularly valuable. Technical staff must rely on the clean feed for transmission and backup, while the production team reviews the LUT feed to monitor the look and feel viewers will experience. This dual-monitoring approach reduces the risk of communication breakdowns between departments and results in a more cohesive final product. Editors also benefit when both feeds are available for review; they can cut using the clean feed, but refer to LUT previews to check continuity of visual style. Colorists then use the final clean feed as their base, applying the agreed-upon LUTs to achieve the desired outcome.
PRODUCTION IMPACT
Appropriately managing clean and LUT feeds leads to smoother workflows and more effective communication between departments. By giving cinematographers pure footage for technical evaluation, you ensure the final image retains maximum flexibility throughout post. Directors, on the other hand, can rely on real-time previews to validate the look and mood of each shot as it’s captured. If you use both feed types correctly, your team’s collaboration becomes seamless and mistakes are caught early, saving time during editing and color grading. Ultimately, the right combination of clean and graded feeds not only optimizes creative work but also raises the overall quality of every project.
Conclusion
Understanding the roles and differences between clean feeds and LUT feeds is essential for efficient video production. By leveraging both types of feeds appropriately, each department can enhance communication and workflow, ultimately achieving a higher quality final product.
