Primary grading & shot matching
Balance and match shots to a reference look with scopes.
20 project-authored proposals · taxonomy v1.1 · 0 new benchmark runs. Verifiers and partial-credit rules below are designs, not executed results.
- Typical applications
- DaVinci Resolve · Premiere Lumetri · Final Cut Pro
- Class GUI-need label
HY· Hybrid
Task proposals · 20
Expand to inspect the complete original wording and proposed checks. Original proposal text remains English in both interfaces.
R06.04.02.01-T01 Balance eight LogC clips to a gray-card target in Resolve
Original instruction
DaVinci Resolve project 'Doc_Interiors' has 8 ARRI LogC4 clips, each with a gray card in the first second. Convert to Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 and balance each clip so the gray card reads neutral and mid-gray. Render out/interiors.mov (ProRes 422 HQ).
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentgeom· Precise geometry- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
On each clip's GT gray-card mask (frame 12): |a*|,|b*| ≤ 2 and L* = 50 ± 3 after Rec.709 decode; no clip clipped above 1% at 940 code value. Grades must exist as node graphs in the project (exported DRX), not burned LUTs from outside.
Proposed partial credit
50% gray-card neutral on 8 clips; 30% L* in range; 20% no clipping and render spec.
R06.04.02.01-T02 Match shot 2 to the hero shot with chart and skin targets
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Scene4' has hero shot 1 (graded) and shot 2 from a different camera, both with a ColorChecker in the slate frame. Grade shot 2 to match shot 1. Render both shots to out/scene4.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Mean ΔE2000 over 24 ColorChecker patches (shot 2 vs shot 1 slate frames) ≤ 2.5; GT skin mask mean ΔE2000 in a mid-scene frame ≤ 3; shot 1 grade unchanged.
Proposed partial credit
50% chart match (half credit at ≤ 4); 35% skin match; 15% hero unchanged.
R06.04.02.01-T03 Legalize a timeline to broadcast luma limits
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Promo_Broadcast' has shots exceeding legal range. Bring all frames within 64–940 (10-bit) luma and chroma within EBU legal limits using grading (soft clip / curves), keeping the look otherwise unchanged. Render out/promo_legal.mxf (XDCAM HD422).
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 2 / 5
Proposed verifier
Frame-by-frame scan of the render: 0 pixels with luma < 64 or > 940 beyond 1% tolerance per EBU R103 (gamut errors ≤ 1% of pixels); mean ΔE2000 vs pre-legalized render ≤ 2 on in-range areas.
Proposed partial credit
45% luma legal; 25% gamut legal; 30% look preserved.
R06.04.02.01-T04 Set up color-managed DWG pipeline and export the show LUT
Original instruction
In Resolve project 'Series_Look', set DaVinci Wide Gamut/Intermediate with per-camera input transforms (ARRI LogC4, Sony S-Log3, RED Log3G10 per clip metadata) and Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 output. Recreate the show look from input/look_ref.png on a timeline-level node and export it as a 33-point .cube to out/show_look.cube.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentgeom· Precise geometry- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
Project settings via API: color science DWG/Intermediate, output Rec.709 2.4; each clip's input color space matches camera. Applying the .cube to the test chart matches the reference chart image within mean ΔE2000 ≤ 1 (max ≤ 3); LUT size 33.
Proposed partial credit
25% project color management; 25% per-clip IDTs; 40% LUT matches reference; 10% LUT format.
R06.04.02.01-T05 Grade an HDR10 master and derive an SDR trim
Original instruction
Resolve project 'Nature_HDR' (HLG/Log source). Grade an HDR10 ST.2084 P3-D65 1000-nit master so MaxCLL ≤ 1000 and MaxFALL ≤ 400 nits, export out/master_hdr.mov with HDR10 metadata, then produce an SDR Rec.709 trim (via Dolby Vision analysis or manual trim) out/master_sdr.mov whose highlights don't clip.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
long· Long-horizon- Proposed difficulty
- 5 / 5
Proposed verifier
Measure HDR file: PQ decode MaxCLL ≤ 1000, MaxFALL ≤ 400, metadata present (mastering display P3-D65 1000/0.0001); SDR: ≤ 0.5% clipped pixels per frame, mean ΔE2000 vs GT reference SDR ≤ 4 on mid-tones; both same frame count.
Proposed partial credit
30% HDR light levels; 15% HDR metadata; 35% SDR trim quality; 20% delivery specs.
R06.04.02.01-T06 Apply the client LUT only to camera B clips
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Brand_Day' mixes cameras A and B (54 clips). No clip list is supplied: identify camera B clips from clip metadata (camera serial) and apply input/client_camB.cube on their first node only. Camera A clips stay untouched.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
CL· CLI-sufficient- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickcode· Code & commands- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 2 / 5
Proposed verifier
Exported DRX/grade data per clip: the 24 GT camera-B clips have the LUT on node 1; 30 camera-A clips have no LUT and unchanged grades. API or GUI routes both accepted (hybrid).
Proposed partial credit
60% camera B clips with LUT; 30% A clips untouched; 10% correct node.
R06.04.02.01-T07 Match two-camera interview shots in Premiere Lumetri
Original instruction
Premiere Pro sequence 'Interview_2cam' alternates camera A (Sony S-Log3) and camera B (Canon C-Log2). Using Lumetri (input LUT plus wheels/curves), make B match A on skin, background wall and shirt. Render out/interview.mp4.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windows- Applications
- Premiere Pro
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
licensed· Licensed pro app- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per A/B pair (6 pairs), GT masks: skin ΔE2000 ≤ 3, wall ΔE2000 ≤ 3, white shirt |a*|,|b*| ≤ 2 in both cameras; Lumetri effect present on B clips in .prproj.
Proposed partial credit
45% skin match; 25% wall match; 20% shirt neutral; 10% Lumetri effects present.
R06.04.02.01-T08 Even out exposure on an exterior scene with passing clouds
Original instruction
Final Cut Pro project 'Picnic_Sc' has 10 shots where clouds changed the light. Use color wheels/curves so the GT reference patch (the red blanket) has constant L* within ±3 and hue within ±5° across all shots, without crushing shadows. Export out/picnic.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOS- Applications
- Final Cut Pro
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
licensed· Licensed pro app- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per shot middle frame on GT blanket mask: L* range across shots ≤ 6; hue range ≤ 10°; shadow region (GT) 5th percentile luma ≥ 5% IRE; color corrections present in FCPXML.
Proposed partial credit
45% exposure consistency; 30% hue consistency; 15% shadows intact; 10% corrections present.
R06.04.02.01-T09 Apply ASC CDLs from an EDL and trim per notes
Original instruction
Resolve project 'Feature_Dailies' has 20 clips and input/onset_cdl.edl with ASC CDL values per clip name. Apply each CDL to its clip, then apply input/notes.txt trims (e.g. clip 7: +0.05 offset, clip 12: saturation 0.9).
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
CL· CLI-sufficient- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clicktype· Text & formscode· Code & commands- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Export CDL per clip from Resolve (ColorTrace/export): slope/offset/power/sat equal EDL values (±0.001) adjusted by notes for the listed clips; unlisted clips exactly per EDL.
Proposed partial credit
60% CDLs applied correctly (3 points each); 30% note trims; 10% no stray grades.
R06.04.02.01-T10 Create a day-for-night grade to a reference
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'DFN_Sc22' has 6 sunny exterior shots. Grade a day-for-night look matching input/dfn_ref.png: overall exposure down, blue shift, sky darker than horizon, windows/practicals kept bright via a qualifier. Render out/dfn.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
G2· GUI-essential- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickpath· Continuous pathvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per shot: L* histogram EMD to reference ≤ 0.12; mean b* ≤ −6; GT sky mask mean L* < GT ground mask mean L*; GT practical masks L* ≥ 70; skin hue stays in 20–60° range (not cyan). Resolve scripting (Console and external API) is disabled and any LUT/DRX/CDL file written on the VM is detected, so grades must be built with the GUI controls.
Proposed partial credit
30% luminance distribution; 20% blue shift; 20% sky darker; 30% practicals bright and skin hue plausible.
R06.04.02.01-T11 Match ARRI, RED and iPhone angles of one scene
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Concert_3cam' uses an ARRI Alexa 35, a RED Komodo and an iPhone (Apple Log). Each recorded a ColorChecker at the start. Make all three cameras match the ARRI for the whole scene. Render out/concert_matched.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentgeom· Precise geometry- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
Chart frames: mean ΔE2000 RED vs ARRI ≤ 2.5 and iPhone vs ARRI ≤ 3; during the scene, GT performer skin masks ΔE2000 to ARRI ≤ 4 in synced frames; ARRI grade unchanged.
Proposed partial credit
30% RED chart match; 30% iPhone chart match; 30% in-scene skin match; 10% ARRI untouched.
R06.04.02.01-T12 Remove exposure flicker from a time-lapse
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'City_TL' has a 600-frame day-to-dusk time-lapse with aperture flicker. Remove the flicker (Deflicker effect, keyframed gain, or both) so the brightness ramps smoothly while the overall day-to-dusk trend remains. Render out/city_tl.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Mean luma per frame: high-pass residual (after 25-frame median trend) std ≤ 0.5% of mean; low-pass trend correlation with GT trend ≥ 0.98; no ghosting on moving cars (SSIM vs source on GT car masks ≥ 0.9).
Proposed partial credit
50% flicker removed; 30% trend preserved; 20% no ghosting.
R06.04.02.01-T13 Match a 12-shot dialogue scene by eye with scopes
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Office_Sc8' has 12 shots (two cameras, changing window light) and no chart. Shot 1 is the approved hero grade. Balance and match the other 11 to shot 1 using scopes. Render out/sc8_matched.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
G2· GUI-essential- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per shot vs hero on GT masks: skin ΔE2000 ≤ 4, background wall ΔE2000 ≤ 5, window exposure within ±0.3 EV (median luma ratio). Grades stored per clip; hero untouched. Resolve scripting (Console and external API) is disabled and any LUT/DRX/CDL file written on the VM is detected, so grades must be built with the GUI controls.
Proposed partial credit
50% skin matched across 11 shots; 30% background; 10% windows; 10% hero untouched.
R06.04.02.01-T14 Build a group-level look with per-shot balance
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Thriller_R3' has 15 shots in 3 scenes. Create a clip group per scene with a group post-clip node carrying a look matched to input/look_stills/ (one still per scene), and balance each shot at clip level so the look applies evenly. Render out/r3.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentdrag· Drag & drop- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
DRX/project: 3 groups with post-clip nodes; each shot in its scene's group. Render: per scene, mean ΔE2000 of frame-mean color to its look still ≤ 4; within-scene shot-to-shot skin ΔE2000 ≤ 3.
Proposed partial credit
25% group structure; 40% look match per scene; 35% within-scene consistency.
R06.04.02.01-T15 Keep exposure constant through a cloud change mid-shot
Original instruction
In Resolve timeline 'Rooftop_Long', shot 3 is a 40 s take during which the sun goes behind clouds at 00:00:18 and returns at 00:00:31. Keyframe the grade (or use dynamic nodes) so face exposure and color temperature stay constant throughout the shot without visible pumping.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
G2· GUI-essential- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentnav· Pan/zoom/scroll- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
GT face mask mean L* per frame: range ≤ 4 across the shot; b* range ≤ 3; frame-to-frame L* change ≤ 0.5 (no pumping); grade keyframes present in the clip's node graph. Resolve scripting (Console and external API) is disabled and any LUT/DRX/CDL file written on the VM is detected, so grades must be built with the GUI controls.
Proposed partial credit
45% exposure constant; 25% color temperature constant; 20% smooth transitions; 10% keyframes present.
R06.04.02.01-T16 Grade a product video to brand white
Original instruction
Premiere Pro sequence 'Blender_Launch' has 9 clips of a white kitchen blender. Using Lumetri, make the blender body white read L* 95 ± 1 with |a*|,|b*| ≤ 1 in every clip, keeping the red accent ring within ΔE2000 ≤ 3 of brand red (#C8102E). Export out/blender.mp4.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windows- Applications
- Premiere Pro
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
licensed· Licensed pro app- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per clip mid frame on GT masks: body L* 94–96, |a*|,|b*| ≤ 1; accent ring ΔE2000 ≤ 3 to #C8102E; Lumetri present on all clips.
Proposed partial credit
50% body white; 35% accent color; 15% Lumetri on all clips.
R06.04.02.01-T17 Apply fifteen timecoded client grade notes
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Spot_v4' with input/client_notes.csv (15 timecoded notes such as 'warmer by about 200 K', 'lift shadows 5%', 'less saturated sky'). Apply each note to the shot at its timecode and nothing else; leave unlisted shots identical. Render out/spot_v5.mov.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
HY· Hybrid- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmenttype· Text & forms- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 3 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per note a measurable predicate on the shot (CCT shift 150–250 K, shadow luma +3–7%, sky chroma −10–30% on GT mask, etc.) vs v4 render; unlisted shots bit-identical frames; score = fraction of notes satisfied.
Proposed partial credit
85% notes satisfied (pro rata per note); 15% unlisted shots unchanged.
R06.04.02.01-T18 Control: reach the T01 gray-card targets with OCIO and ffmpeg
Original instruction
Control pair of T01 (CLI half). Without a grading GUI, produce out/interiors_cli.mov from the 8 LogC4 clips using OCIO (ociobakelut) or ffmpeg filters plus per-clip CDLs you compute from the gray-card frames, meeting T01's targets.
- Platforms
lin· Linuxmac· macOSwin· Windows- Applications
- ffmpeg · OpenColorIO
- Interfaces
term· Terminal- GUI need · task setting
CL· CLI-sufficient- GUI need · ordinary access
CL· CLI-sufficient- Interaction primitives
code· Code & commands- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
- None declared
- Proposed difficulty
- 2 / 5
Proposed verifier
Same gray-card metrics as T01 per clip; commands and CDL files must reproduce the render when rerun. Paired with T01 to measure GUI grading against a scripted pipeline when targets are explicit.
Proposed partial credit
50% gray cards neutral; 30% L* in range; 20% reproducible pipeline.
R06.04.02.01-T19 Grade a 40-shot reel across four scenes to reference stills
Original instruction
Resolve timeline 'Reel_Final' has 40 shots in 4 scenes shot on two cameras, with input/refs/scene1–4.png from the director. Color-manage, balance every shot, match within scenes, and apply each scene's look; legalize for broadcast. Render out/reel_final.mov and export a still per shot to out/stills/.
- Platforms
mac· macOSwin· Windowslin· Linux- Applications
- DaVinci Resolve
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
G2· GUI-essential- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgmentdrag· Drag & drop- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
long· Long-horizon- Proposed difficulty
- 5 / 5
Proposed verifier
Per scene: look ΔE2000 (frame-mean) to reference ≤ 4; within-scene skin ΔE2000 ≤ 3 across shots; neutral GT patches |a*|,|b*| ≤ 3 where scene look is neutral; luma within 64–940; 40 stills exported. Resolve scripting (Console and external API) is disabled and any LUT/DRX/CDL file written on the VM is detected, so grades must be built with the GUI controls.
Proposed partial credit
35% scene looks; 35% shot matching; 15% legal levels; 15% stills export.
R06.04.02.01-T20 Primary-grade and match a scene in Baselight
Original instruction
In Baselight (or Baselight for Avid), scene 'Harbor_Sc' has 8 shots in ACES. Using Base Grade and the Truelight color space setup, balance all shots, match them to shot 1, and render out/harbor.exr sequence plus export the grades as BLG.
- Platforms
lin· Linuxmac· macOS- Applications
- Baselight
- Interfaces
desk· Desktop GUI- GUI need · task setting
G2· GUI-essential- GUI need · ordinary access
G2· GUI-essential- Interaction primitives
click· Point & clickvis· Visual judgment- Work product
WP05· Time-based media- Conditions
licensed· Licensed pro apptutorial· Follow docs/tutorial- Proposed difficulty
- 4 / 5
Proposed verifier
EXR frames: per shot GT skin ΔE2000 to shot 1 ≤ 3, neutral sail mask |a*|,|b*| ≤ 2 (ACEScct→Rec.709 viewing transform); BLG files exist for 8 shots with Base Grade layers. Baselight's FLAPI scripting is disabled and BLG/grade-file writes by other processes are detected, so grades must be made in the Baselight GUI.
Proposed partial credit
45% skin matching; 30% neutrals; 15% BLG exports; 10% EXR render spec.
Mapped research references
Existing benchmark-to-class links from the research catalog. They are not record-level annotations, executions or product endorsements.