--- title: "Color-Managed Cloud Dailies for ARRI and RED: Review Log Footage Without Baking the Look" author: "Cutsio Team" date: "2026-05-06" lastmod: "2026-05-06" category: "Storage & Performance" excerpt: "Learn how to run color-managed dailies for ARRI LogC and RED RAW footage — review correctly-logged footage in the cloud without baking a LUT into proxies or touching the original camera files." tags: ["ARRI RAW","RED RAW","Color Management","LogC","LogC4","REDWideGamutRGB","Cloud Dailies","DIT Workflow","Color Pipeline","Look Metadata"] --- ## How do you review ARRI LogC and RED RAW footage without baking the look? Upload native ARRIRAW or RED R3D files to Cutsio through the enterprise raw ingestion add-on. Cutsio generates review streams that display the footage with the correct log-to-video color transform applied — ARRI LogC/LogC4 or REDWideGamutRGB/Log3G10 — as a viewing transform, not a baked-in grade. The original camera files remain completely unmodified for the final color session. The director sees a correctly-logged image in the review stream, and the colorist starts from untouched sensor data. The conflict at the heart of every log-format dailies pipeline: the director needs to see footage that looks like a finished image, but the colorist needs the original log data untouched. The traditional solution is to bake a viewing LUT into the proxy files — a ProRes proxy with Rec.709 or a CDL applied to the pixels. This solves the director's review problem but creates a downstream problem: the baked-in look becomes the reference. When the colorist begins grading from the original camera files, the director inevitably says "it looked better in the dailies" because the dailies had a polished viewing LUT that is now gone. Cutsio solves this conflict by separating the viewing transform from the source files. The review stream applies a color-managed transform — LogC to Rec.709, REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709, or a custom CDL — as a display adjustment only. The original camera files are stored as-is. The director sees a corrected image. The colorist gets pristine log data. Working with raw camera footage? Check out [How to Build a Searchable Library From ARRIRAW, RED R3D, and ProRes Footage](/blog/how-to-build-searchable-library-from-arriraw-red-r3d-prores-footage). Perfect your color grade with [How to use the node editor for color grading in DaVinci Resolve](/blog/davinci-resolve-node-editor-color-grading-workflow). ## What is the problem with baking LUTs into dailies proxies? Baking a LUT into dailies proxies creates a permanent color commitment that is difficult to reverse, introduces generational quality loss when the grade is rebuilt from the original files, and establishes a false reference that frustrates the colorist-director relationship. | Problem | What Happens | Who It Hurts | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Baked-in viewing LUT** | The proxy has Rec.709 pixels that cannot be "un-baked" back to log | Colorist cannot recover highlight or shadow detail lost in the LUT application | | **False reference** | Director approves the proxy look, then complains the grade "looks different" | Colorist spends sessions explaining that the dailies were not the grade | | **Generational loss** | NLE timeline uses baked-in proxies; conform must rebuild grade from raw | Assistant editor manages two versions of every clip | | **LUT mismatch** | DIT applies one LUT, editor's NLE interprets it differently | Color shifts and gamma mismatches across the pipeline | | **No metadata pass-through** | CDL or look file from set is burned into pixels, not carried as metadata | The on-set DP's intent is lost in the color suite | The core issue is that a baked LUT is destructive. Once the viewing transform is applied to the proxy pixels, the original log data is gone from that file. The proxy cannot be "un-LUT-ed" back to the original log image. The colorist must rebuild the look from scratch using the original camera files, and the director compares the rebuilt look to the memory of the proxy — not to an objective reference. ### How does this manifest differently for ARRI and RED footage? **ARRI LogC/LogC4**: ARRI's log curves are well-standardized. Most post software applies the correct ARRI LogC-to-Rec.709 transform automatically. The problem is less about getting the transform right and more about the director seeing a flat log image and panicking. DITs bake a LUT to make the footage look "normal" for the director, and that baked LUT becomes the de facto grade. **REDWideGamutRGB/Log3G10**: RED's color science has gone through multiple iterations (RED Color, RED Color 2, RED Color 3, RED Color 4, REDWideGamutRGB). The viewing transform is less standardized than ARRI's. DITs frequently apply the wrong transform or bake a creative LUT that the colorist cannot replicate because the RED look file (.rlm) was not preserved alongside the proxy.
Cutsio

Correct color. No baked-in LUTs.

Upload ARRI LogC or RED RAW footage. Cutsio applies the correct log-to-video transform in the review stream only. The original camera files stay untouched for the grade.

Try Cutsio Free

No credit card. 60 mins free.

## How does Cutsio handle color-managed review streams for ARRI LogC footage? Cutsio applies the correct ARRI log-to-video transform during review stream generation based on the source file's embedded color metadata — LogC for legacy `.ari` files, LogC3 for Alexa Mini LF `.mxf` files, and LogC4 for Alexa 35 `.mxf` and `.arx` files. | ARRI Format | Camera | Log Curve | Cutsio Review Stream Transform | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `.ari` | Alexa SXT, Alexa Mini | LogC | LogC to Rec.709 | | `.mxf` | Alexa Mini LF | LogC3 | LogC3 to Rec.709 | | `.mxf` | Alexa 35 | LogC4 | LogC4 to Rec.709 | | `.arx` | Alexa 35 | LogC4 | LogC4 to Rec.709 | The transform is applied as a viewing LUT on the review stream only. The original camera file — including the embedded LogC metadata — is stored unmodified. When the colorist downloads the original `.ari`, `.mxf`, or `.arx` file, they receive the exact same log sensor data that came off the camera. ### Can the DIT apply a custom CDL or look file to the ARRI review stream? Yes. If the DIT or on-set colorist applies a CDL or look file on set using ARRI's Color Tool or third-party software like LiveGrade or Silverstack, that look metadata is embedded in the ARRIRAW file header. Cutsio reads this metadata and applies it during the review stream generation where possible. The look file is applied as metadata-driven adjustment, not a baked pixel transform. The original file retains the look metadata, and the Cutsio review stream reflects it. The colorist can download the original file and choose to honor the on-set look or start fresh. ## How does Cutsio handle color-managed review streams for RED RAW footage? Cutsio generates the review stream for RED R3D files using the REDWideGamutRGB color space and Log3G10 gamma curve, with any embedded RED look file (.rlm) applied as a metadata-driven adjustment. | RED Camera | Color Science | Gamma | Cutsio Review Stream Transform | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | V-RAPTOR | REDWideGamutRGB | Log3G10 | REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709 | | KOMODO-X | REDWideGamutRGB | Log3G10 | REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709 | | KOMODO | REDWideGamutRGB | Log3G10 | REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709 | | DSMC2 (with IPP2) | REDWideGamutRGB | Log3G10 | REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709 | The review stream applies the correct RED color science version based on the R3D header metadata. If the camera was set to RED Color 4 with a specific curve, the review stream reflects that choice. If no look file is embedded, the system applies the standard REDWideGamutRGB to Rec.709 transform — the same transform that RED's own software applies as the default viewing LUT. ### What happens with RED look files (.rlm)? RED look files (.rlm) created in RED Cine-X or on-camera are embedded in the R3D file metadata. Cutsio reads this metadata and applies the look as a non-destructive adjustment to the review stream. The original R3D file retains the .rlm metadata unmodified. This is critically different from baking the look into a ProRes proxy. A baked ProRes proxy has the look applied to every pixel — the colorist cannot see what the original log image looked like. With Cutsio, the colorist downloads the original R3D, opens it in DaVinci Resolve, and sees the flat Log3G10 image with the .rlm look available as reference metadata. They can choose to apply, modify, or discard it. ## How does the review stream handle mixed ARRI and RED color pipelines? When a production mixes ARRI and RED cameras, the review stream applies format-specific transforms independently — ARRI LogC footage gets the ARRI transform, RED R3D footage gets the RED transform — so each camera's footage is displayed correctly in the same unified review session. The director sees: - **ARRI A-cam footage**: Displayed with correct LogC-to-Rec.709 transform - **RED B-cam footage**: Displayed with correct REDWideGamutRGB-to-Rec.709 transform - **Both cameras**: Side by side in the same Collection, each with accurate color The director does not see a flat log image for one camera and a corrected image for the other. Both are presented with the correct viewing transform. The colorist receives both sets of original files in their native log formats for the final grade. ### Does the Cutsio review stream color-match ARRI and RED footage automatically? No. The review stream applies the correct per-format log-to-video transform but does not attempt to match the look of the two cameras. ARRI LogC4 and REDWideGamutRGB have different gamuts and gamma curves. The review stream shows each in its native transformed state — they will not match perfectly in the review stream. The color match happens in the grading suite using ACES or manual grading, working from the original log files. ## How does Cutsio preserve the ACES IDT pipeline for color-managed dailies? For productions working in ACES, the original camera files retain their native color metadata — the colorist can apply the correct ACES Input Device Transform (IDT) for each camera format during the final grade, bypassing the dailies transform entirely. | Camera | ACES IDT | Source File | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Alexa 35 (.mxf/.arx) | ARRI Alexa 35 LogC4 IDT | Original file, unmodified | | Alexa Mini LF (.mxf) | ARRI Alexa Mini LF LogC3 IDT | Original file, unmodified | | Alexa SXT (.ari) | ARRI Alexa LogC IDT | Original file, unmodified | | RED V-RAPTOR (.r3d) | RED Log3G10 IDT (IPP2) | Original file, unmodified | | RED KOMODO-X (.r3d) | RED Log3G10 IDT (IPP2) | Original file, unmodified | The Cutsio review stream does not bake in an ACES transform. It applies a simple log-to-Rec.709 viewing LUT for review purposes only. When the colorist opens the original files in DaVinci Resolve with ACES enabled, they assign the correct IDT to each clip and start grading from the untouched log data. The dailies review stream is irrelevant to the ACES pipeline — it is a viewing artifact, not a color decision. ## How do you verify that the original log files are unmodified after cloud ingestion? Cutsio retains the original camera files as byte-for-byte identical attachments. The review stream is a separate asset generated from the original during ingestion. The original files are never overwritten or modified. For productions that require cryptographic verification — common in high-end commercial and feature work — the DIT can checksum the original files before upload and verify the checksums on download. The files downloaded from Cutsio are identical to the files that were uploaded. ## What is the recommended color-managed dailies workflow for DITs? 1. **On set**: Set the camera's color space correctly (LogC or LogC4 for ARRI, REDWideGamutRGB for RED). Apply a look file or CDL if desired — it is stored as metadata in the raw file. 2. **Card offload**: Offload native camera files to RAID with checksum verification. Do not transcode or apply any LUT during offload. 3. **Upload to Cutsio**: Upload the native files through the enterprise add-on. Cutsio detects the format and applies the correct log-to-video transform during review stream generation. 4. **Review**: Director and editor access the review stream through a share link. The footage displays with correct color — no flat log panic, no baked-in grade. 5. **Selects**: Assistant editor uses Visual Search and Collections to curate selects. The selects EDL references original file names and timecodes. 6. **Conform**: Editor imports the EDL into the NLE and links to the original camera files on the local RAID. The colorist works from the same original log files — untouched and ready for grading. The director never sees a flat log image. The colorist never has to undo a baked-in LUT. The original camera files remain the single source of truth from set to final grade. ## FAQ ### Does Cutsio apply a LUT to my original ARRI or RED files? No. The original camera files are stored as byte-for-byte identical attachments. The color transform is applied only to the generated review stream. ### Can I upload flat log footage without any transform applied? Yes. If you prefer the director to see the flat log image during review, you can configure the review stream to apply no color transform. However, most productions prefer the corrected image for director review. ### What if the ARRI look metadata is not being applied correctly in the review stream? Embedded look metadata is applied where the source file format supports it. For critical color reviews, always verify against the original files in your NLE. Contact Cutsio support if the look metadata is not being read correctly. ### Does the review stream support HDR color spaces (Rec.2020, PQ, HLG)? The standard review stream is generated in Rec.709 for wide compatibility. Contact the Cutsio team about HDR review stream options for your production. ### How does this work with ProRes footage mixed in with raw footage? ProRes footage uploaded through standard Cutsio upload is treated as-is. If the ProRes file has a baked-in LUT, the review stream reflects that. For a consistent color-managed pipeline, upload raw camera files through the enterprise add-on and keep ProRes files as-is.

Review with correct color. Grade from pristine log.

Stop baking LUTs into your dailies proxies. Upload native ARRI LogC or RED R3D files to Cutsio, see correctly-transformed review streams, and keep the original camera files untouched for the colorist.

Try Cutsio Free

No credit card required. 60 minutes of free processing.