Example recipe

A recipe you can inspect before you touch the grade.

A static example output showing how a source still, reference mood, and creative intent become a structured grading recipe for human Resolve review.

Example recipe output. Final grade is applied manually in DaVinci Resolve using LookRecipe guidance.

Guidance, not auto-grade. Reference mood, not reference objects.

SOURCE STILL

Mixed warm interior, natural skin, bright window edge.

REFERENCE MOOD

Amber practicals, softer contrast, restrained saturation.

CREATIVE INTENT

Operator brief for the recipe, not a finished grade.

Example recipe artifact

Source / Reference / Intent -> Recipe

Diagnosis

Source is slightly cool with protected skin and a bright window edge. Reference suggests amber practicals, lower saturation, and softer contrast.

Starting controls

Temp
+350K
Tint
-2
Contrast
1.08
Sat
42
01 Balance
02 Contrast / Roll-off
03 Look Bias
04 Skin / Highlight Protection
05 Finish / Output Check
Source / Reference / Intent

The inputs stay separate.

A quick read on the three signals behind the example recipe.

  1. SOURCE STILL

    Source still

    Scene truth: subject, lighting, exposure, and protect areas.

    Mixed warm interior, natural skin, bright window edge.

  2. REFERENCE MOOD

    Reference mood

    Palette, contrast, atmosphere, and texture only - not objects, masks, or scene vocabulary.

    Amber practicals, softer contrast, restrained saturation.

  3. CREATIVE INTENT

    Creative intent

    Operator brief: what to prioritize, protect, and avoid.

    Operator brief for the recipe, not a finished grade.

What each input is allowed to influence.

Source remains scene truth. Reference contributes mood, palette, contrast, atmosphere, and texture. Intent tells the recipe what to protect and where to stay restrained.

Recipe artifact

Most of the output is visible here.

This review view is the proof object: structured guidance an operator can inspect before moving into Resolve.

Warm interior recipe

example output for human review

Shape a restrained warm interior look while keeping skin natural and highlights printable.

Reviewable caveats

  • Reference guides mood and contrast only; do not import props, wardrobe, or scene objects into the source.
  • Assumes a Resolve color-managed workflow and operator review before production use.

LOOKRECIPE - Warm interior recipe

Intent / Diagnosis / Node Strategy / Controls / Protect / Stop / Export

Review view

01

Intent

02

Diagnosis

03

Nodes

04

Controls

05

Copy

Intent

Shape a restrained warm interior look while keeping skin natural and highlights printable.

Diagnosis

  • Source is slightly cool while skin should stay natural.
  • Reference suggests warmer practicals and restrained contrast.
  • Highlights need protection before adding look bias.
  • Saturation should be controlled to avoid orange skin.

Node Strategy

01

Balance

Normalize the source gently before adding a creative look bias.

02

Contrast / Roll-off

Shape contrast conservatively and keep highlight texture printable.

03

Look Bias

Introduce warm practicals and a controlled interior palette.

04

Skin / Highlight Protection

Check skin brightness, hue drift, and the window highlight edge.

05

Finish / Output Check

Review the grade in context and trim per shot when lighting changes.

Starting Controls and Ranges

Start conservative. Review in Resolve. Adjust per shot.

ControlStartReview note
Temp+350KWarm the scene without turning skin orange.
Tint-2Counter small magenta drift after warming.
Contrast1.08Keep the contrast lift restrained.
Sat42Hold saturation back before adding look bias.

Protect Conditions

  • Skin tone and brightness
  • Highlight texture
  • Natural shadow separation

Stop Conditions

  • Skin starts turning orange
  • Highlights feel brittle
  • Shadows lose separation
  • The look feels pushed

Warnings / Review Notes

  • This recipe assumes the source still represents the scene.
  • Use the reference for mood, contrast, palette, and atmosphere only.
  • Review the recipe in Resolve before applying it across a sequence.
  • Stills from different lighting setups may need exposure/WB trims.
Copy-friendly Export

Copy-friendly recipe

Review the structured recipe first. Export the same guidance as clean text for notes, client docs, or Resolve workflow checklists.

Ready to paste

notes / client docs / Resolve checklist

Copy recipe

Portable text view.

The export mirrors the recipe above: intent, diagnosis, node order, starting controls, protect notes, and stop conditions stay together for notes or Resolve workflow checklists.

LOOKRECIPE - Warm interior recipe

Intent:
Warm interior look, natural skin, restrained contrast, printable highlights, no orange skin.

Diagnosis:
Source is slightly cool. Reference suggests warmer practicals and restrained contrast. Protect highlights before adding look bias.

Node strategy:
01 Balance
02 Contrast / Roll-off
03 Look Bias
04 Protect
05 Finish

Starting controls:
Temp +350K
Tint -2
Contrast 1.08
Sat 42

Protect:
Skin tone and brightness. Highlight texture. Natural shadow separation.

Stop when:
Skin turns orange, highlights feel brittle, shadows lose separation, or the look feels pushed.
DaVinci Resolve

How to apply this in Resolve

A short operator path for using the recipe as guidance, not automation.

01

Read the diagnosis.

02

Build the node order.

03

Test starting controls conservatively.

04

Protect skin and highlights.

05

Stop when the grade feels pushed.

Product boundary

What this example does / does not claim

One compact boundary read: what the example proves, and what it intentionally does not promise.

This example does show

  • Source remains scene truth.
  • Reference informs mood, palette, contrast, atmosphere, and texture only.
  • Human Resolve review is required.
  • The recipe can be copied as clean text.

This example does not claim

  • Auto-grade or one-click grading
  • Perfect reference match
  • Plugin behavior or automatic node creation
  • Batch grading
  • Finished client-ready grade without review
  • LUT/DRX/PowerGrade export

Now that you saw the example, start your own.

Start with a source still and optional reference. LookRecipe returns guidance you review and apply manually in Resolve.

Recipe proof page

inspect / apply manually / review in Resolve

Example reviewed
Recipe ready
Copy export ready
Manual Resolve review required

Source is scene truth. Reference is mood and palette. Intent sets the operator brief.