ARRI Film Lab is a licensed OpenFX plugin for postproduction, not a film stock or camera accessory. It applies adjustable film-style grain, color response, halation and gate weave to RGB images. To keep that look consistent, establish the camera transforms, working color space and monitoring/output conditions first; then use Film Lab 1.5 as a repeatable creative layer and document its settings.
ARRI says Film Lab can work with material from different cameras and complement existing LUTs or grades. That is a product claim rather than a guarantee for every source format or host configuration. Consistency still depends on normalizing each camera source and judging every shot under the same display transform.
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What ARRI Film Lab does
Film Lab emulates selected characteristics associated with photochemical capture while leaving you control over their strength. In a digital workflow, it can add:
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- Grain: visible texture whose scale and intensity can be changed.
- Color character: a film-oriented response that can sit after a technical transform or alongside an established grade.
- Halation: a red or orange glow around suitable highlights, controlled by intensity and spread.
- Gate weave: restrained frame movement that suggests the registration variation of projected film.
ARRI describes the plugin as processing RGB images from any camera brought into an ARRI workflow. Its named hosts include DaVinci Resolve, Baselight and Nuke, and ARRI states that it supports LogC3/AWG3 and LogC4/AWG4 material. The original November 2025 announcement also named ARRICORE, ARRIRAW, ProRes and third-party codecs. These are vendor-stated compatibility and performance claims; a particular codec, color-managed project or host version should be checked in your own system before a deadline.
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ARRI also describes real-time 4K processing. Treat that as a specification, not a promise of real-time playback on every workstation, timeline, node graph or storage configuration.
Why the pipeline comes before the look
Film Lab is a look-making tool. It does not, by itself, decide whether a LogC3, LogC4, RAW or third-party image has been decoded correctly, nor does it replace a display transform for your monitor or delivery format. If two cameras enter the plugin with different contrast, gamut or exposure interpretations, identical Film Lab settings will not produce identical-looking results.
Before adding the effect, write down the variables that affect what you see:
- Camera model and recording format for each source.
- Input color space and transfer function, including whether the image is LogC3/AWG3 or LogC4/AWG4.
- RAW decode choices such as white balance, exposure or gamut, where applicable.
- Host application and its timeline or working-space settings.
- Monitoring transform and the intended output, such as a cinema package, broadcast master or web file.
- Whether Film Lab is being used before or after a technical transform and where the creative grade sits.
There is no single node order mandated in the published product information. The practical rule is to make the order intentional and repeatable: normalize sources first, make creative decisions in a stable working space, and evaluate the result through the same viewing transform.
Film Lab 1.5: controls and version-specific changes
ARRI announced Film Lab 1.5 on October 12, 2026. If a project was built with an earlier release, record the installed version before replacing it; parameter ranges and starting points are version-specific.
| Film Lab 1.5 feature | What it provides | How to use it consistently |
|---|---|---|
| Film-format starting points | 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm and 65 mm | Choose one starting point for the sequence or define a documented reason for changing it by scene. |
| Grain Size | Range 0.75–1.5 | Adjust texture scale after exposure and contrast are normalized; do not use size alone to compensate for mismatched resolution. |
| Rendition of Detail | Range 0.75–1.5 | Use as a perceived-detail control and compare fine textures, hair and fabric at the delivery resolution. |
| Anamorphic Ratio | Eight choices from 1.25x to 2.0x | Set it to the intended optical character and keep the choice recorded with the look. |
| Halation Spread | New in 1.5 | Use spread with intensity; inspect bright edges and practical lights at the final viewing size. |
| Grain Intensity and Halation Intensity | Each ranges from 0.0–2.0 | Set numerical values in notes so another artist can reproduce the look. |
| ACES 2.0 I/O | ACEScc and ACEScct input/output options | Match the plugin choices to the project’s ACES configuration rather than assuming an ACES label is sufficient. |
| Processing speed | ARRI claims up to four times faster than the prior release | Use the figure as ARRI’s claim; validate playback and render times on the actual workstation. |
Film Lab 1.5 also includes the special Look Library plugin version bundled with Film Lab. ARRI’s Look Library page lists 87 predefined creative color gradings, each available in three intensities. Those looks are useful for quickly selecting a direction; Film Lab’s separate controls let you refine texture and analog cues instead of stopping at a preset.
Step-by-step workflow for a consistent result
1. Inventory and prepare the sources
Create a source list before grading. Group clips by camera, recording format, lens or filtration, and scene lighting. Confirm that each clip has the intended metadata and that RAW material is decoded consistently. If one camera is LogC3/AWG3 and another is LogC4/AWG4, keep those distinctions visible in the project rather than treating both as a generic “log” input.
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2. Set the host’s color management
In Resolve, Baselight, Nuke or another OpenFX host, choose the project’s timeline or working space and output transform first. Film Lab 1.5 offers ACES 2.0 ACEScc and ACEScct input/output options, while ARRI documents LogC3/AWG3 and LogC4/AWG4 support. Select the option that matches the image entering the plugin and the space expected by the next operation. A label such as “ACES” is not enough if the project distinguishes ACEScc from ACEScct.
Use one monitoring condition while comparing shots. Disable accidental per-clip display transforms, and make sure scopes and the viewer are showing the same stage of the pipeline. The goal is not to impose a universal node order; it is to prevent a transform difference from being mistaken for a Film Lab difference.
3. Normalize exposure, white balance and contrast
Bring representative shots from every camera to a comparable baseline. Match neutral objects, skin, highlight placement, shadow density and overall exposure before choosing a film look. If a camera’s technical transform is wrong, grain or halation can distract you from the underlying mismatch.
Save a small set of reference frames: a face in normal light, a bright window or practical, a dark textured area, saturated color and a fine-detail subject. These references make later version changes and cross-camera checks faster.
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Add Film Lab as an OpenFX effect in the same location for all clips that are meant to share a look. Keep technical input transforms and output/display transforms in predictable places, and avoid silently moving the plugin between clips. If your grade requires a shot-specific correction, decide whether it belongs before the shared Film Lab layer or after it, then note that exception.
5. Choose a film-format starting point
In version 1.5, start with 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm or 65 mm. These are creative starting points, not a claim that the digital image has become a scanned physical negative. Use 8 mm or 16 mm when a visibly coarse or intimate texture is appropriate; 35 mm for a familiar general-purpose cinema reference; and 65 mm when you want a finer, larger-format starting character. The final choice should follow the story and delivery scale, not the camera’s sensor size.
6. Set grain size and detail rendition
Adjust Grain Size and Rendition of Detail within their 0.75–1.5 ranges. Grain Size changes the apparent scale of the texture. Rendition of Detail changes perceived sharpness or definition. Evaluate both at the intended output resolution: a setting that looks subtle on a 4K grading monitor may disappear in a compressed web master, while a setting that looks elegant at 100 percent may become distracting after downscaling.
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7. Shape color, halation and weave
Use the color controls to establish the broad stock/process character, then add analog cues sparingly:
- Increase Grain Intensity only until texture supports the image rather than obscuring faces or fine production design.
- Use Halation Intensity and the new Halation Spread together. Inspect red or orange edges around windows, lamps and specular highlights; excessive spread can make every bright object appear to glow.
- Choose an Anamorphic Ratio from the eight 1.25x–2.0x options when that optical character serves the shot. Do not use the control to imply that the lens geometry or framing has actually been changed.
- Apply gate weave only when controlled movement is wanted. A period drama may benefit from a restrained setting, while a locked-off modern commercial may need none.
ARRI presents these controls as emulations. They do not restore every physical interaction of film stock, lens, gate, processing chemistry or projector.
8. Compare across cameras and lighting conditions
Switch among the reference frames while keeping the viewer, scopes and output transform fixed. Check the same areas in each shot:
- Skin tones under warm and cool light.
- Highlight roll-off around windows and practical fixtures.
- Shadow color and texture in dark clothing or sets.
- Fine detail such as hair, foliage, fabric and production design.
- Saturated reds, blues and greens that can reveal gamut or transform differences.
- Grain visibility in bright, midtone and low-exposure regions.
Make the smallest camera-specific correction needed to reach the shared baseline. Do not “fix” a transform mismatch by giving one camera a different grain or halation treatment unless that difference is an intentional creative choice.
9. Lock and document the look
Project notes should include the Film Lab version, host application, timeline or working space, input and output settings, film-format starting point, all numerical control values, and any shot-specific exceptions. Also record the monitoring/output transform used for approval. This documentation is more reliable than a vague preset name when a sequence is reopened, conformed or rendered on another system.
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Before committing to a long render, export a representative reel containing every camera, exposure range and lighting condition. Review it in the delivery environment, not only in the grading application. Confirm that grain remains stable through scaling and compression, halation does not clip or bloom unexpectedly, and gate weave does not interfere with titles, masks or image stabilization.
Film Lab compared with LUTs and the Look Library
| Tool or approach | Primary job | Best use in a controlled workflow | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion LUT | Manipulates image data to convert LogC to a viewable or other required format. | Establish a technical or display conversion when the LUT matches the source and destination. | A complete color-management plan or adjustable film-texture treatment. |
| ARRI Film Lab | Adjustable film-like grain, color, halation and weave applied through OpenFX. | Build and repeat a creative film character after sources are normalized. | Correct RAW decoding, camera input transforms, monitoring transforms or delivery specifications. |
| ARRI Look Library | Predefined creative color gradings; ARRI lists 87 looks in three intensities. | Explore a direction quickly, then use Film Lab controls when texture and analog cues need finer adjustment. | Shot matching and technical normalization. |
A LUT and Film Lab can appear in the same project because they answer different questions. A LUT may make LogC viewable; Film Lab may then supply the desired creative texture. Whether that order is appropriate depends on the host’s color-management design and the intended working space, so preserve one tested order rather than improvising per shot.
How to keep mixed-camera material consistent
Use a camera baseline, not a plugin preset, as the starting point
Build a neutral baseline for each camera family and recording mode. A single Film Lab preset cannot compensate for different exposure indices, white-balance metadata, gamut transforms or RAW decode decisions. Once the baselines match, one shared Film Lab setting has a meaningful chance of reading as one look.
Separate global look decisions from shot corrections
Keep the creative Film Lab layer common to the sequence or scene. Put reframing, exposure trims, windowed corrections and unusual highlight repairs in clearly named shot-specific stages. This makes it obvious whether a mismatch comes from the shared look or from an individual correction.
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Do not approve a look from a single close-up. Include daylight, tungsten, mixed color, night, low exposure and high saturation. Grain and halation are content-dependent: a control value that is invisible on a gray wall can dominate a bright practical or a dark face.
Protect consistency through revisions
When changing Film Lab versions, ACES settings or host color management, render the same validation reel and compare it under identical viewing conditions. The version 1.5 controls and ACES 2.0 options make the installed version part of the look specification.
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Film Lab is license-based software. ARRI identifies RE:Vision Effects as a sales channel; confirm the current license, upgrade policy, supported operating systems and host versions there before buying or moving a project. The published material does not establish a universal license price or independent benchmark.
For a new installation, verify:
- The host supports OpenFX and the specific Film Lab build.
- The workstation’s GPU, driver and memory configuration is appropriate for the planned resolution.
- The project’s camera codecs and RAW decoders are available in the host independently of Film Lab.
- The installed plugin exposes the expected 1.5 controls, including ACEScc and ACEScct choices if the project needs them.
- Render nodes or assistant editors have the same plugin version and license access.
ARRI’s “up to four times faster” statement for version 1.5 has no benchmark protocol in the announcement. Measure a representative timeline with your own effects, debayering, noise reduction and storage rather than planning around the headline figure.
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On-set preview status and what to verify
ARRI’s product information describes on-set preview simulations for ARRICORE or ARRIRAW on the ALEXA 35 Xtreme or ALEXA 35 as requiring a forthcoming camera firmware update. The November 2025 announcement anticipated an update during the first quarter of 2026, but the current rollout status is not established by the published information used here. Before calling the feature available, check the camera’s current firmware release notes and the corresponding Film Lab documentation. A postproduction plugin’s availability does not prove that a particular camera body can preview it on set.
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Common problems and fixes
The same settings look different on two cameras
Check input transforms, RAW decode, exposure and white balance before changing Film Lab. Confirm that both clips reach the same timeline space and output transform. If the baselines match, inspect gamut clipping and saturated colors; only then consider a documented creative offset.
Grain is too strong after delivery
Review the exported file at its actual delivery scale and compression, not only at 100 percent in the grading viewer. Lower Grain Intensity or Grain Size, and recheck dark regions where compression can turn fine texture into noise.
Halation looks like a digital glow
Reduce Halation Intensity and Spread together, then inspect practical lights and high-contrast edges. Keep a reference frame with a known highlight so changes are judged against the same subject.
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ACES results do not match the previous grade
Confirm whether the earlier project used ACEScc or ACEScct and whether Film Lab 1.5 is receiving and returning the same spaces. A project label that says only “ACES” can conceal a transfer-function mismatch.
Playback is not real time
ARRI’s real-time 4K and up-to-four-times-faster statements are not guarantees for every setup. Test at the project resolution, then use host caching, optimized media or a render-in-place workflow where appropriate. Keep the final render at the required quality rather than lowering output merely to obtain playback.
What the product claims do—and do not—establish
ARRI’s statements support a clear use case: Film Lab is a repeatable creative layer for adding adjustable film characteristics to digital material, with documented support for ARRI log workflows, selected hosts and, in version 1.5, ACES 2.0 ACEScc and ACEScct options. They do not constitute independent image-quality testing, a guarantee that every camera transform will match, or proof that every host and codec combination behaves identically. No independent published statistic establishes a universal improvement in matching or playback.
Testimonials on ARRI’s Film Lab page should be read in that context. Cinematographer Stijn Van der Veken ASC, SBC calls it the first film-look plugin he has seen that helps create a vintage look on a period drama. Colorist Luisa Cavanagh of Quanta Post praises its film response, skin tones, shadows and detail. These are customer testimonials, not controlled comparisons.
The dependable path to consistency is therefore procedural: normalize each source, keep color management explicit, apply one documented Film Lab configuration, compare representative shots, and validate the final deliverable. Film Lab supplies the adjustable character; the surrounding pipeline supplies the consistency.
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