Filmic/Contrast is a DCTL plug-in for DaVinci Resolve Studio developed by PixelTools in collaboration with KaurH. It is designed to build a film-inspired contrast curve inside a single node, with smooth highlights, controlled shadow depth, and adjustable lifted blacks without requiring extensive manual Custom Curve work.

Rather than treating contrast as a simple global adjustment, Filmic/Contrast uses a scene-referred curve engine that allows colorists to shape the tonal response of an image. It can serve as a foundation for look development, LUT creation, and macro-contrast shaping within a professional grading node tree.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• 1 custom DCTLe plug-in file
• 1 alternate No Icon DCTLe plug-in file
• 6 PowerGrade DRX files
• User Guide PDF

FEATURES

• Film-inspired contrast-curve design
• Scene-referred Modern Curves engine
• Smooth and rounded highlight shaping
• Controlled shadow depth
• Lifted Blacks control
• Soft matte-shadow creation
• Reduces the need for manually constructed Custom Curves
• Visual Curve UI
• Greyscale Ramp visualization
• On-screen adjustment overlays
• Suitable for look development and LUT creation
• Curated PowerGrade starting points
• Professional color-management support
• Suitable for fixed node trees
• Designed for film, television, commercial, and streaming workflows
• One-time purchase
• No subscription
• Free updates

MODERN CURVES

Modern Curves is a scene-referred curve engine designed to establish the tonal foundation of a grade.

Instead of relying on a single conventional contrast adjustment, Filmic/Contrast provides greater control over the relationship between shadows, midtones, and highlights.

It is particularly useful for:

• Establishing contrast before look development
• Softening highlights
• Adding shadow depth
• Shaping macro contrast
• Building tone curves for LUT creation
• Maintaining a more controlled middle-gray relationship

LIFTED BLACKS

Lifted Blacks introduces soft, matte shadows without requiring manual curve adjustments.

It can be used to create:

• Softer shadow response
• Film-inspired black levels
• Contemporary matte looks
• Gentler shadow transitions
• Lower-contrast looks while maintaining tonal structure

VISUAL CURVE UI

Filmic/Contrast includes a visual interface with a Greyscale Ramp and on-screen overlays that show how adjustments are shaping the tonal response.

This makes it easier to understand the relationship between each control and the resulting contrast curve.

POWERGRADE CURVES

The collection includes PowerGrade starting points based on several tonal approaches, including:

• Modern
• Soft Film
• ENR Bleach
• Kodak 2383
• Fuji 3510

These PowerGrades provide fast starting points for exploring different tonal characteristics before refining the grade for individual footage.

LOOK DEVELOPMENT

Filmic/Contrast can be integrated into a grading node tree as a tonal foundation or as part of a broader look-development pipeline.

Typical applications include:

• Film emulation
• Look development
• LUT creation
• Timeline-level contrast shaping
• Macro-contrast refinement
• Narrative work
• Commercials
• Music videos
• Television and streaming content

COLOR MANAGEMENT

Filmic/Contrast is designed around DaVinci Wide Gamut and supports professional color-managed workflows including:

• DaVinci Wide Gamut / DaVinci Intermediate
• Resolve Color Management
• ACES
• Color Space Transform workflows

It can be used with footage from major camera systems through RCM or CST, including:

• ARRI
• RED / IPP2
• Sony
• Canon
• Panasonic
• Blackmagic Design
• Apple Log
• DJI
• Other camera inputs supported by the color-management pipeline

VERSION

Current Version: 1.2.0

Version 1.2.0 adds:

• DJI D-Log support
• Apple Log 2 support
• JPLog2 support

COMPATIBILITY

• DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.1 or later
• macOS
• Windows
• DaVinci Resolve Free is not supported

NOTE

Filmic/Contrast is a DCTL plug-in and requires DaVinci Resolve Studio. It is not supported in the free edition of DaVinci Resolve.

The product is available as a one-time purchase with no subscription and includes free updates.