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The Offset Podcast EP040: Look Setting Sessions

September 15, 2025 · 56 min

Show notes

In this episode, we’re discussing something we do pretty regularly - look setting with a client.


If you’re not familiar with look setting, it can be a vital part of the grading process. It helps ensure that you and the client are on the same page with the creative choices and the look of a project PRIOR to grading the entire project and potentially going down the wrong path.


Look setting can be an integral part of preproduction - building monitoring LUTs or in camera look files. Or it can happen after production has wrapped but prior to the main grade starting or combination of those approaches


In this episode it’s that second scenario that we’re going to be discussing. We’ll cover developing looks for production in a future episode.


Specific topics discussed in this show include:


  • What is look setting and while is a vital part of the finishing process?
  • How look setting is the first part of building client confidence and important to the communication process
  • When does looking setting happen?
  • Making the goals of a looking setting session clear to everyone involved
  • Strategies to avoid going too deep in the grade while also showing off capabilities & possibilities
  • The importance of reviewing & discussing references
  • How to pick shots and scenes to work on
  • Building 3 to 4 looks to share with the client
  • Leveraging comparative tools
  • Presenting shot challenges without offending clients
  • In person, asynchronous and remote streaming look sessions
  • Moving from a look setting session into the main grade


If you like this episode please consider supporting the podcast by buying us 'a cup of coffee': https://buymeacoffee.com/theoffsetpodcast

Big thanks as always to our sponsor Flanders Scientific for helping make these shows possible.

See you in about two weeks!

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