GLOSSARY
ACES
The Academy's attempt to standardize color across every camera, every software, and every display. Powerful when you need it — overhead when you do not.
The ACES pipeline
ACES defines a scene-referred linear color encoding that sits between your camera's native format and your output display. The pipeline works in three stages. First, the Input Device Transform (IDT) converts camera-native color (S-Log3/S-Gamut3.Cine, ARRI LogC/Wide Gamut, V-Log/V-Gamut) into ACEScg (AP1 gamut, linear). ACEScg uses the AP1 color primaries, which cover a gamut wider than Rec.709 but narrower than the full AP0 archival gamut — a practical compromise because AP1 can be represented in 16-bit half-float without negative values in most VFX operations. Second, all grading and compositing happens in the ACEScg working space. Third, the Output Device Transform (ODT) converts from ACEScg to the target display (Rec.709 for SDR broadcast, P3-D65 for theatrical DCP, Rec.2020 PQ for HDR10). The key benefit: every camera's footage passes through its own IDT, which means footage from different manufacturers becomes color-compatible in the same timeline without manual matching per shot.
When ACES is worth it — and when it is not
Feature films with mixed camera systems (ARRI Alexa for A-camera, RED for B-camera, Sony for crash cams) benefit enormously from ACES because the IDTs normalize color science differences before you touch a single node. Multi-studio VFX pipelines where Facility A and Facility B need to exchange plates in a format that neither one's proprietary color management will misinterpret — ACES solves that. The problem is overhead. ACES adds a layer of configuration that must be correct at every stage: IDT selection per clip, correct ODT selection per deliverable, proper handling of texture maps and CG renders (which must be converted to ACEScg before compositing). On a 5-minute corporate video shot on a single camera, ACES adds complexity with no visible benefit. You can achieve the same result with Resolve's DaVinci YRGB Color Managed mode in half the setup time. DaVinci Resolve supports ACES 1.3 under Project Settings > Color Science > ACEScct (the log-encoded variant that provides perceptually uniform grading controls). Use ACEScct rather than ACEScc — the toe region in ACEScct gives better shadow control, similar to how traditional log curves behave near black.
ACES FAQ
What is the difference between ACEScc and ACEScct?
ACEScc is a pure log encoding of ACES values — it has no toe region, so shadow controls behave linearly near black. ACEScct adds a toe region (similar to traditional log curves) that makes shadow adjustments feel more natural with lift/gamma/gain controls. ACEScct is the recommended working space in DaVinci Resolve.
Does ACES work with footage from any camera?
Only if an IDT exists for that camera's color science. ARRI, Sony, RED, Canon, Panasonic, and Blackmagic all have official IDTs. Niche or older cameras may not. Without a correct IDT, ACES cannot properly convert the footage, and you lose the main benefit.
Is ACES better than DaVinci YRGB Color Managed?
For mixed-camera, multi-facility workflows, yes — standardization matters more than flexibility. For single-camera, single-editor projects, DaVinci YRGB Color Managed is simpler, faster to set up, and produces indistinguishable results for most deliverables.
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