ARRI Film Lab with Sony S-Log3: the definitive workflow for the film look

Can you get a realistic film look working from digital footage in DaVinci Resolve? The answer is yes, and ARRI Film Lab is the tool that makes it happen. In this deep dive we walk through the full workflow to bring this ARRI plugin into a professional pipeline — starting from Sony S-Log3 and getting all the way to that cinematic texture only celluloid has historically been able to deliver.

What is ARRI Film Lab, and why it isn’t just a LUT

ARRI Film Lab is not a simple color-conversion LUT. It’s a plugin built to emulate the actual photochemical behavior of celluloid, reproducing everything from film grain to halation — that signature glow film produces around bright highlights. Unlike a LUT that just maps tonal values, ARRI Film Lab simulates the spectral response of film, the REM-JET layer, and the non-linear way celluloid responds to light. The result is an image with a depth and texture that simple math transforms can’t reach.

From Sony S-Log3 to ARRI LogC4: the key transform

The first step is the color-space conversion. Footage shot in Sony S-Log3 / S-Gamut3 has to be transformed to LogC4 / ARRI Wide Gamut before it enters the plugin. This transform isn’t cosmetic: it’s essential so ARRI Film Lab receives color information in the format it expects. The video shows how to build this conversion node inside the DaVinci Resolve node tree, keeping a scene-referred flow throughout that preserves the original dynamic range of the Sony camera.

Scene-referred vs display-referred: the difference that changes everything

One of the core concepts in the video is the difference between a scene-referred and a display-referred flow. A scene-referred flow works with linear light values referenced to the real scene, so every downstream transform — including the photochemical emulation — acts on data that still holds all the information the sensor captured. A display-referred flow, on the other hand, has already applied a tone curve and can introduce artifacts or dynamic-range loss if you stack more transforms on top. ARRI Film Lab was designed to operate in the scene-referred domain, and understanding this is non-negotiable if you want consistent results.

Grain, halation and REM-JET: the details that make the difference

Beyond the tonal transform, ARRI Film Lab introduces the elements that visually define celluloid. Grain is generated organically, respecting the spectral characteristics of each emulsion. Halation — that warm halo around specular highlights on film — is reproduced precisely, and it’s one of the most recognizable traits of the classic cinematic look. The video also explains the role of the REM-JET layer, an anti-halation layer in motion-picture negative that affects how light diffuses inside the emulsion. Combine all of this and you get an image that goes well beyond what any conventional LUT can offer.

How to integrate ARRI Film Lab in DaVinci Resolve, step by step

The workflow in the video starts from a clean, well-structured node tree. First, you apply the input transform from Sony S-Log3 to LogC4; second, you place ARRI Film Lab in the node tree at the right point of the scene-referred flow; third, you tune the plugin’s internal parameters (emulsion, grain, halation, exposure ISO); and finally you apply the display transform for final delivery. Every step has a specific technical reason, and the video explains the why behind each decision, not just the how. That methodical approach is what separates this tutorial from the shallow takes all over the internet.

Who is this workflow for?

This tutorial is aimed at cinematographers and colorists working with Sony cameras — FX3, FX6, FX9, Venice — who want a consistent, technically solid film look without compromising the dynamic range of their footage. It’s also relevant for independent DPs who need a reproducible, professional pipeline inside DaVinci Resolve. If you already have the basics of color grading down and understand the difference between a LUT and a color-space transform, this workflow opens up a whole new level of creative control over your image.

Watch the full video

The full breakdown of this workflow is on the Daniel Blanco A.M.C. Cinematographer YouTube channel. In just over 51 minutes, the video covers everything from the theory to the practical implementation in DaVinci Resolve, with real visual examples that show the difference between working with and without ARRI Film Lab. An essential reference for any filmmaker who wants to take their color grading to the next level.