Aces for LOG-Rec709 roundtrip in After Effects

[yooofi (Roei T)]

@shebbe

Do you mean using ACES to go from working or camera space to display space ie. Output - rec.709 or Output - sRGB?

Yes, this is the workflow I was describing: www[dot]youtube[dot]com/watch?v=1ixzKR21jdw&t=3s&ab_channel=JacobDanell

so do you mean this workflow is possible without ACES to produce a scene-referred output AND get to composite with higher fidelity in highlights, exposures, blurs and such?

@shebbe

His video is focused on CG renders going to sRGB but the same principles in setup would apply to rec.709 too. It will give you the same result with less setup work and chance of error along the way.
But if you prefer the non display color managed ACEScg workspace approach with Preserve RGB for each element that’s also fine

I would REALLY love to use Ae’s CM in the pipeline I am describing, and skip all those preserve RGB ticks and all the plugin switches necessary but I don’t see how that’s possible using the described workflow in the tutorial. I have tried. I would love the less amount of setup as possible.

the main issue is I want to be able to composite my sources in a convenient color space. I have different video sources and I would like all of them to play nice. the ideal way (in my head) would be to make my LOG footage convert to sRGB, then everything is composited in sRGB gamma workspace, with the option to use and adjustment layer on top to make all the composite back in LOG. and I thought I could do that - this workflow is described here: www[dot]provideocoalition[dot]com/after-effects-and-alexa-part-2/
but unfortunately I discovered this workflow does degrade my video signal (slightly but still).

so I said OK I can maybe use ACES to do that roundtrip and make them all play nice in ACESCG, and it works but it means the video is in a field where it has to be under adjustments to look properly, and pushing colors to look as I want them is a struggle, and many ticks and switches but you get the benefit of better looking effects. and there’s also the method you described which means don’t touch the LOG, convert the sRGB gamma to scene referred footage, and use a LUT on top. which is nice.