CDL

A CDL (Color Decision List) is a standardized, minimal color correction: a slope, offset and power value per channel, plus a single saturation value. Because it’s so small and standardized, it’s portable — an on-set tablet, an editing system, and a grading suite can all read and write the same CDL. On set a DIT often bakes a rough look as a CDL that the colorist inherits and builds on. Keep a primary balance CDL-compatible (lift/gamma/gain/saturation only) and it can travel between systems. CDLs return at production scale in Level 3’s dailies pipeline.

First used in: 2.7 · Grades at scale