Uli Plank

59 posts
I'm a retired professor, teaching camerawork, post-production, and VFX at Braunschweig University of Arts and digital camerawork at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg for many years. Now living in Bandung, Indonesia for parts of my time, where I'm also an associate professor at the film department of UPI.

Latest articles

A professional monitor displaying a vibrant explosion of colorful splashes, featuring shades of blue, pink, yellow, and red against a dark background. The monitor has a sleek design with control buttons along the bottom.

Asus ProArt 16 USV: A Laptop-Sized Production Monitor

The ASUS ProArt PA16USV LED-Monitor, a 15.6-inch 4K HDR portable display that incorporates a 12G-SDI marks a significant pivot for ASUS into hardware that explicitly targets on-set workflows and DIT (digital imaging technician) monitoring tasks rather than solely desktop creative use. But is it any good?
DaVinci Resolve timeline color settings menu with color bars and output color space dropdown options visible.

LUTs, Tags, or ICC: Getting Colours Right in Resolve on a Mac

For years, proper monitoring in DaVinci Resolve meant a Blackmagic I/O box and a calibrated display. On recent Macs, Resolve has become more predictable without dedicated hardware, but that does not make calibration optional. Here is where the situation has improved, where it still falls apart, and why Rec.709 scene remains the least bad common denominator.
Even a 2017 iMac will run several instruments with OmniScope.

Nobe OmniScope is a Live Act now!

OmniScope LivePack turns your scopes rig into a live-friendly sidekick, with SDI out, Livegrade hookup, and recordings that behave. Really? We run it through its paces!
A sleek SpyderPro device with a circular lens and a white casing, positioned against a vibrant, swirled background of colors, emphasizing its modern design.

Crawly for Videoscreens: SpyderPro

SpyderPro gets serious: anorganic filters, 12,000 nits, 3D LUT export, OLED support, and proper profiling tools make it fit for postproduction again. Let's see if the claims hold up!
A visually striking image featuring the text "ProRes vs. BRAW" in neon blue and red against a patterned backdrop of barcodes and geometric shapes, symbolizing a comparison between the two video formats.

ProRes RAW vs. BRAW

BMPCC 4K just learned a new trick: ProRes RAW via firmware. We stacked it against BRAW Q0. One’s cleaner, one’s bigger. Which would you shoot?
A sleek gaming monitor displayed prominently with a vibrant, colorful abstract background that highlights its features. The monitor stands on a stylish base, emphasizing the modern design and advanced technology.

„For Those Who Dare“

These days you wouldn’t always have to go for an expensive, professionally calibrated screen if you are not working for extremely demanding clients. Has the age of correct colors finally arrived? What about HDR? Let’s have a broader look!
A laptop displaying video editing software, showcasing a green car drifting on dirt, with editing tools and timeline visible on the screen.

Final Cut Pro:Mac mini or iPad M4?

Let's evaluate the M4 iPad Pro and Mac mini Pro for video editing, especially with DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro X. While the iPad shares advantages with integrated hardware for certain formats, the Mac mini excels in handling high-end camera sources in raw formats. Or does it?
A woman in a green dress surrounded by flowers on a reflective surface.

Mac mini or iPad Pro M4 for Post?

The iPad Pro, with its M4 processor, shows potential for video editing, particularly with applications like DaVinci Resolve. However, limitations arise, notably in memory capacity (16 GB max), affecting stability with high-resolution projects.
A screen displaying a color calibration tool interface with a color chart and a welcome message. The tool is named DisplayCAL, showing the version number and status message. A timeline is also visible at the bottom.

Calibration for less – Part 3

Part 3 of the "Calibration for Less" series - we get into the settings with DisplayCal, Connect Software, Hardware and Wetware, and are chasing the elusive perfect colours!