What ZoneLAB is, in plain English

ZoneLAB is an OpenFX plugin that maps the image into a grid and assigns an exposure zone to each cell. You get a zone readout per cell, directly over the picture, so you can judge how light sits across the frame without leaving the viewer. It runs as a single tool that combines exposure analysis and grading controls. The product page describes it as built on a Live Zone System and lists it as patent pending.

What ZoneLAB is, in novelty rap.

If you want to hear it in Rap-Form, here is a Video about the Plugin (Hopefully GenAI, but we wouldn’t put it past low-level proto gangstas to do it).

The zone view modes

ZoneLAB includes a 21 zone exposure map with a false colour overlay. It also includes an 11 zone Ansel Adams mode with greyscale zones and roman numeral notation. The interface can show an A B split view for comparing raw versus graded imagery side by side. There is also a Zone Isolate option to highlight only the zones you care about.

Exposure and grading controls

ZoneLAB includes per zone exposure control over shadows, midtones, and highlights, also a suite with temperature, tint, saturation, contrast, and density. For monochrome work, ZoneLAB includes black and white grading with traditional filter simulation and split toning, and film grain with exposure dependent weighting.

Skin Tone Selection lets you select grid cells over faces for targeted exposure work. Auto Expose is a “intelligent scene analysis” with skin tone awareness. If you want the short mental model, ZoneLAB encourages you to fix expsoure where it lives in the frame, then keep grading with the same tool instead of jumping between overlays, scopes, and separate node setups.

Export formats and what they are for

ZoneLAB can export PNG screen grabs via the PNG format, or 16 bit DPX with alpha overlay via DPX. Multi layer EXR export is listed, which aligns with OpenEXR. Those exports can make the zone overlay portable for reviews, notes, and downstream work, but you still want to test them against your own deliverables and comps before you rely on them in production.

Camera profiles and supported log spaces

ZoneLAB lists 22 camera profiles with pre configured dynamic range data for ARRI Alexa 35 and Mini LF, Sony VENICE, FX6, FX3, and A7 V, RED V RAPTOR, KOMODO X, and KOMODO, Canon C300 Mk III, C70, and R5C, Fujifilm X H2S, Panasonic LUMIX S1MII and S5IIX, Nikon Z9 Z8 and Z6 III, plus Blackmagic Design cameras and more.

It also lists 16 log and colour spaces, including DaVinci Wide Gamut, ARRI LogC3 and LogC4, Sony S Log3, RED Log3G10, Canon Log2 and Log3, Panasonic V Log, Fujifilm F Log2, Nikon N Log, and more.

The quick start workflow is simple: apply ZoneLAB to a serial node, set the Color Space to match the camera log format, then pick a camera profile so the tool sets dynamic range.

Performance, requirements, licensing, price

ZoneLAB lists GPU acceleration via Metal compute shaders for real time performance. Requirements are DaVinci Resolve Free or Studio on macOS, an Apple Metal GPU, and macOS 10.15 or later. One purchase includes two machine activations, described as desktop plus laptop. The licence key is generated after purchase and the page says to follow the included instructions. The listed price is £90.00 GBP. Windows support is listed as “coming soon”, with also a compatibility imminent for Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro.

However you plan to use it, treat it like any new grading tool: throw real footage at it, confirm the coluor management and exports, and only then let it into a production pipeline.

https://driftwood-dctl.com/products/zonelab-zone-system-exposure-color-grading-plugin

The post ZoneLAB for Resolve: Ansel Adams and even more zones… first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Feature animation gets performance-obsessed

A new set of feature animation sessions puts character performance front and centre. Supervising Animator Adam Sarophim will present how performance-driven animation gets built at Sony Pictures Imageworks using work from KPop Demon Hunters and GOAT. The session description focuses on crafting emotion, personality, and audience connection through movement, timing, and subtle detail.

Animator Jacob Frey will present The Animation of Zoomania 2 and describe collaboration between art and technology as part of the filmmaking process at Walt Disney Animation Studios. The session description frames the work as an example of how tools and artistic intent meet inside a feature pipeline. Details about specific story beats, pipeline tooling, or shot counts are not specified in the Sources.

Two European-leaning projects also land on the slate: The Last Whale Singer (a teenage humpback whale named Vincent), and a procedural real-time pipeline segment called Trash Island. The speakers listed for that session are Jan Hofmann, a CG Supervisor and Unreal Engine expert at Telescope Animation, and Amir Ashkezari, an FX Supervisor and Technical Director at PFX. The pipeline description centers on Houdini generated assets moving via OpenUSD into both real-time Unreal Engine and a traditional Autodesk 3ds Max and V-Ray workflow, connected by custom tools intended to support daily collaboration between studios in different locations.

Zako is a feature project based on a true story about an Armenian painter during World War II and the Soviet Union. Director Tigran Arakelyan of OnOff Studio will present how VR animation can serve as a core creative tool for sketching, staging, and animating directly in 3D space, as well as practical methods for integrating VR animation into a feature film production pipeline.

AI talks that aim past hype

The Artificial Intelligence track is around practical production use and the question of what AI should do in modern pipelines, with an emphasis on keeping a human artist in the loop.

Ben Grossman of Magnopus is listed for an individual session, followed by a panel appearance. Mohsen Mousavi, Senior Director of Visual Pioneering at Eyeline Studios, is also in an individual session and on the same panel. Hao Li, founder of Pinscreen, is about to present on work spanning computer vision and facial performance technology, having completed AI work on Fallout Season 2. The track is curated by Mike Seymour, co-founder of fxguide.

Cinematography goes deep into the lens mess

The Cinematography track highlights craft from stop-frame production through to photoreal VFX . Cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett will present Work Aard Play Aard, a behind-the-scenes look at decades of cinematography at Aardman and the practical skills involved in stop-frame storytelling.

VFX Supervisor Victor Perez will present GLASS: Capturing the Lens Look for Photorealistic VFX. The session description focuses on lenses having distinct optical characteristics including distortion, chromatic aberration, field curvature, vignetting, iris behavior, and micro-contrast, and on methods to analyze, measure, and reconstruct those characteristics inside VFX pipelines so CGI inherits the visual identity of the camera that shot the plate. The track is curated by Sara Coppola-Nicholson, Director of Research and Education at Cooke Optics.

Partners bring cloud and tools to the conversation

Two newly announced partners add their own angle on production infrastructure and creative tooling. AWS Visual Computing is about cloud-based solutions for visual effects, animation, and 3D content production, including scalable rendering, virtual workstations, and high-performance storage optimised for media workflows. It also highlights AWS Deadline Cloud as a fully managed render management service.

Foundry is … well, if you don’t know the company making Nuke, you should reconsider and read the rest of this website. The partner programming showcases compositing, lighting, look development and texturing, with participating studios named as Industrial Light and Magic, RISE FX, Outpost VFX, and Mikros Animation.

The partner section also includes an in-person day at Raum Mannheim featuring project insights on Fallout Season 2, Netflix’s The Dinosaurs, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey, plus a talk by Director and VFX Supervisor Hugo Guerra.

Dates and tickets, plus the reality check

Tickets are on sale, and the “On Site” runs at Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart from May 5 to 7, Online and On Campus run on May 8, and On Demand runs from May 9 to June 9. See all of you there!

https://fmx.de/en

The post FMX 2026 adds animation, lens talks and of course AI first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The Australian-based team at Nexus Cameras has announced that their modular box-style cinema camera, the Nexus G1, is now fully operational. The company published first test footage shot in an Australian rainforest. According to Nexus, the imaging system, cooling, “MaxDrive” storage and optical subsystems are complete and field-tested.

Built on a familiar sensor

The Nexus G1 incorporates the imaging core of the highly capable Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, retaining its Super-35 sensor, BRAW codec, and ProRes recording. The body, however, is entirely new: a magnesium-alloy and carbon-fibre enclosure with modular design, extensive rigging points, and additional connectivity, as well as a new Screen. Nexus reports refinements to the optical stack (sensor glass, IR-filter) and verified thermal stability in stress tests at 57 °C during rainforest trials. (Not that any of us here is having the heat problem, yet.)

Confirmed specifications

As disclosed, the camera records up to 6K at 50 fps and 2.8K at 120 fps, includes an internal 2-to-7-stop electronic ND filter, and supports interchangeable lens mounts (EF standard, optional PL and Micro 4/3).
It offers built-in FIZ (Focus-Iris-Zoom) control and an internal 15 mm rod system with 64 mounting points. The body includes dual full-size XLR inputs and uses Nexus’ proprietary 1 TB “MaxDrive” media. During the field trial, Nexus claims continuous recording for 90 minutes without thermal shutdown. These figures have not been independently verified so far.

Pricing and availability

The G1 is scheduled for release in Q1 2026, delayed from the previous Q3 2025 target. Retail price is US $3,300, with early pre-orders at US $2,980 under the “Founders Edition” label featuring special side-panels and engraving.

The camera nobody asked for, but everyone is watching

What makes the Nexus G1 interesting is its concept: a professional “aftermarket upgrade” for a camera that is already very capable. The Blackmagic Pocket 6K remains a strong tool in its price class, yet Nexus has effectively re-engineered it into a modular, production-grade chassis. That alone is a novelty. We have not seen a third-party vendor attempt a full mechanical and electronic rebuild of an existing cinema camera at this level before.

Still, this is early-stage territory. The G1 exists as a working prototype with test footage. No independent reviewer has yet handled it, powered it, or verified its endurance in production conditions. Cooling performance, firmware stability and component tolerances remain unproven, and before it goes through the trial-by-camera-assitant-whio-is-the-execs-nephew, we cant say anything about durability.

So for now, the Nexus could turn out to be either a Maybach or a Sport Edition Trabant, and yes, apologies for the car comparison, since the Nexus looks far sleeker, tasteful and better engineered than a gaudy Maybach. Until independent testers confirm otherwise, it remains a promising but unverified concept.

Editorial note for production users

The Nexus G1 is an ambitious small-vendor project, not a mass-market camera ecosystem. Potential buyers should examine service, warranty and workflow compatibility before committing. Test units in-house before deployment on client work, especially where reliability or continuity of supply matter. But the Nexus G1 brings an intriguing idea: pairing a proven imaging pipeline with a high-grade, modular body design. If it performs as claimed, it may bridge a gap between DIY rigging and factory-built cinema systems. For now, however, it remains a prototype worth watching, cautiously.

The post Nexus G1 Cinema Camera Goes Operational with First Field Footage first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Sony has made available the Sony VENICE 2 firmware version 4.0 (models MPC‑3626 / MPC‑3628). This update introduces the EL Zone exposure system, enables up to three colour‑coded frame lines, adds support for the CBK‑3621XS Camera Extension System, and includes unspecified usability and operability improvements.

The firmware package—including firmware module, update manual, and release notes—is available directly from Sony’s support site here: Firmware: VENICE 2 (MPC‑3628 MPC‑3626) v4.00.

EL Zone Exposure: Precise Stop‑based Tool

The EL Zone system, designed by cinematographer Ed Lachman ASC, overlays fixed-colour zones to indicate exposure in 1‑stop and ±½‑stop increments relative to 18% grey. This brings consistency between meter readings, logs, and visual feedback across camera and monitoring systems. EL Zone is applied in both the viewfinder and monitor outputs. Lachman commented that its integration into VENICE 2 is among the best implementations he has encountered. EL Zone provides more standardized exposure information compared to false colour tools that rely on IRE scales and vary between equipment.

Colour Frame Lines for Multi‑Format Shoots

Firmware v4.0 allows display of up to three simultaneous frame lines, each in a different colour. This feature simplifies shooting for multiple formats (e.g. theatrical, broadcast, streaming) in a single take while reducing framing confusion.

Extension System Support and Firmware Enhancements

The update adds compatibility with Sony’s CBK‑3621XS Camera Extension System, expanding usage scenarios including remote and rig-based configurations. Sony notes “improved usability and operability” in general but does not detail specific enhancements; such tweaks are typical of maintenance firmware.

Roadmap and Context

This release aligns with Sony’s Cinema Line firmware roadmap, with v4.0 scheduled for mid-2025 and subsequent updates—v5.0 in 2026 and v6.0 in 2027—confirming continued platform evolution through updates rather than hardware changes. Beyond the VENICE 2, EL Zone has been adopted in other tools, including Panasonic VariCam LT/35 (since April 2021), Sigma fp/fp L, SmallHD PageOS 6 monitors, and Colourlab Ai software.

Installation Advice

The firmware v4.0 package is free to download for users of VENICE 2. The update file includes release notes and an installation manual. Users are advised to follow Sony’s installation instructions carefully. Testing exposure accuracy and frame-line output under controlled lighting conditions before deploying in active productions is strongly recommended.

The post Sony VENICE 2 Firmware 4.0 Adds EL Zone Tool first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blackmagic Design has introduced a 16 TB Media Module of its proprietary media module for the URSA Cine 12K LF, doubling the capacity of the previous 8 TB module. The new 16TB Media Module installs into the URSA Cine’s media bay and uses M.2 SSDs over four PCIe lanes, enabling professional productions to record 12‑bit Blackmagic RAW and H.264 proxy files at speeds up to 1 432 MB/s—enough for sustained 12K at 24 fps. The module requires in‑camera formatting and ships with a rugged plastic case and standard one‑year warranty.

Bulk storage, cloud‑style workflows

The 16 TB module retains the features of its 8 TB sibling: it works with Blackmagic’s Media Dock for hot‑swappable file transfers, and supports high‑speed 10G Ethernet connectivity, allowing live file access over network or to Blackmagic Cloud Mini setups integrated in the camera. These features position it as “a Cloud Store Mini built into your camera”.

Pre‑order pricing

Available now for pre‑order, the 16 TB module is priced at US $2 965, versus the original 8 TB unit. Delivery timing may vary by region; check with Blackmagic’s reseller network for local availability.

Filmmakers shooting high‑resolution, extended takes can double recording capacity without swapping modules, reducing downtime. Those using dual CFexpress may still prefer existing formats, but for extended 12K workflows this is a significant upgrade.

Final thoughts

This 16 TB offering strengthens Blackmagic’s proprietary media ecosystem for the URSA Cine 12K LF, marrying high‑speed M.2 SSD performance with on‑set networked workflows. As usual, new gear should be tested before deploying in production environments.

The post BMD ups the ante with 16 TB Media Module for URSA Cine 12K LF first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.