Stop Grading AI Video Like JPEGs: A ComfyUI-to-ACES DaVinci Resolve Pipeline
jugernaut126 · reddit · 2026-09-20
A filmmaker shared the exact pipeline used on a recent 4K music video to make ComfyUI AI video look cinematic. The core argument: AI video looks 'plasticky' not because of the model but because most people export 8-bit sRGB/Rec.709 MP4s and grade them like compressed JPEGs.
ComfyUI export
- Skip low-bitrate H.264; export uncompressed PNG / 16-bit TIFF sequences or high-bitrate ProRes 422HQ/4444
- Keep prompts neutral — treat generation output as a raw digital negative, leaving room for post
DaVinci Resolve setup (two options)
- Option A: project-wide ACES (ACEScc/ACEScct, ACES 1.3, sRGB/Rec.709 IDT, Rec.709 ODT)
- Option B: node-based CST into DaVinci Wide Gamut / DaVinci Intermediate, grade in the middle, convert back to Rec.709 at the end
Why it matters
- Exposure behaves like real f-stops with smooth highlight roll-off instead of digital clipping
- Skin tones can be pulled along the vectorscope I-line without banding
- Teal & orange splits get physical separation, avoiding the monochrome 'AI wash'
Model used: Minimax H3; final output ProRes 4444 4K, with before/after stills and scopes attached.
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