Setting up Sony VENICE 2 cameras

Livegrade comes with support for remote look control of Sony VENICE 2 cameras.

With this feature set you can control the look which is applied in a Sony VENICE 2 camera. This has two main benefits:

  • Live-graded image output directly from the camera: Each output of the camera – including the viewfinder – can show the live-graded image.
  • Look metadata stored together with OCF: Without any additional steps needed, the looks will be saved in the file header of each recorded clip. Anyone in the post production pipeline who gets in touch with the material has the opportunity to reveal the look which was set live on set.

Setting up the look of Sony VENICE 2#

The look in Sony VENICE 2 cameras can be configured via the Edit Look menu which can be found in the camera’s Look settings.

The look consists of two parts:

  • CDL
  • LUT

CDL and LUT can be either set to static files or to dedicated dynamic files, which can be controlled via Livegrade. In order to control the look with Livegrade,

  • the ASC CDL has to be set to the dynamic file LivegradeDynamicCDL.cdl and
  • the User 3D LUT hast to be set to the dynamic file LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube

If those files do not exist on the camera, Livegrade will create them on the first connection to the camera. However, in order to apply the look to the signal, they have to be selected manually within the “Edit Look” menu.

Within ASC CDL Process setting, you can also decide in which order the CDL and LUT should be processed.

  • CDL > LUT: Use this option for common live-grading use cases. Your CDL values will be applied before the LUT
  • LUT > CDL: Use this option for special use cases, where you need to apply a static LUT which will be followed by static CDL values.
  • CDL off: Use this option for live-grading in ACES grading mode. The whole look will then be sent as LUT to the camera.

Preconditions#

  • Network connection: In order to exchange look information with Livegrade, the camera needs to have a working network connection with the computer where Livegrade is running.
  • Enable ethernet access: To connect Livegrade to the camera you have to configure the ethernet access in the camera’s menu at *Technical > Authentication *and *Technical > Network *.
  • SDI out shows dynamic look: To output the graded look via the camera’s SDI out make sure that
    • the processing of the used SDI port is set to Look,
    • ASC CDL process is set to CDL -> Look for CDL and LUT or CDL Off for ACES workflows,
    • the CDL LivegradeDynamicCDL.cdl is selected, and
    • the User LUT LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube is selected.

Adding the Sony VENICE 2 camera as a device#

Once the camera is in the same network as your computer, you can add it to any input slot using the slot manager.

Open the slot manager

  • by clicking on the Slot Manager symbol in the toolbar or
  • via the menu: Livegrade > [Slot Manager…]

Open Slot Manager

In the slot manager, click on the input you want to add the device to.

Within an input click on the + Add Device button in the Look Devices section to add your Sony VENICE 2 camera to the slot.

  • Host: enter the device’s IP address
  • Username: enter the username for the camera as defined in the camera’s Technical > Authentication setting
  • Password: enter the password for the camera as defined in the camera’s Technical > Authentication setting
  • Look Update toggle
    • Choose how to update the look on the device.
      • Interactive
        • Adjustments of the look will be sent immediately to the device.
      • Manual Upload
        • Adjustments of the look will be sent on “Upload Look” actions. These actions are available as menu items (Slots > [Upload Look to Device(s)] menu), Toolbar button, Stream Deck and Tangent action

Finally, click on Connect to add the device to the slot. After that the current look of the corresponding input slot will always be sent to the look device as long as the input slot is in Live mode.

Controlling a CDL and LUT look#

Check SDI output#

As a first step, check that your camera’s SDIs are setup correctly:

  • The processing of the used SDI port is set to Look
  • ASC CDL process is set to CDL -> Look
  • the CDL LivegradeDynamicCDL.cdl is selected
  • the User LUT LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube is selected

Live-grade the in-camera look#

When grading a slot in CDL and LUT or CDL Advanced grading mode with an attached Sony VENICE 2 camera, Livegrade adjusts the CDL and LUT part as follows:

  • All CDL and Saturation nodes of your grade will be merged into one single ASC-CDL file and will be sent as such to the camera’s LivegradeDynamicCDL.cdl file
  • All Curves and LUTs – including your last LUT node which will be an output transform in most cases – of your grade will be merged into one single 3D LUT and will be sent as such to the camera’s LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube file

Grading a Sony VENICE 2 look

Note: Due to the camera’s internal image processing, CDL look updates are limited to be sent every 250ms to the camera. This leads to a slight delay during live-grading.When adjusting curve or LUT nodes, the look will be sent as User 3D LUT to the camera. It can take several seconds until the curve and LUT adjustments will be applied in the camera.

To name your nodes accordingly to the camera, you can apply the Sony VENICE 2 look template which is available in CDL and LUT and CDL Advanced grading mode and can be selected by pressing the Look Template button on the right side of the grading mode selector.

Extracting the look#

Extracting the look from a clip that was recorded will then give you

  • an ASC-CDL containing all CDL and Saturation adjustments in one set of values
  • a 3D LUT containing all LUT and Curve adjustments combined in one single 3D LUT

Controlling an ACES look#

Check SDI output#

As a first step, check that your camera’s SDIs are setup correctly:

  • The processing of the used SDI port is set to Look
  • ASC CDL Process is set to CDL Off
  • the User 3D LUT LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube is selected

Live-grade the in-camera look#

When grading a slot in ACES CDL or *ACES Advanced *grading mode with an attached Sony VENICE 2 camera, Livegrade adjusts the LUT part as follows:

  • The whole look will be merged into one single 3D LUT and will be sent as such to the camera’s LivegradeDynamicLUT.cube file
Note: Updating the 3D LUT of Sony VENICE 2 cameras can take several seconds. Therefore, when adjusting an ACES look, it can take several seconds until changes will be applied in the camera.

Extracting the look#

Extracting the look from a clip that was recorded by a Sony VENICE 2 camera will then give you

  • an ASC-CDL containing a neutral CDL
  • a 3D LUT containing the whole look in one single 3D LUT

Permanently store looks in Sony VENICE 2 Cameras#

To save a look permanently on the attached camera, use the action “Permanently Store Look on Device” which can be triggered

  • via the main menu: Slots > [Permanently Store Look on Device]

The look will be stored as follows:

  • The CDL part of the look will be stored as LivegradeCDL.cdl
  • The LUT part of the look will be stored as LivegradeLUT.cube

Last updated: January 26, 2026

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