I mainly work with Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve throughout the offline and online stages of post-production. On a few projects I've also worked with other grading systems, such as Baselight, but Resolve has become the standard software for me.
Working daily with both has given me a good appreciation for the strengths of each application. I love the speed, flexibility and editorial workflow of Premiere Pro, while Resolve shines when it comes to colour management, ACES workflows, RAW media, EXR sequences, masking, tracking and finishing. More importantly, working in both applications has given me a much better understanding of the software I'm conforming to, which I think is one of the most useful skills an Online Editor can develop.
An editor doesn't need to become an expert Colourist or master every page inside DaVinci Resolve, Baselight or another finishing system, but understanding how these applications are organised, reconnect media and manage colour spaces makes conforming, troubleshooting and communication with the next department considerably smoother.
It all starts with a conversation
Like every other conform, I like to begin with a short conversation with the Colourist and the Post Producer. Every project has its own workflow, and spending a few minutes aligning expectations at the beginning usually prevents hours of unnecessary work later.
We discuss the final deliverables, whether the project is intended for broadcast, cinema, streaming or social media, the colour pipeline being used, camera formats, colour spaces, the preferred XML workflow and how the graded material will be delivered back to editorial, including format, handles and colour space. Every Colourist has their own preferred way of working, so understanding that workflow before exporting anything is one of the easiest ways to avoid unnecessary surprises.
Review the Picture Lock
Before preparing the conform, I always watch the approved Picture Lock one more time, but at this stage I'm no longer reviewing the edit creatively. I'm looking at the project through the Colourist's eyes: is this definitely the approved version, are all the correct shots present, are there temporary graphics still visible, have all editorial changes been signed off and are the latest VFX versions already in place?
If something changes after grading has started, the conform becomes considerably more chaotic, so spending a few extra minutes reviewing the edit at this stage can save a lot of time later.
Preparing the XMLs for Conform
One of the first decisions I make is how the grading timelines should be organised, and there isn't a single correct answer. Sometimes I prepare one timeline containing every shot used throughout the project, while other times I create separate timelines for each edit or group of edits. The decision usually depends on the production and, whenever possible, on the workflow agreed with the Colourist and Post Producer.
For documentaries, fiction and most long-form productions, one timeline containing the complete Picture Lock is normally enough. Commercial projects are often different. If several products, locations or visual concepts exist within the same campaign, I may separate them into dedicated grading timelines. For example, one timeline may contain all the material shot inside a studio, while another contains outdoor material for a different product.
Keeping visually similar shots together can help the Colourist compare lighting conditions and maintain consistency across the campaign. Whenever possible, I still preserve the editorial order of the shots; the objective isn't to reorganise the edit completely, but to create timelines that make sense for grading. If there's no practical benefit in forcing every locked edit into a single XML, I simply don't do it.
Before exporting, I also make sure the project is ready to reconnect to the original camera media. Working with proxies during offline editing is completely normal, but grading should normally happen using the highest-quality camera originals available.
I pay particular attention to the metadata used for relinking, including filenames, source timecode, reel or tape information and any other identifiers connecting the offline clips to the original media. This becomes especially important on productions where different camera cards may contain duplicate filenames, so I avoid unnecessarily renaming or modifying the camera originals during the conform stage.
Check the VFX status
Before anything goes to grade, I also check the latest VFX tracker. The Colourist needs to know which shots are final, which are temporary and whether they should be grading the original plate, the latest comp or both.
This is particularly important on commercial projects where VFX versions can continue changing very close to final delivery. There's little benefit in grading a shot perfectly if a new VFX version arrives the following day, so the tracker should make the current status of every relevant shot immediately clear.|
Export Package for Colour Grading
Once the timelines are prepared, I create the delivery package for the Colourist. The XML becomes the bridge between the offline edit and the grading application, allowing the edit to reconnect back to the original camera files.
In Adobe Premiere Pro: File → Export → Final Cut Pro XML
In DaVinci Resolve: Timeline → Export → Final Cut Pro XML
After exporting an XML from Premiere, I also check the FCP Translation Results report. XMLs don't understand everything that happens inside an edit, and Premiere will normally flag elements that couldn't be translated correctly. Looking at that report takes very little time and can reveal potential problems before the files reach the Colourist.
Checking the conform in Resolve
After exporting the XML, I normally import it into DaVinci Resolve myself before handing anything over. At this stage I reconnect directly to the original RAW or camera media, not the proxies used during offline editing, and check that every shot links correctly and that the reconstructed timeline still matches the approved Picture Lock.
This is where the reference export becomes essential. I prefer adding metadata burn-ins containing source filename, source timecode and sequence timecode, then compare the conformed Resolve timeline against the reference while checking shot order, edit points, clip durations, reframes, crops, speed changes, freeze frames and other editorial decisions.
If the Colourist opens the project and immediately has to start fixing conform problems, then I've simply moved part of my job onto them.
Not everything survives an XML
Even on well-organised projects, XMLs don't always behave perfectly. Nested sequences, speed ramps, Dynamic Link compositions, multicam clips, third-party plugins, stabilisation, complex transitions and other timeline effects may not translate exactly as expected.
This is where the Online Editor needs to decide what should be preserved, rebuilt or baked. Simple transforms such as repositioning or scaling may travel correctly, while more complex effects sometimes need to be recreated after grading, rendered as separate elements or supplied with clear references.
Speed ramps deserve particular attention. A basic constant-speed change may translate without problems, while a complex ramp can behave very differently between Premiere Pro and Resolve. I never assume that because something exists correctly in the Premiere timeline, the XML will reproduce it perfectly. The reference movie remains the source of truth.
Carrying the intended look
Colour space is only part of the conversation. If editorial or dailies were using a show LUT, CDL, custom transform or another viewing pipeline, I make sure that information reaches the Colourist as well. They shouldn't have to reverse-engineer the intended look from a compressed reference MP4.
If the production has an ACES Metadata File (AMF), I'll include that too. AMF isn't something I receive on most of the productions I work on, but when it exists it can provide a much clearer record of the ACES colour pipeline and intended look across departments.
Depending on the project, the package may therefore include show LUTs, CDLs, CLF files, AMFs, camera colour-space information or relevant viewing-transform notes. Anything that helps explain how the editorial reference was being viewed is useful.
A typical grading package for me includes:
XML;
Picture Lock reference MP4 with metadata burn-ins;
Editorial or grading notes;
Relevant LUT, CDL or AMF information when available;
Updated VFX tracker;
Updated post-production tracker;
Delivery specifications;
Deadline and delivery schedule;
XML;
Picture Lock reference MP4 with metadata burn-ins;
Editorial or grading notes;
Relevant LUT, CDL or AMF information when available;
Updated VFX tracker;
Updated post-production tracker;
Delivery specifications;
Deadline and delivery schedule;
XML isn't always the answer
XML is my preferred way of conforming for colour grading, but it isn't the only option. For certain projects, particularly those containing complex compositing or effects that don't translate reliably between applications, a high-quality pre-conformed master can sometimes be used instead and then separated into shots using scene-cut detection or an EDL.
Personally, this isn't my preferred workflow. Whenever possible, I want the Colourist working from the original camera media because it gives much greater flexibility with RAW settings, colour information and shot adjustments. Still, there are situations where a pre-conformed master is the cleaner or safer option, and that should always be agreed with the Colourist before anything is exported.
What comes back from the Colourist
Once grading is complete, the workflow returns to the Online Editor. When working with an external grading facility, I usually ask for the DaVinci Resolve project and/or grading timelines whenever possible, together with DRX files.
Having the grading project gives me considerably more freedom later. If a new VFX version arrives, I may be able to drop it into Resolve and reapply or adjust the grade. If I suddenly need a clip with extra handles, I can export it myself without having to send another request back to the Colourist. That freedom can save a lot of time during finishing.
I also like receiving CDL files when they're part of the workflow, especially if another Colourist may need to revisit the project later. A CDL is useful for carrying basic primary colour decisions and look information, but it isn't a replacement for the complete grade. Complex node structures, Power Windows, tracking, qualifiers, curves and OFX require the actual grading project or DRX information.
Individual graded clips
For the graded media itself, I generally prefer receiving individual trimmed clips rather than a single rendered master timeline. Depending on the agreed workflow, those clips may arrive as EXR image sequences, ProRes 4444, ProRes 422 HQ or, less commonly in the type of work I usually handle, DPX.
I also normally request handles. For most of my work, I tend to ask for 5 or 10 frames on each side, and quite often I prefer 10 frames in + 10 frames out. Those extra frames become useful during finishing if a transition changes slightly or an edit requires a small adjustment.
If I'm finishing the project in Premiere Pro, I normally convert EXR sequences into ProRes before ingesting them. When working entirely inside DaVinci Resolve, I usually keep the EXRs.
Codec isn't the whole specification
Knowing that a clip is ProRes 4444 or EXR isn't enough; I also need to know what colour space and encoding those files represent. A ProRes file may be Rec.709, Log or another working space, while an EXR may be ACEScg, Linear or something else entirely.
This becomes particularly important when transferring graded media between Resolve and Premiere Pro. Before ingesting the returned renders, I confirm the colour space and transfer characteristics so the files are interpreted correctly.
A high-quality codec without knowing what the image represents is only half a specification.
Back to the Online Editor
Then comes one of my least favourite parts of the process: replacing the graded shots, checking that every clip is exactly where it should be and restoring editorial details such as motion, repositioning, scale, opacity changes, effects and complex speed ramps.
It's not especially difficult, but it can be extremely time-consuming. There are round-trip workflows that try to automate parts of this process, but in my experience they don't work reliably enough on every project, particularly when Premiere effects, complex reframes or speed ramps are involved. Because of that, I still prefer maintaining control over the finishing timeline and checking everything properly.
Maybe one day someone will build the perfect conform tool. I'll happily use it.
Final thoughts
A successful colour conform is measured by how little the Colourist needs to think about the conform itself.
Whenever possible, I even import the XML into DaVinci Resolve myself, reconnect the original media and prepare the grading project before handing it over. If I can remove technical problems before that stage, the Colourist can spend less time fixing XML errors, searching for missing RAW files, checking incorrect VFX versions or solving colour-management problems, and more time doing what they are actually there to do: create the final look and feel of the film.
And that's exactly what a good conform should achieve.
