MakeMake lead colorist Jonny Thorpe discusses the technical management of complex HDR and SDR color pipelines in high-end commercial and music video production. He highlights the integration of Baselight and DaVinci Resolve within workflows that bridge color, VFX, and editorial teams.
The expansion of the colorist's role into cleanup and compositing reflects a broader shift toward integrated post-production environments. By handling technical fixes within the grade, studios like MakeMake reduce friction between departments and accelerate delivery timelines for high-stakes commercial campaigns. This trend signals a move away from siloed workflows as grading software capabilities begin to overlap with traditional VFX toolsets. As HDR and SDR deliverables become more complex, the technical management of these pipelines is now as critical as the creative aesthetic. Watch for whether specialized grading platforms continue to absorb secondary VFX tasks to further consolidate the finishing process.
MakeMake's dual-platform approach mirrors a broader trend in high-end post-production where color facilities are combining Baselight and DaVinci Resolve to handle increasingly complex HDR deliverables. Blackmagic Design released DaVinci Resolve 21.1 update in early 2026 with expanded HDR grading tools and improved ACES 2.0 color management, giving colorists more granular control over tone-mapping between HDR and SDR outputs without leaving the timeline. FilmLight, the maker of Baselight, has responded by announcing Baselight 6.0 features at NAB Show 2026 that deepen integration with editorial and VFX pipelines, including improved EXR handling and a new layer-based compositing model that reduces the need for separate cleanup passes in external applications.
The commercial and music video sector, where MakeMake operates, has become a proving ground for these integrated workflows because delivery specifications from brands and streaming platforms now routinely require simultaneous HDR10, Dolby Vision, and SDR Rec.709 masters. Dolby reported in its Q2 2026 earnings call that Dolby Vision content submissions from advertising and short-form creators grew 34% year over year, reflecting the pressure on post houses to manage multiple color pipelines within compressed timelines. Facilities that can consolidate grading, cleanup, and compositing into fewer software passes gain a measurable advantage in turnaround speed, which is why studios like MakeMake are expanding the colorist's technical scope rather than routing work through separate VFX departments.
On the technical side, independent benchmarking has begun to quantify the performance differences between Baselight and DaVinci Resolve for HDR-specific tasks. A 2026 study published by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers compared tone-mapping accuracy across Baselight, DaVinci Resolve, and Autodesk Lustre using standardized HDR test patterns, finding that all three platforms achieved Delta E values below 2.0 for reference-grade SDR-to-HDR conversions, though Baselight showed slightly tighter consistency across nested layer stacks. For colorists like Jonny Thorpe who work across both platforms, the practical implication is that pipeline management decisions now hinge less on raw image quality and more on how each tool handles metadata propagation, version control, and collaboration with editorial and VFX teams upstream.
MakeMake is evolving its color pipeline by integrating Baselight and DaVinci Resolve to handle simultaneous editorial, VFX, and grading tasks. By performing cleanup and compositing directly within grading software, the studio reduces friction between departments, accelerates delivery for high-stakes commercial campaigns, and maintains creative intent across complex HDR and SDR deliverables.
MakeMake utilizes Baselight for non-traditional grading tasks, including cleanup and compositing, which allows the studio to handle technical fixes within the grade rather than routing work through separate VFX departments.
The studio maintains a dual-platform environment to support flexible project delivery, allowing colorists to manage increasingly complex HDR and SDR workflows while maintaining consistency across editorial and VFX pipelines.
Integrating these tasks reduces friction between post-production departments and accelerates delivery timelines for commercial and music video projects that require simultaneous HDR10, Dolby Vision, and SDR masters.
A 2026 SMPTE study found that Baselight, DaVinci Resolve, and Autodesk Lustre all achieved Delta E values below 2.0 for reference-grade SDR-to-HDR conversions, though Baselight showed slightly tighter consistency across nested layer stacks.
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