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PowerGrade

PowerGrade

PowerGrade · Course · LUTs · DCTL

€135

A complete, labelled node tree for DaVinci Resolve rather than a look you cannot open. Log conversion, contrast, halation, print emulation and grain each sit on their own node, so any stage can go to zero without taking the rest of the grade with it.

Format
Labelled .drx node tree
Resolve
18, 19 and 20
Cameras
Six log conversions
Delivery
Instant download
  • The same Madeira laurel forest frame after grading, with deep teal shadows and separated highlights
  • The same alpine ridge frame from inside the tent after grading, with rich greens and a warm red canvas edge
  • The Drei Zinnen peaks after grading, with cool rock and warm alpine light
  • The same alpine lake frame after grading, with soft pastel flowers and a cool valley

Inside the tree

Sixteen nodes. Every one of them comes apart.

This is the tree itself, not a diagram of one: noise reduction, color management, white balance, four parallel corrections mixed back together, then density, masks, skin, print emulation. Follow the signal through it, then take out whatever the shot does not want.

  1. Source
  2. 01. NR
  3. 02. CST IN
  4. 03. WBalance
  5. 04. HIGHs (parallel layer)
  6. 05. SAT (parallel layer)
  7. 06. PRIMARIES (parallel layer)
  8. 07. S-CURVE (parallel layer)
  9. 09. DENSITY
  10. 10. MASKS
  11. 11. SKIN
  12. 12. CORRECT
  13. 13. CST OUT
  14. 14. LUT 1
  15. 15. KODAK
  16. 16. EFFECTS
  17. 08. Layer mixer
  18. Output
00 / 16Waiting on the signal

The overview

A node tree, not a look-up table

A LUT is a look-up table. One fixed transform, applied on top of whatever you hand it, with a strength slider for when it goes too far. That is fast, and speed is the whole of its argument.

A PowerGrade is the tree that made the look. It arrives as nodes, labelled and live, in the order they run. Change the log conversion when the second camera turns up, pull the halation back for dialogue, drop the grain for a 4K delivery. Same look, adjustable at every point where it might not fit.

Use a LUT when the deadline is today and the footage is consistent. Use a PowerGrade when the image has to be right.

How a LUT and a PowerGrade differ in DaVinci Resolve
 LUTPowerGrade
What you getOne fixed transformThe node tree itself, labelled
What you can changeA strength sliderEvery stage, independently, to zero
Switching cameraA different table per cameraSwap the conversion node, keep the look
Halation and grainBaked in, if present at allSeparate nodes, resolution independent
Fixing one shotStart again underneath itReach into the node that is wrong
File.cube.drx
Best atSpeed on a deadlineControl over the final image

In the download

Eight files. One download.

Everything arrives at once, in a single archive, and the link keeps working — including for every future revision of the grade.

  • PowerGrade

    .drx + .dpx

    The full labelled node tree, every stage independently adjustable

  • Full Grading Course

    The whole course, start to finish, included with the grade

  • Creative LUTs

    4 x .cube

    Four looks as .cube, for when a LUT is the faster answer

  • Density DCTL

    1 x .dctl

    Print density as a DCTL, for the colour page

  • PowerGrade Build Explanation

    Node by node, why each one is there and what it is doing

  • Grading Practice Clips

    Real log footage to grade along with

  • Installation Guide

    PDF

    Every platform, with the two settings people get wrong

  • Color Management Settings

    PDF

    The exact project settings, per camera

From the people using it

What filmmakers say about it

  • As someone who dreams of making films, I want the moments I capture to be more than just watchable. I kept chasing something that looked like a film — it was exactly what brings that feeling to life. The results are beautiful, and more importantly, grading stopped being a technical struggle and became a creative game again.
    @bilgesuisikFilmmaker · PowerGrade
  • This PowerGrade gives your footage such rich color and a film-inspired vibe, while also providing lots of flexibility to make it unique to your own style.
    @alinaackwonuFilmmaker · PowerGrade
  • I tried it on some shots from an older commercial, and it made them look way better than my own color grading. My favourite part is how easy it is to tweak the settings and nodes to fit your style — everything is right there, super straightforward. It makes me feel like a pro colorist in no time.
    @kylemarcoeCinematographer · PowerGrade

Watch it work

The tree, node by node

Eight minutes: the import, the node order, and the two settings people get wrong on the first try.

Filmed in Resolve 20 on Apple Silicon.

Questions

Everything people ask before buying

If the answer is not here it is in the full FAQ, and if it is in neither, mail us and we will add it.

How do I install a PowerGrade in DaVinci Resolve?
Open the Color page, right-click anywhere in the Gallery panel and choose Import. Select the .drx file and it appears as a still. Right-click that still and choose Apply Grade, or drag it onto a clip. The whole labelled node tree comes with it — you are not applying a flattened look, you are dropping in the tree itself.
How do I install a .drfx effect?
Double-click the .drfx file while Resolve is closed and it installs itself into the effects library. If Resolve is already open, quit and reopen it — the library is only read at startup. The effect then appears under Effects, in the Open FX category, and you drag it onto a clip like any native effect.
Where do DCTL files go?
On macOS: /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/LUT/. On Windows: C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\LUT\. Drop the .dctl file there, then in Resolve open Project Settings, Color Management, and click Update Lists. The DCTL appears in the DaVinci CTL node's dropdown.
I applied the PowerGrade and a node says the LUT is missing.
That means the .cube files shipped alongside the .drx have not been copied into your LUT folder yet, so Resolve cannot resolve the reference. Copy the whole LUT folder from the download into the LUT path above, then click Update Lists in Project Settings, Color Management. Reapply the grade and the node resolves. This is the single most common install issue, and it is not a fault with the grade.
Do these work in the free version of DaVinci Resolve?
The PowerGrades and every Fusion effect work in the free version. DCTLs — currently Lens Flare — require DaVinci Resolve Studio, because Blackmagic restricts DCTL support to the paid version. Each product page states which of the two it needs.
Which versions of Resolve are supported?
Resolve 18, 19 and 20 on macOS, Windows and Linux. Older projects made in 17 will usually open the grades, but we do not test against it and cannot support it.
Will it work with my camera?
The PowerGrades ship with conversions for Sony S-Log3, Canon C-Log3, Panasonic V-Log, ARRI LogC3, Blackmagic RAW and DJI D-Log. If your camera is not on that list, bring your footage into the same color space with your own conversion first, and the rest of the tree behaves normally.
Can I use these in Premiere Pro or Final Cut?
The PowerGrades and effects are built on Resolve's node graph and Fusion, so they do not transfer. The SFX Pack is plain 48 kHz WAV and works anywhere.
How do I get the files after buying?
The download link appears on the confirmation screen straight after checkout, and the same link is emailed to you. Nothing is shipped and nothing needs to be activated.
I've lost my files. How do I download them again?
Open My files and enter the email address you bought with. You receive a 6-digit login code by email; enter it and every product you bought is there to download again, including the course PDF with your password. No support email needed, and it works years after the purchase.

Download my files →

Do I need an account?
No. Everything is guest checkout. The color grading course is unlocked with a password, which is in the PDF that comes with your download. If you ever lose your files, you can sign in with the email you bought with and download them again.
Are the prices what I actually pay?
Yes. Every price on the site is in euros and is the final amount, tax included. Nothing is added at checkout.
Do I pay again when a product is updated?
No. Revisions go to the same download link you already have, for as long as the product exists.