I have some V-log footage where color grading and applying a LUT has made it a bit grainy. I'd like to reduce that with Neat Video. But my question is, which do I apply first?
Do I apply Neat Video on the V-log footage, and then apply a LUT? Or, do I apply a LUT and color correction, and let Neat go to work on the more visible grain and noise?
Always apply the denoiser first.
Raw footage -> Neat Video -> LUT/Grade/CC/..
There is also an option in Neat Video when applying it on log-footage.
Nothing will explode if you denoise as the last step (or right before adding any film grain). its up to you as-needed.
And if you denoise as the last step, you can always drag the filter earlier in the chain. Doing just about anything in the editor after enabling Neat video on footage gets pretty painful.
I've tested it both ways. The differences are subtle, but it's definitely better if you apply Neat first in the chain. Here's why - applied correctly, Neat genuinely reduces noise. Another way of saying that is the signal to noise ratio goes up. You actually have more signal to work with on all subsequent operations. This makes a difference. It's not night-and-day better, but it is better.
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