The LOG Workflow for Indie Film: What It Is and Costs

The 6TB Delivery That Stopped the Edit

A DP shoots an indie feature in ARRIRAW LOG on an ARRI ALEXA Mini. They deliver 6 TB of ARRIRAW footage to the editor. The editor's workstation has 32 GB of RAM and a 4 TB internal drive. The editor cannot play the ARRIRAW footage in real time. The footage requires a workstation with 64 GB or more of RAM and a RAID array delivering 1,000-plus MB per second read speed. The editor must create proxy files at one-quarter resolution ProRes Proxy to cut. The proxy generation takes 48 hours. The 6 TB of ARRIRAW requires 6 TB of backup storage, meaning 12 TB total across two copies. The post infrastructure cost: two 8 TB RAID arrays at $1,600, proxy generation at 48 hours times $50 per hour equals $2,400, and a colorist who can handle ARRIRAW at $150 per hour instead of $75 per hour for ProRes.

Choose LOG without understanding the post costs and you create infrastructure expenses and workflow delays that can exceed $5,000 to $10,000 in unbudgeted post spending. The DP got maximum image quality but did not account for the post infrastructure the format demands.

This post covers what LOG is, why it matters, and what it costs in post. The recommendations draw on Colorist Society International LOG workflow standards and ARRI color science documentation for LogC encoding.

How the LOG Workflow Actually Works

The LOG workflow has five key facts that determine your storage, processing, and post costs.

What LOG is. LOG, or logarithmic encoding, is a method of encoding image data that allocates more bits to the shadows and midtones where the eye is most sensitive, and fewer bits to the highlights where the eye is less sensitive. The result is a flat, low-contrast image that appears gray and washed out on a monitor but contains maximum tonal information. LOG captures 12 to 15 stops of dynamic range compared to 7 to 9 stops for Rec.709. The colorist grades the LOG footage in post, adding contrast, saturation, and color to create the final look.

LOG formats by camera. Each camera manufacturer has its own LOG encoding. ARRI uses LogC, available in ARRIRAW or ProRes LogC. Sony uses S-Log3, available in RAW or XAVC. RED uses REDLogFilm in R3D RAW. Blackmagic uses BMD Film Gen 5 in BRAW. Each LOG format is slightly different, and the colorist needs to know which one the footage uses to apply the correct IDT, or input device transform.

Storage cost. LOG footage, particularly RAW LOG, is significantly larger than standard video. ARRIRAW at 4K records approximately 1 GB per minute, or 60 GB per hour. ProRes 4444 LogC at 4K records approximately 500 MB per minute, or 30 GB per hour. ProRes 422 at 4K records approximately 200 MB per minute, or 12 GB per hour. For a 90-minute feature shot at a 10:1 shooting ratio: ARRIRAW requires 54 TB. ProRes 4444 LogC requires 27 TB. ProRes 422 requires 10.8 TB. Use the Storage Footage Calculator to calculate your specific needs.

Processing cost. LOG RAW requires more processing power to play and edit. ARRIRAW at 4K requires 64 GB or more of RAM, a RAID 0 or SSD array delivering 1,000-plus MB per second read speed, and a dedicated GPU like an Nvidia RTX 3080 or better. ProRes 4444 LogC at 4K requires 32 GB of RAM, a standard SSD at 500-plus MB per second, and a mid-range GPU. ProRes 422 at 4K requires 16 GB of RAM, a standard SSD, and any modern GPU. Editors who cannot play LOG RAW in real time must create proxies, which adds 24 to 48 hours of proxy generation time before editing can begin.

Post infrastructure. LOG RAW requires a colorist with a workstation that can handle the format. A colorist who grades ARRIRAW charges $150 per hour. A colorist who grades ProRes 4444 LogC charges $100 per hour. A colorist who grades ProRes 422 charges $75 per hour. The format you shoot determines the colorist tier you need, and that tier drives a significant portion of the post budget.

Three LOG Workflow Scenarios

Scenario 1: ARRIRAW 4K, 90-minute feature, 10:1 shooting ratio.

Storage: 54 TB, requiring two copies at 108 TB total. That means 14 8 TB drives at $200 each, totaling $2,800. Proxy generation: 48 hours at $50 per hour equals $2,400. Colorist: $150 per hour for 40 hours equals $6,000. Total post infrastructure: $11,200. The production gets maximum color flexibility and the widest dynamic range, but the post budget must absorb over $11,000 in infrastructure costs.

Scenario 2: ProRes 4444 LogC 4K, 90-minute feature, 10:1 shooting ratio.

Storage: 27 TB, requiring two copies at 54 TB total. That means 7 8 TB drives at $200 each, totaling $1,400. Proxy generation: not needed, because ProRes 4444 plays in real time on 32 GB of RAM. Colorist: $100 per hour for 40 hours equals $4,000. Total post infrastructure: $5,400. Savings versus ARRIRAW: $5,800. The production retains 95 percent of the color flexibility of RAW at half the storage and infrastructure cost.

Scenario 3: ProRes 422 Rec.709 4K, 90-minute feature, 10:1 shooting ratio.

Storage: 10.8 TB, requiring two copies at 21.6 TB total. That means 3 8 TB drives at $200 each, totaling $600. Proxy generation: not needed. Colorist: $75 per hour for 40 hours equals $3,000. Total post infrastructure: $3,600. Savings versus ARRIRAW: $7,600. The tradeoff: Rec.709 has less color flexibility in post. The colorist has less room to adjust exposure and color, because the format bakes in contrast and saturation at the recording stage.

Recording Formats and Post Costs Compared

The table below compares the five most common recording formats for indie features. Storage figures assume a 90-minute feature at a 10:1 shooting ratio, with two backup copies.

The total post cost column is the number that determines your format choice. The gap between ARRIRAW and ProRes 4444 LogC is $5,800, and the gap between ProRes 4444 LogC and ProRes 422 is $1,800. The color flexibility you gain by moving up the table costs real money at every step.

How to Choose and Set Up Your LOG Workflow

Step 1: Determine the delivery requirements. Does the platform require RAW, or is ProRes acceptable? Netflix prefers RAW. Most indie distributors accept ProRes 4444. Confirm with your distributor before choosing a format.

Step 2: Determine the post budget. Can you afford RAW post infrastructure at $10,000-plus? If not, shoot ProRes 4444 LogC at approximately $5,400. If the budget is very tight, shoot ProRes 422 at $3,600 with less color flexibility.

Step 3: Calculate storage needs using the Storage Footage Calculator. Budget for two copies: the original and a backup. For a 90-minute feature at 10:1, ARRIRAW needs 108 TB across two copies. ProRes 4444 LogC needs 54 TB.

Step 4: Check the editor's workstation. Can it play the format in real time? If not, budget for proxy generation at 24 to 48 hours. Use the Codec Storage Calculator to compare formats and their processing requirements.

Step 5: Find a colorist who can handle the format. Ask about their workstation specifications and their hourly rate. A colorist who grades ARRIRAW needs a workstation with 64 GB of RAM and a calibrated reference monitor. A colorist who grades ProRes 4444 LogC needs 32 GB of RAM and a calibrated monitor.

Step 6: Shoot a test. Record 5 minutes in the chosen format. Deliver to the editor and colorist. Verify the format plays and grades correctly on their workstations. Discovering workflow problems after the shoot costs time and money that a 5-minute test would have caught.

Step 7: Use the Color Temperature Calculator to understand how LOG footage relates to color temperature settings on set. LOG footage does not bake in white balance the way Rec.709 does, so the colorist adjusts color temperature in the grade.

Step 8: If shooting LOG, use a LUT on set. A LUT, or lookup table, adds contrast and color to the flat LOG image so the director and DP can evaluate exposure and lighting on the monitor. Without a LUT, the LOG image looks gray and washed out, and exposure decisions based on that image will be wrong.

Step 9: Deliver the footage to the colorist in the original LOG format. Do not convert to Rec.709 before the grade. Converting LOG to Rec.709 discards tonal information that the colorist cannot recover.

Pro Tips and Common Mistakes

Pro Tip: Shoot ProRes 4444 LogC instead of RAW if the post budget is under $10,000. ProRes 4444 LogC retains 95 percent of the color flexibility of RAW at half the storage and infrastructure cost. Most editors can play it in real time on 32 GB of RAM without proxies. For indie productions without a dedicated post budget, this is the format that balances quality and affordability.

Pro Tip: Use a LUT on set when shooting LOG. LOG footage looks flat and gray on a monitor. A LUT adds contrast and color so the director and DP can evaluate the image. Without a LUT, the director sees a washed-out image and may request lighting changes based on an inaccurate monitor picture. Load the camera's manufacturer LUT or a custom show LUT into the monitor before the first setup.

Pro Tip: Test the full workflow before the shoot. Record 5 minutes in the chosen format, deliver to the editor and colorist, and verify the format plays and grades correctly. Discovering that the editor's workstation cannot play ARRIRAW after you have shot 54 TB is a $5,000 problem. Discovering it after a 5-minute test is a 10-minute conversation.

Common Mistake: Shooting RAW LOG without budgeting for post infrastructure. RAW requires 5 times the storage of ProRes 422, twice the processing power, and twice the colorist rate. Not budgeting for these creates $5,000 to $10,000 in unbudgeted post costs. The fix: calculate the full post infrastructure cost before choosing the format, and shoot ProRes 4444 LogC if the budget cannot absorb RAW costs.

Common Mistake: Not using a LUT on set when shooting LOG. The director and DP cannot evaluate a flat LOG image, and they may make exposure and lighting decisions based on an inaccurate monitor image. The fix: load a manufacturer LUT or custom show LUT into the monitor before the first setup, and check that the LUT is active on every monitor the director and DP reference.

Common Mistake: Delivering LOG footage to the colorist in Rec.709. Converting LOG to Rec.709 before the grade discards tonal information, and the colorist cannot recover the lost range. The fix: deliver the footage in the original LOG format. The colorist applies the IDT, grades in the working color space, and renders the deliverable in the required output format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LOG in film production?

LOG, or logarithmic encoding, is a method of encoding image data that allocates more bits to shadows and midtones and fewer bits to highlights. The result is a flat, low-contrast image that contains maximum tonal information. LOG captures 12 to 15 stops of dynamic range versus 7 to 9 stops for Rec.709. The colorist grades the LOG footage in post to add contrast, saturation, and color. Each camera manufacturer has its own LOG: ARRI LogC, Sony S-Log3, RED REDLogFilm, Blackmagic BMD Film Gen 5.

Should I shoot LOG or Rec.709?

Shoot LOG if you need maximum color flexibility in post and your post budget can absorb the infrastructure costs. Shoot Rec.709 if you need fast turnaround, have a tight post budget, or are delivering content where color grading is minimal. For indie features with a post budget under $10,000, ProRes 4444 LogC is the practical middle ground: it retains most of the color flexibility of RAW at half the cost. For corporate video or event coverage with same-day delivery, Rec.709 is the right choice.

How much more storage does LOG require?

RAW LOG is approximately 5 times larger than ProRes 422. ARRIRAW at 4K records 60 GB per hour. ProRes 4444 LogC at 4K records 30 GB per hour. ProRes 422 at 4K records 12 GB per hour. For a 90-minute feature at a 10:1 shooting ratio with two backup copies, ARRIRAW needs 108 TB, ProRes 4444 LogC needs 54 TB, and ProRes 422 needs 21.6 TB. Use the Storage Footage Calculator to calculate your specific needs.

What infrastructure do I need to edit LOG footage?

For ARRIRAW at 4K, you need 64 GB or more of RAM, a RAID 0 or SSD array delivering 1,000-plus MB per second read speed, and a dedicated GPU like an Nvidia RTX 3080 or better. For ProRes 4444 LogC at 4K, you need 32 GB of RAM, a standard SSD at 500-plus MB per second, and a mid-range GPU. For ProRes 422 at 4K, you need 16 GB of RAM, a standard SSD, and any modern GPU. If your workstation cannot play the format in real time, you must create proxies, which adds 24 to 48 hours before editing can begin.

Related Tools and Resources

The Storage Footage Calculator calculates your storage needs from codec, resolution, shooting ratio, and runtime, so you can budget drives before the shoot instead of buying them mid-production. For codec comparison, the Codec Storage Calculator compares formats side by side with processing requirements. For color temperature planning on set, the Color Temperature Calculator helps you understand how LOG footage handles white balance differently from Rec.709.

For the full storage cost breakdown across RAW, ProRes, and H.265, RAW vs. ProRes vs. H.265 Storage Cost Comparison covers the per-terabyte economics of each format. For the set-to-colorist handoff process, Footage Handoff From Set to Colorist covers what the colorist needs and how to prepare your footage. For the lighting decisions that interact with LOG capture, Lighting for Indie Film covers how LOG changes your on-set lighting approach.

The Colorist Society International publishes LOG workflow standards and post production infrastructure guidelines at coloristsociety.com. ARRI color science documentation and LogC encoding technical reference materials are available at arri.com.

LOG Gives Flexibility, but the Post Budget Pays for It

LOG gives maximum color flexibility but costs more in storage, processing, and post infrastructure. ARRIRAW requires $11,200 in post infrastructure for a 90-minute feature. ProRes 4444 LogC requires $5,400. ProRes 422 requires $3,600. Choose based on your delivery requirements and post budget. Use a LUT on set. Test the full workflow before the shoot.

LOG is not always the right choice. For a fast-turnaround production or a tight post budget, ProRes 422 may be the better trade-off. The color flexibility you gain by shooting LOG only pays off if the post infrastructure can support it.

What LOG workflow problem did you encounter, and what would the cost calculation have told you before the shoot?