LATEST RELEASES
04-02-2025 – Test Strip (DCTL)
03-08-2025 – Gradient Test Ramps (DCTLs)
02-24-2025 – Stretch (DCTLs)
02-12-2025 – LOOK / LAB / PRINT – UPDATE (DCTLs)
12-26-2024 – Border – (DCTLs)
12-18-2024 – RGB Split Tone – UPDATE (DCTLs)
12-11-2024 – Reverse Engineering the Grade – UPDATE (Course)
11-07-2024 – Middle Gray (DCTLs)
10-22-2024 – Film Elements (DCTLs)
09-20-2024 – Utility DCTL – UPDATE (DCTLs)
07-30-2024 – Articles (Web)
06-24-2024 – Aspect Ratio Calculator (Tools)
06-09-2024 – Color Palette (DCTLs)
06-01-2024 – Color Shaper (DCTLs)
05-24-2024 – Hue Twist & Bend (DCTLs)
04-30-2024 – Color Shift v3.0 (DCTLs)
04-10-2024 – GRID (DCTLs)
Hi, I’m Stefan Ringelschwandtner
Welcome to MONONODES
Silence (2016) / Directed by Martin Scorsese / © Paramount Pictures
REVERSE ENGINEERING THE GRADE
“Reverse Engineering the Grade” started as a personal project where I gathered behind-the-scenes stills and compared them with the final shots from a film. My goal was to recreate the movie’s final look as accurately as possible while keeping the node tree simple and clean. This approach eventually turned into a course with the same name. In the course, I walk students through the process—analyzing scope data, building an easy-to-follow node structure, and developing a stronger understanding of color harmony
BLOG
In my blog, I focus on practical techniques and real-world insights for professional colorists. You’ll find discussions on film grain, halation, lens characteristics, and the fundamentals of color management. I also offer guidance on evaluating LUT quality and provide a “DaVinci Resolve Starter Pack” with tips drawn from my own experiences. Additionally, I share downloadable sample footage so you can experiment, practice, and refine your own grading approach. Each post is designed to help you sharpen your skills and make more informed creative decisions.
DCTLS / TOOLS
In this selection, you’ll find my personally developed film damage generators and 16mm overscan looks. Discover a range of DCTLs I’ve developed, each tailored for specific facets of the color grading process. The “Color Shift DCTL” is a look development tool designed to generate rich, dense, and filmic colors. The “RGB Crosstalk” and “Hue Twist” DCTLs serve distinct purposes – the first provides a solution for preserving neutral colors during RGB channel adjustments, while the latter, the “Hue Twist” DCTL, introduces a unique method to shift hue values based on brightness values. Also available is the “Utility DCTL” pack, featuring tools like the “Balance DCTL” – developed to analyze and manage skin tones and color deviations in your visuals.
Have fun discovering the site.
If you have any questions / suggestions / comments, feel free
to contact me anytime at stefanATmononodesDOTcom