Flanders Monitor Hot Buttons: LUM Coloring False Color Function

When you’re a cinematographer in the throes of production, you must work efficiently and choose the right tools to nail each and every shot. Shane Hurlbut, ASC shows you how to do just that by leveraging the hot buttons on your Flanders monitor.

Shane’s favorite feature to choose for his hot button protocols is the LUM Coloring feature, or what he calls, “Predator Mode.” It’s one of the most powerful functions of the Flanders monitors, not only because it allows you to easily see where all your exposures are, but unlike other monitors it allows you to select your grayscale area. This makes balancing green screens a breeze!

Excerpt from the lesson:

…When Shane toggles on F1, he can easily see the exposure in the image. 

The Lum Coloring feature is one of the most powerful functions of the Flanders monitor. While other monitors have false color, they do not allow you to select your grayscale like with Flanders and SmallHD. 

PRO TIP: Shane uses the grayscale technique when working with green screens and typically works between 25 to 35 IRE. For high-key light balance scenarios, Shane recommends working between 65 to 75 IRE.

When the gray is consistent across the green screen, it indicates that you are perfectly balanced — not too hot or underexposed. 

IRE LIGHTING GUIDE: 25 to 35 — When lighting green screen 25 to 35 — When lighting a low-key environment like a bar 45 to 55 — If there’s more light coming in closer to the bar area and also for backlit day exteriors 65 to 75 — High-key lighting scenarios

Say you select F1 where the Lum Coloring function is in place; it then populates another monitor where you can scroll through every possible function within the monitor. 

So, if you ever wanted to change your function, you would simply select the button you wish to change and then press enter and navigate to the function of your choice.

This video is just an excerpt from the ‘Flanders Monitor Setup & Calibration’ lesson out of Shane Hurlbut, ASC’s DP Cart Collection.

Flanders Monitor Setup & Calibration

Setup your monitor to enhance your efficiency!

When you’re a cinematographer in the throes of production, you must work efficiently and choose the right tools to nail each and every shot.

DP Shane Hurlbut, ASC demonstrates how to set up a Flanders monitor while highlighting his personal preferences, customizations to increase efficiency, and maintenance for longevity.

In this lesson, Shane sets up color OLED monitors — specifically, the Flanders Scientific DM220 and DM160 monitors.

You will learn: About what to consider when setting your monitor’s color management Key considerations regarding SDR and HDR How Shane embeds his LUTs and CDLs A cursory walkthrough of the X-Rite Color Calibrator device Shane’s preferred Hot Button Protocols How to increase efficiency with Velcro tabs How to maintain your monitor for longevity

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