What Is CINEFILM for Final Cut Pro?

Summary

CINEFILM for Final Cut Pro is a pack of more than 20 cinematic .CUBE presets that load through the Custom LUT effect, with the Mix slider controlling how strongly the look applies. It is a creative look, so in the Video inspector it must sit below any log-to-Rec709 conversion and below your colour corrections. The pack is $30.00, reduced from $48.00, and Final Cut Pro is macOS-only.

What Is CINEFILM?

CINEFILM is a pack of more than 20 cinematic colour presets in .CUBE format, inspired by music-video colour work. Each preset is built around warm skin tones, moody shadows and rich Hollywood-style contrast.

  • More than 20 presets — enough variety to pick per project rather than settling for one house look.
  • .CUBE format — exactly what Final Cut Pro's Custom LUT effect expects.
  • LOG, RAW and Rec709 — all supported, in SDR and HDR workflows, from multiple camera types.
  • Instant digital download — $30.00, reduced from $48.00.

CINEFILM ships as .cube files that also work in Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut and Photoshop, so the look you pick in Final Cut Pro survives a move to another application. For background on how lookup tables actually work, read what a LUT actually is.

How CINEFILM Works in Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro does not use a system LUT folder. Custom LUTs load through a built-in effect that points at a file on disk, so keep the pack somewhere permanent.

  1. Download and unzip the pack — store the .cube files in a stable location such as Movies/LUTs/CINEFILM. FCP links to the path.
  2. Open the Effects Browser — click the Effects button at the top right of the timeline, or press Command-5.
  3. Search for Custom LUT — type "Custom LUT" into the Effects Browser search field. It sits under the Color category.
  4. Convert and correct first — if you shot log, apply your conversion at the top of the clip's effect list and set exposure and white balance in the Color Inspector before adding the look.
  5. Drag Custom LUT onto the clip — or select the clip and double-click the effect.
  6. Load the CINEFILM preset — open the Video inspector (Command-4), find the Custom LUT effect, click the LUT pop-up menu, choose Choose Custom LUT, and select the .cube file.
  7. Check the position in the effect list — the creative look must sit below the conversion LUT. Drag it down if it landed above.
  8. Set the Mix — the Custom LUT effect has a Mix slider. Pull it back until the look reads as a grade rather than a preset.
  9. Spread it across the timeline — set one clip up, press Command-C, select the remaining clips, then Edit > Paste Attributes (Shift-Command-V) and tick Effects.

For a whole-project look, apply the Custom LUT to a compound clip containing the sequence, or to an adjustment-layer-style Motion title placed on a connected storyline above the timeline.

Effect Order in the Video Inspector

Final Cut Pro processes effects top to bottom in the Video inspector. Each effect receives the output of the one above it, which makes the list a literal render order.

CINEFILM is a creative look, so it belongs near the bottom of that list — after conversion and after correction. Applied to raw log data it produces blocked shadows, early highlight clipping and skin tones that will not respond to correction, because the look was calculated for a normalised Rec709 image.

The correct order in a Final Cut Pro clip, top to bottom:

  1. Custom LUT with a log-to-Rec709 conversion — such as Apple Log LUTs — ProRes Log to Rec709 Conversion for iPhone Apple Log. Omit this if you shot Rec709.
  2. Colour corrections — Color Wheels, Color Curves and Hue/Saturation Curves for exposure, white balance and contrast.
  3. Custom LUT with CINEFILM — the creative look.
  4. Finishing effects — grain, halation, vignette, sharpening.

One quick check: if the image looks brittle and no amount of correction below the look makes it behave, the look is probably sitting above something it should be under.

Tips for Final Cut Pro Editors

  • Use the Mix slider properly — it is the only intensity control the Custom LUT effect has, and it is the difference between a grade and a filter.
  • Save an effects preset — once a clip has the conversion, correction and look stacked correctly, right-click in the inspector and save the effects preset for reuse.
  • Watch the scopes — open the video scopes with Command-7 and check the waveform once the look is applied. High-contrast presets clip sooner than a bright display suggests.
  • Keep the .cube files where they are — moving or renaming the folder after loading will break the effect's file reference.
  • Match before you style — get shots matching each other in correction, then apply one look at one Mix value across the scene.
  • Pair with texture — a contrast-heavy look reads more like film with a subtle bloom on the highlights, such as Halation.

Conclusion

In Final Cut Pro, CINEFILM is a Custom LUT effect placed below your conversion and correction, with the Mix slider doing the fine-tuning. Convert, correct, then style, and use Paste Attributes to keep a scene consistent. CINEFILM — Cinematic Film LUT Pack gives you more than 20 cinematic .CUBE presets for $30.00, reduced from $48.00, as an instant digital download.

FAQ

Q: How do I apply CINEFILM in Final Cut Pro?
A: Add the Custom LUT effect from the Effects Browser, then in the Video inspector open the LUT pop-up menu, choose Choose Custom LUT and select the .cube file.

Q: How do I reduce the strength of the look?
A: Use the Mix slider on the Custom LUT effect in the Video inspector.

Q: Where should CINEFILM sit in the effect list?
A: Below any log-to-Rec709 conversion LUT and below your colour corrections. It is a creative look, not a transform.

Q: Can I apply it to several clips at once?
A: Yes. Set one clip up, copy it, select the rest and use Edit > Paste Attributes with Effects ticked.

Q: Does Final Cut Pro run on Windows?
A: No, Final Cut Pro is macOS-only. The .cube files themselves also work in Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut and Photoshop.

Q: Can I use the look on monetised YouTube videos?
A: Yes. The licence covers personal and commercial use and is pre-cleared for YouTube. Broadcast requires an extended licence.