Cinema & DI
Bleach Bypass
Silver retention — low saturation, high contrast
What this look does
Bleach bypass retains silver in the emulsion layer, yielding low saturation, elevated contrast, and metallic mids — common in war films and gritty thrillers.
Bleach Bypass is a starting point for colorists and filmmakers — not a one-click replacement for a supervised DI. Use it to align pre-production references, test stills in Coloristic Darkroom, and export a .cube LUT for Resolve, Premiere, or FCP.
When to reach for it
Use when the story needs weight and texture without full monochrome. Skin can look ashen if pushed too far — isolate faces on a separate node in Resolve when finishing for broadcast.
Pair the look with a palette in the generator to assign shadows, midtones, highlights, skin, and accent roles. Export on-set HTML or Resolve CSV so production design, costume, and lighting share the same targets before the grade.