SMT 100 — Core Principles

Foundational constraints governing colour systems, exposure philosophy, and workflow design.

SMT 101 — Exposure Is Structural

You cannot invent photons. Exposure choices define the signal ceiling, the noise floor, and the grading latitude. Finishing can shape interpretation, but it cannot recover missing capture.

SMT 102 — LUTs Are Constraint Systems

A show LUT is not “the look.” It is a constraint envelope: contrast behaviour, highlight roll-off, and chroma limits. A good LUT preserves optionality for finishing and keeps decisions reversible.

SMT 103 — Neutrality Preserves Narrative Control

Restraint is not flatness. Colour is an allocation problem: decide what gets to be colourful, and what must stay readable. Faces are narrative anchors; protect structure and let spectacle live around them.

SMT 104 — Colour Exists Within Systems

Scene-referred pipelines, display transforms, trims, and perceptual models are not aesthetic preferences. They are architectural constraints that determine how colour is interpreted, preserved, and delivered.

SMT 100 Scope

SMT 100 defines principles and decision constraints. Implementation patterns live in SMT 200 — Systems.