Magic Bullet Looks

Tools Drawer

Now that you understand how to operate the Tool Chain, let’s turn to where and how all of Looks’ tools are stored: the Tools Drawer. As with the Looks Drawer, you can open the Tools Drawer by mouse-overing or clicking on the word TOOLS in the bottom-right corner. You can also press the T key to toggle the Tools Drawer open and closed.

The Looks Tool Drawer with the Selective and Color Correction categories expanded.

The Tools Drawer is organized into four categories. Each tool category affects a different aspect of your shot. As noted previously, Looks has its own preferences about where to place your tool selections on the Tool Chain, but you are free to override and reorder this.

We will explore the different specific tools in each category in this guide’s Working With Tools section. For now, here’s a quick overview to whet your appetite.

Selective Tools

These tools are what filmmakers commonly used when acquiring footage in the field. Such tools include exposure, contrast ratio, and dimming specific image areas. You use selective tools in Looks as you would make the sort of adjustments you would make on set.

Visit the Selective Tools section to learn more.

Camera Tools

Camera tools focus on practical effects caused by camera hardware, especially lenses. Sometimes, these phenomena are accidental, such as shutter streaks. Other times, they can reflect intentional add-ons, such as star and diffusion filters.

Visit the Camera Tools section to learn more.

Color Correction Tools

Color correction tools pertain to the post-production process. These tools can help bring your colors back to how they looked on the set. Many Looks color correction tools mirror the tools common to profession post-production computers, including color wheels and qualifiers as well as primary and secondary correction tools.

Visit the the Color Correction Tools section to learn more.

Film Tools

Film tools mimic the qualities exhibited by different film stocks — there are 22 of them in Looks — as well as the lab processes used in developing them. For a sub-five-minute spin through implementing some of these features, check out this video from Maxon Chief Creative Officer Stu Maschwitz.

Visit the Film Tools section to learn more.