Assimilate Scratch

Assimilate Scratch
Name	Assimilate Scratch
Developer	Assimilate Inc.
Released	2008
Latest release	9.x
Programming language	C++
Operating system	Windows, macOS, Linux
Genre	Color grading, digital cinema, post-production
License	Commercial

Assimilate Scratch is a professional digital cinema and post-production application used for color grading, conforming, compositing, and finishing workflows. It is adopted by facilities, studios, festivals, and cinematographers for high-resolution grading alongside tools from Blackmagic Design, Adobe Systems, Avid Technology, Autodesk, and Foundry. The application integrates into production pipelines for feature films, television series, commercials, and streaming content delivered by companies like Netflix, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros., and Walt Disney Pictures.

Overview

Scratch is positioned among professional systems such as DaVinci Resolve, Nuke, Flame (software), Quantel, and Colorfront Transkoder. It supports digital camera formats from manufacturers including ARRI, RED Digital Cinema, Sony, Canon Inc., and Panasonic Corporation. Post houses and finishing suites used by groups like Technicolor, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Company 3, Light Iron, and MPC (company) have employed Scratch for dailies, online finishing, and HDR delivery. The software interfaces with standards and organizations such as SMPTE, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ITU, and Digital Cinema Initiatives.

History and Development

Development began at Assimilate Inc. with contributions from engineers and colorists who previously worked with systems from Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic, and Pixar. Early releases competed with legacy systems from Silicon Graphics and post workflows established by Technicolor PostWorks. Over successive versions, Scratch added features inspired by advances in color science from entities such as ARRI Alexa, RED One, and projects funded by European Broadcasting Union. Major milestones included native raw support for ARRI ALEXA XT, GPU acceleration comparable to developments by NVIDIA Corporation and AMD, and integration with ACES workflows promoted by the Academy Color Encoding System initiative. Industry events where Scratch was demonstrated include NAB Show, IBC (conference), Cine Gear Expo, and screenings at festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.

Features and Functionality

Scratch provides tools analogous to those in DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro but with distinct realtime compositing and playback optimized for high-resolution media from RED Weapon, ARRI Alexa LF, Sony Venice, and large-format scanning systems from Scanlab. Key capabilities include multi-layer color grading, node-based compositing similar to Nuke workflows, stereoscopic 3D support used on projects with facilities like MPC Film, HDR mastering aligned with Dolby Laboratories and HDR10+, and IMF packaging for distributors such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Pictures. Scratch also supports LUT management from vendors like Baselight, dynamic metadata handling used by Camera Original Data Files, and realtime GPU-accelerated effects developed for OpenColorIO pipelines.

Workflow and Integration

Scratch integrates into dailies and finishing chains alongside editorial systems from Avid Technology and finishing suites built around Autodesk Flame. It supports interchange formats including EXR, DPX, ProRes, MXF, and AAF for conform operations with VFX houses like Framestore, Wētā FX, and ILM (Industrial Light & Magic). Color pipelines using ACES involve collaboration with colorists affiliated with Deluxe, Company 3, and independent practitioners who have worked on titles distributed by Netflix and HBO. On-set and remote workflows can involve color management hardware from Blackmagic Design, realtime playback with servers from Aspera (company), and cloud delivery via services like Amazon Web Services used by post facilities.

Technical Specifications

Scratch leverages GPU acceleration using drivers from NVIDIA Corporation and AMD, supports high bit-depth processing (16-bit, 32-bit float), and handles high-resolution formats up to IMAX and beyond using tiled EXR and DPX sequences common in scanning from companies like Lasergraphics and ARRI Rental. It supports ACES color spaces, OpenColorIO configuration, and color transforms informed by standards from SMPTE ST 2065-1, SMPTE ST 2084, and ITU-R BT.2020. Playback and output conform to DCI specifications used in theatrical distribution, as well as streaming delivery profiles defined by Netflix Delivery Specifications and broadcasters such as BBC and Sky Group.

Licensing and Availability

Scratch is distributed commercially by Assimilate Inc. with licensing models for single-seat, facility, and enterprise deployments comparable to offerings from Blackmagic Design and Autodesk. Training and certification programs for colorists and finishing artists are offered through accredited schools and workshops that also provide curricula for University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and specialized academies associated with FXPHD and industry trainers. Hardware bundles and turnkey systems have been assembled by post vendors and integrators like Barco (company) and Christie Digital Systems for grading theatres and screening rooms.

Reception and Use Cases

Professional colorists, DI supervisors, and finishing artists at facilities like Company 3, Technicolor, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Light Iron, and boutique studios have used Scratch on feature films, episodic television for HBO, Netflix, and commercial campaigns for brands managed by agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy and BBDO. Reviews in trade publications like Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, Post Magazine, and technical analyses presented at SMPTE conferences and NAB Show workshops have highlighted Scratch for realtime playback, robust raw handling, and integration into ACES pipelines. Practitioners cite comparable workflows to systems from Blackmagic Design, Foundry, and Autodesk for finishing tasks on projects released by Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and independent festival films.

Category:Color grading software