Change List

Version 2.0 change summary

Version 2.0 is a near total re-write of the 2017 handbook, rebuilt as a maintained wiki with technical guidance updated through July 2026. It adds current mastering, color-management, distribution, and archival workflows while preserving the handbook's focus on practical decisions for independent productions.

New chapters

• A Filmmaker's Guide to DI and VFX
• Post-Production Planning for Independent Film
• Distribution Deliverables for Independent Film
• Detailed Production Workflow
• Assigning and Approving Color Management
• DCP: The Digital Cinema Package
• Color Management and OpenColorIO
• The Academy Color Encoding System (ACES)
• Application-Native Color Management
• HDR Mastering
• IMF: The Interoperable Master Format
• Technical Specifications
• Low-Budget Case Studies

General updates

• Replaced 2017 camera examples with current ARRI, Sony, RED, Blackmagic Design, and Canon systems.
• Updated Apple ProRes, Avid DNx, OpenEXR, DPX, H.264/H.265, AV1, and JPEG 2000 guidance.
• Updated HD, UHD, 2K, 4K, Flat, Scope, aspect-ratio, and frame-rate guidance.
• Updated Rec.709, BT.2020, DCI X′Y′Z′, camera gamut, transfer-function, and white-point material.
• Added guidance on when an independent production should budget HDR before a sale.
• Added shared coordinate-grid guidance for faster, less ambiguous VFX review notes.
• Added a worked VFX turnover count sheet and downloadable Codebook-generated Excel example.
• Added current SMPTE, ITU, Academy, DCI, ISDCF, AMWA, and VFX Reference Platform references.
• Rebuilt figures from the original source artwork and added current workflow diagrams.
• Reorganized the handbook into shorter, searchable chapters with consolidated cross-references.
• Reorganized the handbook into a filmmaker-facing core guide, production guide, and advanced technical reference.
• Added page metadata, canonical URLs, structured data, llms.txt, and a complete Markdown corpus.
• Added automatically rebuilt EPUB and PDF editions for offline use.
• Made handbook figures expandable in a full-screen, keyboard-accessible lightbox.

Version History

Version 2.0 remains in development. When it is released, its publication date and change summary will be frozen. Later changes will be documented as a patch release such as 2.0.1 or a minor release such as 2.1.

Version	Date	Notes
2.0	Release pending	Rebuilt as a maintained wiki with current DI, VFX, mastering, delivery, and archival guidance.
1.0.1	7 November 2017	Corrected typos and removed an erroneous blank page.
1.0.0	7 June 2017	First public release.
0.9.4	28 May 2017	Added image-processing workflows and imaging-science refinements.
0.9.3	25 April 2017	Revised graphics.
0.9.2	18 April 2017	Revised figures, added the Cineon transfer function, and corrected layout.
0.9.1	10 February 2017	Added display and camera color-space figures.
0.9.0	20 December 2016	Initial limited release.
0.1.0	30 August 2016	Initial draft.