I've been seeing all kinds of recommendations (apparently something happens in the video conversion so the results don't match still images), unfortunately the recommendations don't include the subject or lighting so i'm still clueless (and i'm a photograper, not videographer and have only shot RAW for 4 or 5 years).

can anyone explain what happens to the picture styles in video and give me a starting point for wildlife settings?

I've been seeing all kinds of recommendations (apparently something happens in the video conversion so the results don't match still images), unfortunately the recommendations don't include the subject or lighting so i'm still clueless (and i'm a photograper, not videographer and have only shot RAW for 4 or 5 years).

can anyone explain what happens to the picture styles in video and give me a starting point for wildlife settings?

You can apply picture settings to raw images using Canon software. May I suggest you start learning that way? I am in the same boat as you and I am dreading the effort of learning them.

my concern is that from what i've read, the picture styles i apply to RAW or JPEG images are not going to look the same in video

my concern is that from what i've read, the picture styles i apply to RAW or JPEG images are not going to look the same in video

I'd like to know where you read that. My experience and the Canon manual claim the results will be the same with stills and video.

I'd like to know where you read that. My experience and the Canon manual claim the results will be the same with stills and video.

My experience too.

I've definitely noticed a difference - for instance, dropping contrast all the way down in video mode is almost required, whereas pictures I've taken with the profiles like that end up with slightly flat, greyish highlights that don't look natural.

I've found them to be identical IF you're comparing video to sRGB (not Adobe RGB) JPEGs. If you're shooting RAW, the final image is dependent on your RAW converter, not the Picture Style (Aperture, Lightroom and ACR ignore Picture Styles).

Picture Styles are very powerful and not that complicated. If you can use Curves in Photoshop, you can create your own style with the Picture Style Editor software.