THE FILM LOOK: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL?
The Film Look
What is it, and why do modern filmmakers strive to emulate it in the digital age?
In the world of cinematography, the term "Film Look" carries a certain reverence. You will see it referred to often on social media, and here at Rowe Films, we often utilise film emulation in our work.
“The Film Look” conjures up images of classic movies, rich textures, and an almost tactile quality to visuals that seem to elevate storytelling. But what exactly is the "film look," and why are modern filmmakers striving to recreate it in the digital age? Is it simply nostalgia, or is there more to it than that?
What Makes Film Special?
For decades, celluloid film was the standard for capturing motion pictures. Visually, shooting on film provided several unique characteristics:
Dynamic Range: Due to the physical nature of how images are captured on film, and how the film is then processed, it can handle highlights and shadows gracefully with a smooth rolloff. This gave film the ability to retain detail in both the brightest and darkest areas of a frame and render them smoothly, in a way that even the most advanced of digital camera sensors can’t, even to this day.
Organic Grain: Unlike digital noise, film grain has a uniform, random quality that adds texture and life to an image, making it feel less clinical and more organic.
Colour Science: Film inherently reproduces colors in a beautiful way. Each type of film stock (Kodak, Fujifilm, etc.) had its own distinct colour palette, providing filmmakers and cinematographers with artistic choice.
Softness and Depth: Film's slightly softer resolution of detail, compared to today's super sharp, high resolution digital sensors, contributes to its overall ‘cinematic’ feel.
The Rise of Digital Filmmaking
Digital filmmaking has come a long way since its inception, bringing undeniable advantages: affordability, convenience, and flexibility. Modern digital cameras with their sharpness, high dynamic range, and ease of use, are now the standard. Not to mention being able to review a shot on the back of the camera in an instant, as opposed to having to send film off for processing at the end of a shoot day!
However, as digital technology improved, many filmmakers began to notice something missing. Something that is still quite hard to describe in words - the intangible qualities that made film so magical.
Emulating the Film Look in the Digital era
Modern cinematographers and colourists have developed techniques to bring some of the characteristics of film back in digital filmmaking. Here’s a few examples:
Film Emulation Software: Tools built into editors such as DaVinci Resolve, as well as third party plugins such as FilmConvert and Dehancer, allow filmmakers to replicate the analog characteristics of film, such as the grain, colours, and dynamic range of specific film stocks. Further, more advanced tools such as Dehancer Pro allow you to replicate the way highlights bloomed on certain film stocks, how specular highlights caused halation, and even emulate the way a film reel would move through a projector, known as Gate Weave. Pretty remarkable stuff!
Grain Overlays: Simply adding digital grain as an overlay in post-production mimics the texture of film. It’s subtle and simple, and doesn’t come close to replicating the full range of film characteristics, but it certainly adds a film-like texture to any image.
Lens Choices: Vintage lenses with technical imperfections (by modern standards) and unique characteristics can recreate the softness and flares associated with classic films. I will be doing a separate post soon on Vintage Lenses, and why they are making a comeback in modern filmmaking!
Dynamic Range in Cameras: The first digital cameras had terrible dynamic range, meaning they could only capture a limited image before either highlights blow out, or shadows crush to black. However digital camera sensors have come on a very long way since then. Modern digital cameras are now able to capture a much wider dynamic range, meaning that the full spectrum of the image captured is finally getting close to that of analog film performance.
Color Grading: Manipulation of colour in post-production can recreate the richness that film is known for. Many filmmakers will manually grade their images to resemble the way film stocks rendered colour, and there are lots of Look Up Tables (LUT’s) available on the market to help filmmakers and colourists to achieve the look. Including our own, available here on Rowe Films Store!
Why the Film Look is loved
One iconic example of a popular film stock emulated by filmmakers today is Kodak 2383, a truly legendary motion picture film stock loved for its distinctive colour rendition and deep contrast.
Often used as a print stock for film distribution, it has a signature look characterised by rich, deep blacks, beautiful colour rendition, and smooth highlight rolloff. The stock's slight bias toward cooler tones and enhancement of blue tones lends it a classic ‘cinematic’ quality, making it a favorite for filmmakers aiming to achieve a look in keeping with some of the cinematic greats of times gone by.
Even in the digital era, Kodak 2383 remains an industry benchmark, inspiring countless LUTs and film emulation tools that strive to replicate its iconic aesthetic.
If you ever recall watching a movie and loving it for its beautiful colours, chances are, it may have been a Kodak 2383 print. Notable examples include:
"Minority Report" (2002): Directed by Steven Spielberg, this film utilised the rich blacks and neutral highlights characteristic of the 2383 stock.
"Interstellar" (2014): Christopher Nolan's epic space exploration film (one of my personal favourites of all time) definitely benefited from the film's dynamic range and colour fidelity, contributing to its immersive experience and epic look.
"Dunkirk" (2017): Also directed by Nolan, the intense combat sequences were rendered with the vivid colours and deep blacks that 2383 is known for.
"The Matrix Reloaded" (2003) and "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003): These sequels employed the 2383 stock to maintain the iconic high-contrast aesthetic of the original film.
"Inception" (2010): Nolan again! This mind bending thriller showcased the film stock's ability to handle complex visual effects with clarity and depth. A truly stunning film and one of Nolan’s best.
The Best of Both Worlds
In my opinion, ‘The Film Look’ isn't just about nostalgia alone. It's about art. In the same way that a painter uses colour and tone to evoke certain feelings, so too does a cinematographer. Film has a psychological impact on viewers that is almost felt more than it is seen, and for that reason, it’s super hard to describe in words. It makes us feel something, even if we struggle to explain what that feeling is.
For filmmakers today, emulating the film look is not just about aesthetics but about crafting an experience that gets as close as possible to emulating the feel and magic of cinema over the decades. Even in a world now dominated by digital technology, the desire to replicate the ‘soul’ of film reminds us that filmmaking is, at its core, an emotional art form.
It remains to be seen if the organic, analog process of shooting images onto celluloid film will ever, or can ever, be truly replicated in a digital medium. However, modern technology is definitely getting us ever closer to that holy grail, and talented developers are always coming up with new and fascinating ways of getting us there.
While celluloid film photography and cinematography are becoming more and more out of reach today, digital filmmakers can at least obtain somewhat of a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario; harnessing the efficiency and accessibility of digital image making, with the timeless beauty of film-like characteristics.
To find out more, check out Tommy’s review of the superb analog film emulation plugin, Dehancer Pro: