Last Updated on 11/16/2017 by Anthony Thurston
It’s not just about presets or filters, achieving a realistic film emulation goes much deeper than that. (featured image screencapture from the video. All credit to DSLRguide)
For many photographers who grew up using film or maybe learned their skill with film just before the rise of digital technology, film still holds a special place in their heart. If given the opportunity to use film without all the caveats that come with it these days (limited options, limited availability, sending out to a regional lab), many would choose to do so. This is a similar story for filmmakers, many of whom have moved onto digital camera technology not because of its superiority, but because of its affordability and simplicity.Simply put, for all but the big movie studios, shooting a movie on film is a project-killing proposition – it is simply too expensive and not feasible at all. However, it is possible to replicate the film look with your modern digital camera; and obviously it’s not perfect, but you can get fairly close – depending on the film look you are trying to emulate. Simon, over at DSLR Guide, has put together this quick 5-minute video on how to achieve that Super 16 look with the video you are creating in your DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
As you can see, it’s not just about applying filters or presets and calling it a day. Sure, you may be able to mimic colors and tones doing that, but your footage will still look much better than any 16mm footage you would have shot in that situation. You have to account for things like shutter speed, sharpness, grain, and flicker. These seemingly ‘little things’ are what can really take your footage over the line and into the arena of actually doing a realistic job of mimicking the 16mm look you are trying for.
Presets are good and all, but that is only one piece of the equation. By taking what Simon has to say in his video to heart you can actually do what you set out to do. Make sure and check out Simon’s channel DSLRGuide over on Youtube for more great content like this.