Most theaters at the time still projected movies from 35mm reels, but as DI began to take hold, the high costs and logistical burden associated with transporting, managing, and caring for 35mm reels became an sticking point in the minds of many. Enter film emulation.īy technically and visually profiling specific film stocks, color scientists were able to create specific film emulation LUTs, or Look-Up Tables, which post-production artists could then use to simulate what the final image would actually look like once printed back to film. The only solution was to develop a new method for previewing the final image before it was printed to film. The images shown on the bulky CRT monitors did not accurately mirror what would eventually be projected at the cinema. Creative filmmakers were scanning their film into a computer, manipulating it digitally, and outputting it back to celluloid film for projection.īut there was one huge problem-predicting how the image would look after being printed back to film was very difficult.

Starting in the late 1990’s, something revolutionary in art of filmmaking began to develop-the creation of the digital intermediate process. Even though I will be using Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve, the concepts and techniques we’ll explore are applicable to all NLEs.

In this article, we’ll look into the past to learn about the photochemical process, and use that knowledge to gain a similar look and feel for our footage. Thankfully, even though our workflows are mostly digital now, there are plenty of tools out there to help you emulate that highly sought-after look. Celluloid film, and the creation of motion pictures utilizing the photochemical process, has a highly specific and very nostalgic quality for many filmmakers, myself included.Įven in the era of all-digital acquisition and production, getting that “film look” is still a top priority for many directors, DPs, and colorists.

Magic bullet film