Grading dslr footage to look like 35/16mm film

[Jacobsanmartin]

Ok so I've been using cineplus cinema picture style along side ive Lotus picture style both being a Kodak vision2 kind of in camera grade. I usually tweak them a bit in post but for the most part they are very good and quite cheap honestly but that's not what I wanted to talk about. What do you guys think about grading footage to look like 35 or 16mm film? I'm not talking necessarily "the film look" but I mean making footage actually look as if it was shot on film. What techniques do you use? Any type of workflow/grains you recommend? Is it overrated to go for this look and how often do you do this kind of grade?

[AaronChicago]

Try Filmconvert. They match most DSLR camera profiles to actual film stocks. It's the most realistic option available in my opinion.

[fuzzynormal]

There's plenty of digital effect techniques to emulate film stock, such as the one Aaron mentions, but the processes used in camera are the bigger step, I think, for getting one's footage to appear to have been shot on stock.  Make sure you don't over look that part of the equation.  You have to emulate, as best you can, the kind of cameras those film stocks would have been run through.

 

DOF, but not too much.  The correct shutter speed.  Proper lens selection.

 

It's a big recipe with a lot of ingredients to make the meal you're considering.  You can't just pop something into the microwave and heat it up if you want it to be satisfying.

[Jacobsanmartin]

I film with a canon t4i wich is crop and I've heard it's censor is closer to 35mm then ff cameras are is that true? I also use as I said before the cineplus color style on camera as well as shoot through an anamorphic (isco ultra star) not the greatest lens but it's sharp and it let's me shoot anamorphic for cheap. I use mostly a Olympus 50 1.8 as the taking lens but just bought the helios 44-2 for more of a vintage feel from my glass. I shoot 24fps and 47 shutterspeed with ML. Do you think this set up would be considered the right ingredients?

[fuzzynormal]

Do you think this set up would be considered the right ingredients?

 

Yes, everything except I'd shoot around f4-f5.6.  That's where most cinematographers do their shots.  BTW, I'm in San Diego as well.  What part of town are you doing stuff?

[fuzzynormal]

closer to 35mm then ff cameras are is that true?

 

Yes indeed.  Full Frame is really nice for low light stuff, but has a unique quality to is that's unlike most motion picture footage...especially when you shoot full open iris.  Anything below a f4 on FF is too exaggerated for me.  Looks cool, but it's not always appropriate.

 

So unless you're going for that dramatically shallow DOF for creative purposes, best to keep the DOF under tighter control.

 

Which is good for you because:  The sensor size(s) of various APS-C cameras are close to 35mm motion picture (not stills) film.

[Jacobsanmartin]

Hey fuzzynormal I'm in 92114 pretty close to downtown but more towards lemon grove, that's exciting to hear that my apsc is closer to the film emu that I want without having to spend more cash on a ff camera I just got filmconvert (I've read about it before on pblooms site) and I'll try and test some stuff very soon