Making video look like film--you mean that's all there is to it? [example clips]

Usually, achieving a film look is seen as a technical problem, a matter of getting the proper frame rate, grain, lack of interlacing, film gamma, etc. This works well for many projects but isn't the only solution. What if you have really bad video to begin with? Converting bad video to 24p just gives you footage that looks like bad video running at a slower frame rate.

Still, I deal with this problem every day with student work shot by non-DPs and with really cheap DV cameras. I've discovered that what makes the most difference in creating a "film look" is not simulating the technical aspects of film literally, but translating film conventions into video post-production effects. Specifically, it means reinterpreting focus, motion and color for video.

[original]

[effected]

Focus

Depth of field is one of the cinematographer's primary tools. It allows the DP to control the eye, to keep it in the frame, or to show what part of the frame is important. Because it's so hard to control depth of field with a video camera, video often looks flat--equally sharp, equally in focus. One way to simulate film focus is to use your NLE (or a program like After Effects) to blur and darken the outside edges of the video frame. This keeps the eye "in frame" and helps the viewer focus on what's important. Of course, film doesn't really look blurred at the edges. But this simple effect performs the same perceptual function as controlling depth of field. And it often makes a big emotional and artistic difference.

Motion

Many people talk about film's dreamy quality. And indeed, simply slowing down video footage gives it a more abstract, filim-like quality. You can slow footage down a lot and not even notice the difference since the film-like quality of altered time seems so intuitively correct. I'm not talking about the entire video here--only selected shots as needed. And of course this only works when you're not shoooting sync sound.

Color

The usual strategies work here--crushing blacks/whites, pushing (or reducing) saturation. Anything to create a sense of richness, depth or contrast.

More

That's it? Darken the frame edge, adjust color and slow down the footage? This strategy often does work. But the basic idea is consider the problem on a case by case basis and not get stuck into thinking about "film look" as a technical concern. This approach won't fool people into thinking you're shooting on film. But that's not the point. The idea is to try to capture the visceral and expressive quality of film.