Red One MX: getting vintage look

[omar robles]

I ve asked this a few times. But I related question. Is it better to try to get the vintage film look through filtration or color grading in post? I dont have lenses to test right now but when i get some i might not have time to do testing.

 

[Nick Morrison]

I ve asked this a few times. But I related question. Is it better to try to get the vintage film look through filtration or color grading in post? I dont have lenses to test right now but when i get some i might not have time to do testing.

That's a complicated question.

1) POST SOLUTION: Yes you can always grade your piece to "look" vintage. You can maybe desat it, and/or lowcon it, and maybe in post add some softening. That could work.

2) IN CAMERA SOLUTION - LENSES: Vintage glass tends to "bloom" and "flare" more than modern glass, also they tend to have unusual bokeh (swirly, busy, nervous) that is very hard to replicate in post. Old lenses do this for you.

3) IN CAMERA SOLUTION - FILTRATION: Some filters like BPM will help bloom your highlights, making them look a bit more "analog" or "filmic". To make something look "period" sometimes WHITE FROST is used (or Pro Mist I guess...I believe it's the Tiffen equivalent). Hitchcock was recently shot on 1/2 WHITE FROST to give it a vintage feel:

4) IN CAMERA SOLUTION - ART DIRECTION AND LIGHTING: Don't forget, how you light and dress your set is also crucial.


So there are lots of variables. Have fun and good luck.

 

[omar robles]

That film was digital? I swore that was film.

Thanks Nick

 

[Nick Morrison]

That film was digital? I swore that was film.

Thanks Nick

Yup. Shot on Epic. Ultraprimes. 1/2 White Frost.

 

[Abo Jassin]

Omar, what type of project is that? If by a vintage look you think of vintage tones, you might wanna look into cross processed looks you can easily dial in to taste with curves in Davinci Resolve for example. And you might wanna play with raising the black point. If vintage is meant as a whole look and not just tones, then, just as Nick said, set design and lighting are key

 

[Hal Long]

If you can get some 70's or earlier glass it would get you on the way to vintage. The K35 Canons and Baltars have a nice feel, but so do the Zeiss standard speeds and Mark 1 Super speeds. If those aren't around or available for you, I've had success using some Canon FD lenses from the 70's and early 80's. They're very similar (identical) in look to the K35's. The SSC era FD lenses also have a nice, warm faded feel. Once you get into the L series they get to be cleaner and more modern.

I love the Black/White Frosts and Classic softs but you might also try to get your hands on a trial of the Tiffen dFX suite. I love the look of the frosts and softs but it's baked in and can't be dialed down in post. The dFX comes very close to capturing the feel of the actual filters without the risk of over softening on set. You also can bounce around between dFilters to fine tune your look in post. Good stuff to geek out on.

Good luck!

H