Tutorial: Film Look

In this tutorial we look at the process of creating a Film Look or Progressive Frame Look in 844/X. This one of those effects that's used more and more to simulate the look of film for footage originally shoot as interlaced. However we will not be covering the addition of grain, dirt and scratches, this tutorial is more about simulating the progressive nature of film as opposed to the interlaced look of video.

This tutorial will work just as well on an 844/Xi and 844/Xe and does not require the xBlur option.

To start you'll need a piece of interlaced footage. When experimenting with this effect, it best to choose a shoot that has some movement in the scene, like a pan or fast moving object, you won't probably notice much of a change with a shoot such as a talking head.

The following examples are a section of a frame before and after our Film Look effect.


Original Image - Showing interlaced lines


Effected Image - Interlaced lines removed

Step 1: Create a new timeline and place a clip in vision track 1, V1. Remember to choose a clip with some movement to ensure you get to see the result of the final effect.


Step 01 - Clip on timeline

Step 2: So we can see the effect before and after the effect has been applied, place a copy next to the original clip in V1.


Step 02 - Copy of original clip in V1

Step 3: Select the filter icon on the second clip in V1 to bring it into the parameter editor.

Step 4: Go to the Project window and select the filter tab. Once you have opened the library tab (where we find all your plug-ins) open the Video (Built-in) Library. In there you'll find all the built-in (844/X harware based) effects. We are going to use the Strobe effect.


Step 04 - Open "Video (built-in)" Library

Step 5: Make sure we have the second clip that we placed on the program timeline active in the parameter editor, drag the strobe filter from the library window in to the filter section of the parameter editor.

We are going to use the strobe filter to manipulate the field setting of the clip.


Step 05 - Strobe filter placed in Parameter Editor

Step 6: With the strobe filter selected in the parameter editor change the settings as follows. Freeze 1, Black 0, Second Field (see image below).

Using these settings will remove field one, give use a full frame of field 2.


Step 06 - Strobe filter settings

At this point, we have created a progressive frame look, however we have only used half the image to create it (field 2, AKA draft mode in Media 100 i). In the next steps we add the first field back into the final image to give us a more film like effect.

Remember to hit the process icon to view the result.

Step 7: Place a copy of the orginal clip in V2, above our affected clip, which should be sitting in V1.


Step 07 - Copy of original clip in V2

Step 8: Place the strobe filter onto the clip in V2 and use the following settings. Freeze 1, Black 0, First Field (see image below).

We have now created a full frame of field 1, the next step is to combine our 2 frames together, clips on V1 and V2.


Step 08 - V2 clip filter settings

Step 9: To combine the clips together, select the Composite filter for the clip in V2 and adjust the opacity to 50%.

Once you've hit the process icon, this will give you a full frame of field 1 and 2 combined into a single progressive frame, AKA Film look.

You can also use this process for an entire program, simply place program you wish to effect into a new program, and follow the steps above.

Tutorial created on 844/X version 3.02.