Using Film Grain Effects in a Unique way: Prequel Trilogy

I have discovered a very easy way to make the prequel films look much better through the application of film grain. I have always thought that artificial film grain was stupid and a waste of time, until I started experimenting with using it for an alternative purpose. Rather than just use it to make the film look like it was shot on film when it wasn’t, I have used it as a very effective means of applying color correction (through correcting the grain effect and NOT the actual scene), and grit, to almost any scene in the prequels. CGI shots that look digital can be transformed into dynamic real-looking shots that look and feel like classic Star Wars. It is amazing to me how little work it has taken me to fix so many of the problems [I encountered previously] with the digital effects.

All of the scenes with obvious blue—screen backgrounds (see: Obi Wan talking to Mace Windu and Yoda in that giant cgi room, or the field surrounded by waterfalls).

FreezingTNT2 said:

Just a point, film grain is distracting and takes you out of the experience, regardless if it’s natural or artificial. Sure, the CGI backgrounds are obviously CGI, but why not make them a bit “blurry” (but not too much) to make them feel less fake?

Counterpoint: I disagree with this entirely. Film grain is not distracting and does not take me out of the experience. In fact, it tends to draw me in more.

Obviously it’s possible to go too far to the point where it is distracting, but in general, the lack of any type of film grain will distract me more than its presence.

FreezingTNT2 said:

Just a point, film grain is distracting and takes you out of the experience, regardless if it’s natural or artificial. Sure, the CGI backgrounds are obviously CGI, but why not make them a bit “blurry” (but not too much) to make them feel less fake?

ChainsawAsh said:

FreezingTNT2 said:

Just a point, film grain is distracting and takes you out of the experience, regardless if it’s natural or artificial. Sure, the CGI backgrounds are obviously CGI, but why not make them a bit “blurry” (but not too much) to make them feel less fake?

Counterpoint: I disagree with this entirely. Film grain is not distracting and does not take me out of the experience. In fact, it tends to draw me in more.

Obviously it’s possible to go too far to the point where it is distracting, but in general, the lack of any type of film grain will distract me more than its presence.

My use of film grain aims not to trick the audience into thinking it is shot on film, it is more to enhance the visuals. I was struck by not only how much more gritty and moody some of the shots looked with film grain + color correction, but by how much better it sold the motion of CGI backgounds.

If anyone has any ideas at all, I would greatly appreciate them.

marsthgodofwar said:

There ya go. Quote my post to see how image embedding works.

Noise or grain helps to make up for the lack of detail on early cgi.

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The shots look good, the grain is a good idea. If grading the grain works for you then go for it, but it limits your possibilities a bit. You can’t adjust shadows or highlights separately, you can’t adjust individual colors and you can’t adjust saturation.

FreezingTNT2 said:

ChainsawAsh said:

FreezingTNT2 said:

Just a point, film grain is distracting and takes you out of the experience, regardless if it’s natural or artificial. Sure, the CGI backgrounds are obviously CGI, but why not make them a bit “blurry” (but not too much) to make them feel less fake?

Counterpoint: I disagree with this entirely. Film grain is not distracting and does not take me out of the experience. In fact, it tends to draw me in more.

Obviously it’s possible to go too far to the point where it is distracting, but in general, the lack of any type of film grain will distract me more than its presence.

So you’re saying modern live-action movies look bland, even if there’s no dreadful color filters applied?

Oh, absolutely.

There are exceptions where the director/cinematographer go “above and beyond” to make the look of their film stand out, but even then, things tend to look artificial and soulless to me.

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Fascinating.
Now it would be interesting to see this in a video.