55mm
Digital Film Tools
From the very name of this collection, one would assume something related to camera optics. Indeed, a significant element of the film process (some might even say the most essentially component of the film process) lies in the filtration at time of shooting and in variations in process.

55mm contains 20 filters each designed to simulate various filters (which, granted, you could achieve in shooting video by dropping the appropriate filter over the camera lens) and one process (which by definition could only be simulated electronically).

First, to that process: Bleach Bypass is a technique from the film lab for which its devotees pay dearly. Essentially, when the film is processed, skipping the bleach stage retains silver together with the film's color dyes. Effectively, a black and white image is then superimposed over the color image. This allows for increased contrast along with reduced saturation. The three parameters of the filter control amount (intensity of effect), amount (image saturation) and contrast (higher or lower).

Bleach Bypass Before

Bleach Bypass After

In no particular order, I'll turn next to the Faux Film filter, giving the video a "film look" in reduced contrast, glow around highlights and added grain. Parameter adjustments include Glow (brightness, blur and color), Grain (by RGB, both size and color), color corrections and matte. The excellent accompanying PDF documentation includes a step-by-step How To in achieving the Faux Film look.

Faux Film Before

Faux Film After

Common to just about all the filters are several general controls, the understanding of which is crucial to using the plug-ins. There is a choice of final or draft rendering. Rendering times can be long, so a draft render at least helps in visualizing the final output. Composite modes give a choice of add or screen mode. Most of the filters have their own color correction controls which include hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, gamma and RGB controls.

But what is most crucial here is understanding the matte concept. In many of the plug-ins, the plug creates a matte which generates the ultimate effect. The matte has parameters of Position, Range and Blur. The Position parameters does not mean physical position, as we are accustomed to thinking in motion terms (this is a hard-one to grasp at first) but rather selects the values to be included in the matte. The higher the value, the more white values from the source image are included in the matte. Once this luminance position has been selected, range allows the selection of literally the range of values included in the matte.

Fortunately, any filter operating via a matte has the option to view just the matte. This matte view is essential for determining the matte which influences the entire effect.

Matte View of Image

Output View of Image

Finally, one little check box sets this collection apart from many others-Force 16-bit processing. By processing in 16-bit as opposed to 8-bits, the gradations of pixel values are proportionately smoother, virtually eliminating any banding. Of course, that increases rendering tie significantly but it is well worth the processor cycles.

Let me just highlight a few of my favorite filters from this collection:

Mist-

Mist Before

Mist After

This creates an effect similar to a Black Pro Mist filter on your lens. Play with the parameters for effectively the value of the Black Pro Mist Filter.

ND Grad
I recall being in a "learning shoot" where we were lighting a narrow corridor and had a few hotspots which were very difficult to control. And we needed a wide shot of that corridor. The experienced DP had in his arsenal a graduated ND filter which he placed in a matte box over the camera lens. By manually moving the position of that graduated ND filter, he was able to even out the values in the shot. Of course, there is no solution for badly-shot, blown out parts of video. But the application of this ND Grad filter in post can help balance widely-diverse differences within the shot.

ND Grad Before

ND Grad After

Polarizer
Apply the Polarizer filter and adjust the parameters to help achieve that darkened, blue sky with lots of cloud contrast. Don't think you will totally restore a blown out sky, but it can make a well-exposed shot even more dramatic.

Polarizer Before

Polarizer After

Bad Shot Before Polarizer

Bad Shot Slightly Improved By Polarizer

Skin Smoother
I produced a PSA some 25 years ago in which the talent in one scene, a very vain 50-ish woman insisted that the camera operator "put something on that lens to make me look twenty years younger." The result, of course, was such a mismatch of shots that I am thrilled I no longer have a U-Matic player to view that tape I have been schlepping around most of my life, it seems. But, a little Pro Mist effect combined with the shot-matching possible now in our digital world would have made her happy and would have even produced something pleasant for the viewer. I really like this one.

Skin Smoother Before

Skin Smoother After

Digital Film Tools is a division of a film service company and they truly understand film. These excellent filters provide the FCP and AE user a means of bringing film-like camera filtration and process to the desktop in a stable package which functions consistently without crashes or surprises. If you require this kind of look in your video, 55mm is a well-invested $195. Check out the web site for additional examples and, take my word for it-their advertising claims are true.

copyright © Ned J. Soltz 2002-2003