The film look, with a film camera.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Quick note. When we were looking at the highlights, we were looking at EI 200 on the Alexa. I “matched” both cameras as to not get too confusing here. I will be posting more tests, in controlled scenarios, but in the meantime you can have a look at one of our scenes at different ISOs, where we can see the highlight differences, here: media.discordapp.net/attachments/1123080500601434265/1189673826351579153/stripe.jpg?ex=668ef617&is=668da497&hm=c69e8d8ca4d138eaed766378810a74b6b5b5dae1d22a89d893f35c97c05a04f5&

[@alex_smkp]

That clarifies my confusion about matching. Because with a higher ISO on Alexa Mini you should be able to achieve a better highlight rolloff, right?

[@GencoUney]

While doing all this you're using DaVinci's "tone mapper" during conversion which is garbage. Also you're looking at the log footage directly when comparing the "raw". Looking at log footage is looking at spreadsheet of numbers, apply a view transform which is for your display and never look at log footage directly. AgX Resolve, OpenDRT, JzDT are free DCTLs which will allow you to do this and control it nicely. Is there any way we can access the raw footage to see it for ourselves?

[@The_Daliban]

Quick question: Is there any chance we can purchase some frames of the scenes as test footage to play around with? That way you could make some cash back and we could enjoy the luxury 🙏🏻😬 Maybe? Just realized you might want to release that with your upcoming grading tutorial😅👌🏻 If you want to at all, of course

[@mystarafilms]

As Arri themselves will explain every chance they get, changing the EI on the Alexa alters your dynamic range profile. Going down EI essentially just shifts your dynamic range, it doesn't change the overall sensitivity of the sensor the way changing film stock does. From memory at EI 200 you should get 2 extras stops of detail in the shadows, and 2 less in the highlights which would explain your results with clipping. The same is of course true in reverse, shooting EI 1600 gets you extra range into the highlights at the cost of increased noise in the shadows, as it will double your noise floor.

[@jaketg1080]

Blaine. Your content is absolutely definitive of trimming the fat. Straight up useful information and knowledge, no waffle. Huge appreciation for real creators like you that also work in the industry and can actually apply their knowledge and also are learning in a professional setting

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thank you so much! That means a lot as I definitely actively try and trim the fluff.

[@jaketg1080]

@@BlaineWestropp1 your videos have always been concise and information dense so just know it’s very appreciated :)

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you thank you :)

[@cokebottles6919]

Love this. The range is crazy on film, and I've been wanting someone to do a direct comparison. I sometimes feel a little spoiled just shooting on Alexa, given what clients are willing to pay in my area. Film would be a whole new level and would require some real salesmanship. Glad you got to make this, and I hope you're able to use film on your coming project!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thank you! I really love it. The Alexa is definitely my original love, and will continue to love it, but I definitely want to shoot some commercial projects on film. Going to try and make it happen!

[@AllgoodthingsTv]

At 5:47 in the top left of the frame, if you look at the detail on the blue lamp attached to the wall you can see the significant difference in sharpness between the Alexa and the film camera. That may be what some people are going for, but as someone who shot film by necessity through much of the 90s, it's interesting to see how easily people are willing to forego what was the holy grail to film shooters back in those days - sharpness! People were paying a lot of money to try to find the sharpest lens they could, but film will never be as sharp as digital. And I'm not talking about sharpening in post, I'm talking about straight out of the camera.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

yes it definitely has a softness to it, I still felt like I could get a sharp image, I was using a master prime though.

[@g1234538]

@@BlaineWestropp1 Seems completely unrelated to the film. Looking at the full clip he just posted, it's just the lens. That same lamp gets sharp when stopped down. Either it's missed focus or the lens is softer at wider apertures. Because there's been a TON of Super35 content that when scanned at 4k are ridiculously sharp.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Yep. I was also moving focus a little bit and a slight move may be the reason for that lamp being out.

[@YuvalAloni]

Are we going to see 35mm film only KZbin videos from now on? yes please.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

It’s either that or my iPhone…

[@JoeyVantes]

Amazing my friend. Beautifully done. Thanks

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you ☺️

[@MichaelSchmidt_UrbnPxl]

pure awesomeness ... that highlight roll-off on film is pure magic

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Absolute magic

[@loveinthelandfill1124]

Is there a way to replicate film highlight roll-off in digital videos?

[@Mobius1_]

This is incredible. I shoot 2 different YT channels on digitally, but love stills on film. To see someone posting 35mm videos here is absolutely amazing. You're going to blow up.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

🫡😇 more to come..

[@g1234538]

I've been diving into the subject of film's ability to retain highlights. Yeah, with the "toe" of negative film's characteristic curve you don't want to rely on bringing stuff from the shadows as much. Two important notes: exposing for the shadows, or merely increasing exposure, not only lets you take advantage of the latitude to not end up with murky shadows, but also because you're exposing more silver it should appear less grainy. The exact amount you can overexpose differs based on sources, but Tim Parkin has done tests of Portra stocks which are very similar to the Vision 3 stocks and he's shot scenes containing 18+ stops of information. He's measured Portra 400 at 17-19 stops of DR. Some figures people have given about other films and slide films are even limited by the scanner! Excellent comparison, this was really great to watch!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Wow this is amazing info. For my next test I will definitely push harder on the film. 4 stops is really nothing.. even for most digital sensors. 250D up next!

[@86Sheephead]

Slide film has far inferior dynamic range compared to neg film such as Portra. If you over-expose slide you're gonna have a bad time.

[@g1234538]

@@86Sheephead That's right. I'd only mentioned slide film because I was mentioning scanning. The very dense parts can have more information that may be harder to get with less capable scanners. It was only another example, not saying it has the same DR as negative film.

[@83442handle]

Whats natural about film highlights is that it overloads gracefully into white. With digital it towards white and simply clip as soon as they get there and there is no gradual overload. Film self-masks as it gets more exposed it gets less sensitive to light so it makes it just a little harder to overexpose that particular grain....basically the crystal structure of film gets less sensitive as it nears capacity so there is more light needed to go from 9/10 to 10/10 than there was to go from 8/10 to 9/10. With digital it records each time light hits a pixel until it's full then records nothing.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Great info here!

[@theDyingArts]

This is dope dude. The first dozen music videos I directed in the 00s were all shot on ARRI 435s ... I can't explain the feeling of attending the film transfer (after nervously waiting for processing) and seeing what we'd shot as it was graded. Pure magic. It looked like a movie, it was all right there. Sadly once RED cameras came out I never shot on film ever again. This was great to see it side by side an Alexa.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

The film really does look nice. That’s cool you shot a bunch of music videos on film. Would love to see them..!

[@tilleyyellit]

Wow! I’m so glad someone had the funds to make this video! Need more 35mm videos!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

:) more to come!

[@complexity5545]

As someone who used to copy film to digital in the early 2000s, my god, film editing is time-consuming and horrible. Digital is actually better at sampling and post production since 2011.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

where did you do that process? tell me more!

[@gusatvoschiavon]

​@@BlaineWestropp1guess we will never know

[@Bajinowhere]

Please reply @complexity5545

[@BlaineWestropp1]

@@gusatvoschiavon still waiting 😢

[@audaz5186]

film highlight rolloff is crazy, nice video

[@BlaineWestropp1]

its wild. I love it.

[@kidcoma1340]

With all these discussions about film vs digital, AI art vs traditional art, and so on, people often forget that art is not just about the end result, but about the process as well (for many artists, the process is actually THE most important thing) I think we are at a point where we can emulate the film look 99%, and soon we get tools where we can achieve that even faster. But this video did a great job of capturing the magic that shooting film can be. And of course this alone already changes the end result in a positive way.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I totally agree with ya. The process is very different shooting on film, and it is something I enjoy. As mentioned, it changes my focus in a good way.

[@rizzo-films]

Love this so much. Us prosumer KZbinrs have been chasing the film look for so long that I feel like we’ve gone away from it in a way. It’s super interesting to actually look at film side-by-side with one of the best cinema cameras out there. I learned first on film (shooting it and editing by hand) so it’s surreal to return to it like this. Also reminds me of how much I still love film. It’s a little flatter but richer in its own way. Not better or worse, just its own kind of beauty.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I think l you nailed it. Not better or worse, just different. Also, that’s cool that you cut by hand. I’ve never done that!

[@LarsGoldbachDP]

Eye- and information-candy!!! Thanks so much for this Blaine!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you thank you :) more to come!

[@LFPAnimations]

I think 16mm is the sweet spot. Modern scanning tech is so good that super16 can look very clean and also Arriflex SR2 works well for handheld work. Super16 is also much less expensive than 35mm.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I have been eyeing the SR2. I think you are right. I really like 35, but I do think 16 is nice and has a great look and is more doable

[@CinePals]

That was a fun inspiring video. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and share your experience, really enjoyed it.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey! thank you so much :)

[@keith-knittel]

The best and most straighforward film vs digital video I've ever seen! Love the comparisons and looking forward to the next videos

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you Keith :)

[@WasabiNoise]

Legend! I’ve always bern curious about this. Looking forward to a video where you try to match the film look.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

stay tuned... its coming!

[@SamMcGhee]

A. Thank you for the cost analysis. B. This made me respect both 35mm film AND my Alexa so much more just seeing the similarities. This confirms my choices. C. I want the LUT you're creating. 🤤

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hahah stay tuned, its coming!

[@lumbum_]

This is incredible. Thank you. And low key the best ad inclusion. The ai audio link goes crazy. Thank you for that.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Haha thank you! This was my first time doing that (an ad inclusion). Also the link match is really awesome. Used it for the music in this video.

[@xiiiconcepts]

I said it several months ago, and I’ll say it again, Blaine to the moon! Thanks for your insight and enthusiasm.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you thank you :))

[@Apatura123]

Can't wait to see more!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Me too. Gonna be fun!

[@Asomers322]

Wow Blaine. This is top notch. Thanks for sharing these extremely valuable little nuggets

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you 😉

[@emilthilsing]

My favourite channel atm. No doubt!!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you so much:) that means a lot. More to come…

[@DenezP]

Very interesting video, but I'm wondering if shooting at ISO 200 on the Mini LF was the best setting for a Dynamic Range comparison. Woundn't Shooting at ISO 800 with a 0.6 ND be more truthfull, especially when comparing the Highlight Roll-off? Can't wait to see your next video!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Here is a shot from the Alexa at other ISOs from the same scene. Of course you get more highlight latitude at higher ISOs. I didn’t get into this in this video bc I have made other videos about ISO and it just gets complicated in the comments so I left it out, but in future videos will be taking an even closer look at this stuff. In the meantime here’s a shot from 800 and 3200 media.discordapp.net/attachments/1123080500601434265/1189673826351579153/stripe.jpg?ex=659f0517&is=658c9017&hm=2fd6daa04ecfdadd52c81a9476896ee0e21cb4c0031560c6d16ef90e873d7b38&

[@LazySlothProductionsLLC]

Your PowerGrades can't come soon enough! And that breakdown too of the matching film and digital too. Great work as usual!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Stay tuned 😉

[@LazySlothProductionsLLC]

Will do! Also looking forward to those Mini LF LUTs for the over exposure. @@BlaineWestropp1

[@QualityVideoService]

Great comparison video, I have not been able to find any such test. I'm still divided between digital and film, but this is where we are in the 21st century.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I couldn’t find this test either. And there are a few other film related tests that I can’t find that I’m working on now! More to come.

[@mitchellbrinkerdp]

That footage is looking spicy. Chef's kiss

[@mitchellbrinkerdp]

Also, go with the 235 if you need something for lighter handheld work. Wont be disappointed.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you! I definitely want to use the 235 for anything not in studio!

[@jppj4067]

Great video!! Just one question, why didn't you use the camera raw settings on the Alexa footage, especially when it came to exposure, highlight and shadows recovery?

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you! Didn’t want to cheat!

[@saturn_fpv]

​@BlaineWestropp1 How is that cheating? Isn't that exactly the right tool, you would normally use?

[@TechnoBabble]

@@saturn_fpv Lol, seriously. "I didn't want to cheat so I handicapped one option".

[@DespaRobinson]

Delivering the knowledge in the coolest way. Keep it coming Blaine.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you 😊 more to come.

[@diegoramxs]

I am envious, you have been able to make the video that every Filmmaker lover would want to make.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

its crazy.. I have really wanted to do this for a very long time. and this is just part 1. there is much more. cant wait to share it.

[@diegoramxs]

Oh! I will be the first to see. I really like this content! thank you@@BlaineWestropp1

[@MattAitia]

Great video Blaine! Love how in depth you went

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you Matt! love it

[@itsmarcocanlas]

holy cow... this film footage in unreal well done sir!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks! I do love it..

[@NewCompVisuals]

You're living the dream man, looks great. The bed scene reminded me of lost in translation

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hey thank you! love the look of the bed scene. great location. going to have to go back there with some more rolls of film.

[@zachhaayema4481]

All the shots of NYC's skyline in this video look straight out of Succession, which I believe was shot on the same film stock you chose here. TBH when I first watched the show I had just assumed it was Alexa Mini, and I think this video just shows how similar the Alexa can look to something shot on film. I think where the "film look" really stands out the most in modern use is interior low light tungsten set ups, just something about the warmth of those scenes that film still renders somewhat uniquely.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Love succession. A little while back I was doing a lens test and they were prepping cameras for succession. Almost asked them if I could join. Anyways, yes the Alexa is the best. You can make it look like anything, it’s great to work with, and I love it. I also love film and have some more I will be sharing here with different stocks and different scenes with different lighting. I am excited.

[@Unelephant]

Okay, so this post workflow is so interesting to me. I was not expecting it to be like this. I've always thought when people shoot on film, they would have a different coloring process in some kind of dark room. But we see here you get a digitized footage in ProRes XQ looking like a log footage. And do the rest of the color grading in resolve, with color space transforms, with white balancing, with scopes, with film LUTS and all. Would this be the standard way to do this? I feel like a first time Star Wars watcher who went from A New Hope right to Return of the Jedi. I'm curious what is the science behind the digital Prores XQ retaining the "film's" analog data in 1s and 0s. Arent we just coloring digital data at this point? And what is the relationship between Kodak Vision3 and the popular Kodak 2383. What I'm finding is the Vision3 is a color negative film and the 2383 is a color print film, but not really understanding how they relate to each other. So many questions!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hey great questions! for this, I colored the scans from the lab. this is one workflow, and there are others. you can also do a telecine session, and work with your lab to get desired results. I will be doing a telecine session at the lab in the theater and will be posting about that on this channel soon! the scans one receives are in cineon log, so lots of information and can be pushed around a lot in resolve, like I showed here. regarding coloring digital files.. yes you are grading a digital file technically (in the process I showed here). but it is not the same as a digital file from a camera, in the same way a digital file from an Alexa is not the same as a phone. vision3 is a shooting stock. it is a negative. there are positive shooting stocks like ektachrome. 2383 is a print stock, you print your movie to it and that print goes to a theater and plays through a projector! let me know if you have any other questions!

[@Unelephant]

@BlaineWestropp1 thanks for the response Blaine! Still wrapping my head around all of this and will definitely do more research. A video on the telecine session would be dope. Looking forward to it mate.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

@@Unelephant I will make it happen! stay tuned. will be very informative, and it'll be cool to get a bunch of these answers from the lab!

[@talktalk4503]

Awesome. Been wanting to see someone do this in this century. Thx ❤

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Haha thank you. I have more on the way!

[@talktalk4503]

@@BlaineWestropp1 look fwd definitely

[@MaurideHaro]

Thank you for taking the time doing this great comparison! In all honesty I thing nothing can compare to 35mm film.... PERIOD. It's just the best look possible. So if you have the money and time, always film!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks! I do really like the look. I think the Alexa can get you there but it is nice shooting on and looking at the film.

[@riskybiscutz]

Only ever shot with film once, but it was the best and most fun I’ve ever had shooting anything. Idk if it’s an accurate assessment, but I feel like the film did SO much heavy lifting in terms of color and highlight exposure, to the point where it actually felt EASIER to shoot on film than digitally. Even with just a rec709 applied to the log scan gave the colors a liveliness that digital can’t compete with. I love this video!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hey thanks! I feel ya, I really like it, I like the process, and the colors look great right off the scan! its definitely a fun experience. I think they are times for both.

[@hugomalpeyre]

Film + haircut = Gold Bagel 🎉🎉🎉

[@BlaineWestropp1]

😂😂🥯

[@jc-px8ox]

I swear your channel's gonna blow up soon. I was here before the bang!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

☺️☺️ haha I’m feelin it. Got some fun stuff on the way.

[@robchado]

Such a dope video. I say do more Audiio sponsors and just shoot your YT videos exclusively on film.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

😂 let me run that by them

[@iammilesq]

all hail big daddy blaine Also - this video goes way too hard. Window shot on the bed comparison is wild; not surprised as the shadow/highlight detail recovery between the two. Still great to see it in action though. You're wife is a champ for being in all these videos.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hahah thank you Miles! have so many more tests to post. can't wait.

[@f0t0b0y]

It's no wonder why top DP/Directors want to shot film.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

it is quite nice :)

[@YoungBlaze]

I would love to see you do a collab with the KZbinr "Make.Art.Now.". You guys are doing something a lot of film makers talk about but hard for them to do

[@BlaineWestropp1]

would love to collaborate with him... LFG!

[@Edensproject]

thank you for this down to earth practical knowledge, love your attitude

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks! More to come.

[@DiLeggeBrothers]

Would love to see a deep dive into some other gauges of film. Specifically super 16!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I’ll do it just for you.

[@aashotoshsk9387]

Happy Holidays, my dude. I found your channel this year and it's absolutely been a game changer. You're criminally underrated, hopefully you'll see a lot more subs in '24, Anyway, where is past 2 of that 2 parter video? been eagerly waiting for it.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks so much! 😊😊 Part 2 is coming!

[@carljuztine3328]

hoping to sea a comparison w the A35 in the future, i wanna see how those added stops compare

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Me too.. and it’s already in progress. Stay tuned.

[@maximilian-auer]

Damn, Blaine. You nailed the sequence for the film reveal at 3:35. Goosebumps.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you! ☺️

[@alektimmer]

Let me get my popcorn ready...

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hahah get it ready!

[@tannerbrowningfilms]

Excellent review of the top in both fields. Thanks for doing this for us all!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you thank you! more to come :)

[@PeaLoop]

So interesting. Great stuff.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you.. more to come!

[@danielp_adams]

Great video Blaine, definitely haven't seen such a complete and practical breakdown of film vs. digital on here before. Cheers!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thank you so much! Can’t wait to post more about it.

[@BoyXx76]

Amazing how little work is needed to make it look good and how well it holds up being pushed around! Film ftw!!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I was very happy how easily you can push it around and how little you need to do to make it look good.

[@EdProsser]

Amazing vid Blaine but I think the real question is how does film compare to the insta360 go3?

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hahah thank you Ed. The 360 is a little easier to use 😂

[@hactrain]

Just gonna be siting on the couch waiting to see a commercial on TV in 3:2 with film perfs

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Haha you may be sitting there for a while…

[@leoodekerken1423]

very good comparaison, we can clearly see how close the arri Alexa is to film and this is amazing, even if we prefer film !

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you! Yep. It’s wild. I have some deeper tests on the way!

[@TheJairoObando]

Killer as always dude, if you ever give peeps an opportunity to shadow you or help out with anything I'd love to be there, born and raised in NYC so I'm here whenever.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

awesome! good to know. may need some help with some stuff coming up

[@MateoToro]

this video couldn't have dropped at a better time my goal for next year is to finally shoot on film!!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Cheers to you reaching that goal!

[@cammackey]

I CANT AFFORD THIS BRO. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Do it bro. Arri 235 is on the way.

[@lkmccamley]

wow Blaine! you're always doing the coolest stuff and you never cease to amaze me with your expansive knowledge and skillset. Very impressive!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you Lauren 😇

[@anhdvids]

This was such an awesome in-depth test! Also, fun to see someone I know in your video haha

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks! You know Arjun?

[@Redm0ndFilms]

Any chance you could release some clips from both cameras? I would love to play around with color on both side by side and just really look at differences

[@julienpierb]

I am late to the party for this one! Such a great comparison. I've never had the chance to work on a set that shot film but now you've created a need in me.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hehe it is fun!

[@LukeHolliday]

Thanks for doing this video! There’s such a shortage of helpful content on shooting film. So cool to see how much latitude it holds! And also great to see you can easily correct shooting tungsten stock in daylight scenes ✨

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Was so happy about the ability to push the tungsten stock. Looks great. I have some more videos coming on film. Stay tuned!

[@carljuztine3328]

that ultrawide sequence in the intro made me think of Fallen Angels. cool man

[@BlaineWestropp1]

😇

[@prods5hni]

You packaged all this info in such a cool and unique way. thanks for sharing!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you :) more to come…

[@KleberEleven]

3:00 "Doing cool things and making cool videos..." You said it perfectly man! Sharing knowledge in the coolest way! Thanks!!!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hey thanks so much! more to come!

[@mcorsig]

Great video as always. 👋

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thanks so much :)

[@mtdouthit1291]

Thank you for finally doing the ultimate test!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

🫡

[@d0ntchange]

Another incredible video in another amazing hoodie…thank you for this ✅

[@BlaineWestropp1]

haha thank you. love that hoodie.

[@nickbradyfilms]

The goat is back

[@BlaineWestropp1]

When you back in bk bro!

[@nickbradyfilms]

@@BlaineWestropp1 tomorrow 😎

[@chrisniswonger]

Thanks for the transparency on the co$t. 👌

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Sure thing 🫡

[@thejackoss]

Gorgeous footage, on both cameras, honestly. I'm working on a project which we're thinking of shooting on film, will be the first time for me. Would love a video about your process for exposing on film. Thanks for the upload anyway, hope your channel blows up!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks! That’s cool. I have more videos coming that will cover a lot more 😊

[@HeartflashProductions]

Thanks for this! So inspiring to watch ⚡️👍🏼

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you. I have a few deeper tests on the way. Will be great!

[@emersonsenseman2182]

Dude, this was so awesome! So rad to really see what it takes to shoot film. I can't wait to see if you end up shooting film for your commercial work in the future. Keep it up!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you so much! I have a lot more to share here about film, other stocks, comparing to other cameras, deeper dives. stay tuned!

[@emersonsenseman2182]

@@BlaineWestropp1 so stoked!

[@The_Daliban]

16:38 Looks absolutely beautiful. Really looking forward to your powergrades, luts or whatever is coming👍🏻👌🏻 Happy New Year!!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thank you! Happy new year :)

[@jamesbridges1107]

You do totally know, if you have shot film before and used a light meter...Nice test, great to see people shooting film.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

of course.. but there still is that little wait. and thank you!

[@jamesbridges1107]

@@BlaineWestropp1 you know. The wait never bothered me-it’s all we knew. What always bothered me was the processing-were was it in the “soup”, the beginning? The end? Was the overnight person hungover? Did the flash my film? You are correct about hearing $$$$ running through the gate. Film forces you to plan, shot what you need, have confidence in the process. If you shoot what you need and what was agreed upon, your edit should be simple and rather quick. The time saved in post will more than cover the cost of stock, processing, and transfer.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

agreed. I also wonder about the different processing as you mentioned. I am shooting on film again in a week or so and want to have it scanned at multiple facilities to check out the differences.

[@furkonige]

Amazing, thank you so much and happy 2024, cheers!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you 😊 you too!

[@TylerEdwards]

loved this

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thanks Tyler!

[@bobh1782]

You should totally do a test with Alexa 35 next time!!! Keen to see the difference

[@BlaineWestropp1]

already happening 😉

[@alexander_mejia]

Thanks for doing this expensive test. I would love to see an ungraded clip available for download to test the dynamic range on an HDR display. I’ve completely moved away from SDR and it’s really liberating when you have cameras that have the range.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I can give you a frame. you in the discord?

[@he.smile_]

I heavily recommend watching Steve Yedlin's Display Prep Demo for his take on the Film vs Digital debate! Spoiler alert : the capture medium isn't really what makes the final look. 👀

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Oh I know. Seen it. You can match anything to anything. There is one element of… it’s easy to make this look good, and that is what I like. I like it while shooting and I like it when in post!

[@he.smile_]

@@BlaineWestropp1 yeah absolutely! And the focus and dedication film brings out of the DP (and crew) on set is unmatched

[@kylecamerer]

Would you happen to have the original LF and DPX files somewhere to download? I'd like to see what they look like with a proper technical grade comparison

[@BlaineWestropp1]

hi, at the moment I do not have those available for download.

[@matthewmaccarthy8542]

Awesome test. I salute you for getting 6.5K scans. Because I love film so much I feel compelled to come to its defense in regards to the shadow detail section around the 7:20 mark. Once the film is scanned you are grading under the limitations of ProRes 4444XQ in LogC. If you ever have the opportunity to grade directly off of the negative in a telecine session the amount of detail film holds in the shadows and highlights will blow your mind and you will never see film vs the same again. It's a tragedy that the current film to digital workflow is not structured to optimize pulling the most out of film image, it is structured to optimize efficiency, convenience and to minimize costs. Even if it's just with a 100ft roll of Super-16mm, I urge you to grade film in a supervised telecine session.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I would LOVE to have a telecine session… maybe I will make it happen. For sure you aren’t going to be able to pull it out of a prores scan. Maybe I’ll try and set up a session :)

[@g1234538]

That's really interesting. How much does that change things, what does a telecine session involve differently? What kind of limitations does that ProRes profile (?) have? I could only imagine the thing that would inherently affect things is if film's gamma suited it differently than the pixel format allows. But I'm only guessing, I don't have much knowledge of that at all. For example, everyone doing these latitude comparisons at least sees the highlight behavior from their scans, is something messing with the shadows?

[@matthewmaccarthy8542]

@@g1234538 In a Telecine session the image is graded directly off of the camera negative so you are working with the full range of film's capabilities. It's something that must be seen first hand to truly be understood in regards the overwhelming amount of data a film negative can hold. Another factor that causes a lot of confusion about film is the issue of grain. Film is nowhere near as grainy as most believe it is. Most of the time what people are seeing as grain is digital noise because the digital format the film was scanned onto did not know what to do with the excess of data. Color negative film is designed to be printed onto color positive film which is very sharp. That's why when you watch DVD of a movie shot on film in the 1990s or 1980s there isn't any grain, because the digital scan was a of a color positive print.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I have to do a telecine sesh

[@matthewmaccarthy8542]

@@BlaineWestropp1 You'll never be the same.

[@clever_ghost]

Thanks audiio

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Yezzzir!

[@Filmboy24]

Great comparison! Thanks for sharing!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Thank you 😊

[@luvair6765]

Great comparison. Honestly the digital is close enough to the film that a little finesse of color grade with davinci magic gets it really close.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

thank you! and yuuuup.

[@laurencewhite4809]

No, it's not close, it's done. Digital it better in every aspect. You can literally make it looks like everything and anything. Film is dead. It's over.

[@julienpierb]

@@laurencewhite4809 it's so dead and done that within 15 seconds I found more than 20 films that were shot on Film in 2023. This is the definition of death

[@charliemcgrain]

Many thanks, really well put together. Maybe it is because I am viewing the comparisons on youtube, but apart from the obvious advantage in the highlights I am not seeing enough difference between the two cameras to sell me on shooting film. What am I missing, here?

[@Noah-lj2sg]

The process of shooting film. He mentioned how it made him slow down and be more careful

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I do like the process. Also, here is the Alexa from the same scene at different iso values. At the 200 that you saw, you will not experience huge range in the highlights. See how much better 800 and 3200 is here: media.discordapp.net/attachments/1123080500601434265/1189673826351579153/stripe.jpg?ex=659f0517&is=658c9017&hm=2fd6daa04ecfdadd52c81a9476896ee0e21cb4c0031560c6d16ef90e873d7b38&

[@charliemcgrain]

To be honest, it was really hard for me to see the difference in your side by side shots in terms of quality or feel. I think the modern digi cameras do such a great job these days it is really hard to tell the difference between well put together digi and film (especially on youtube). So it brings me back to "The Film Look" being more about composition, art department, costume, lenses and lighting. The actual camera just has to be good. On the last film I worked on the DP was sending me pictures of his setups on his iPhone. I was blown away by how 'cinematic/filmic even an iPhone can be if the shots/scenes are properly lit, dressed and composed. Cost, convenience and the security of actually "seeing what you are getting" as you shoot it, seem to way heavier for me than any benefit I might get from shooting on film. All power to the DP's of old who had to deal with the alchemist like witchcraft of film. @@BlaineWestropp1

[@FlorianBodlee]

Incredible video! Thank you for putting in the effort to create this, greatly appreciated! 🥳

[@BlaineWestropp1]

🫡 more on the way.

[@allen_bernardo_jr]

That's some crazy latitude with the color grading and everything😮Even though the camera itself is top tier of course which helps, the quality of your cinematography is 👏👏

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks so much! The latitude is really great, on both!

[@cruisechill1813]

Did you try some settings in dehancer to directly match the film to the arri in terms of grain, bloom, halation etc?

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I did not really get into grain/bloom/halation, but dehancer is good at all of those things!

[@jenningsbarmore1575]

Dang it film, why do you look so good.

[@BlaineWestropp1]

looks so good!

[@jenningsbarmore1575]

looking foreword to your emulation deep dive. @@BlaineWestropp1

[@LettersFromTheEditor]

Dude you’re a legend. Such a cool comparison. Film just has such a unique look and range. Digital is quite a bit more accessible though. 😂

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Hey thanks so much! As with anything, there are perfect scenarios for either option. I like the process of film, and the image, but modern digital is so good that you can get great results. The one thing is.. looking at the footage straight from the film is something special.

[@LettersFromTheEditor]

@@BlaineWestropp1 absolutely. The journey of shooting film is far more rewarding. And in a way almost like a piece of history, since it’s so much rarer these days.

[@orestfilm]

Thanks for the video. Love film ❤️

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Sure thing! I love it. More tests to come :)

[@kwa42]

Awesome dude! Love the video. Got into 16mm this year and absolutely love it. Was great to see the side by side with digital examples!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

I gotta get into 16mm. I want to get a camera. A 235, or an SR!

[@MrVh78]

Man, shot so much on that Vision 3 and Arri435 miss it

[@BlaineWestropp1]

Its really great. My eyes are on the Arri 235 now