retro looking film stock

Will Green · September 23, 2009

Hi all,

I am looking at doing a small project that is similar to the 80's milk tray adverts (like the one where the man jumps off a cliff to a boat, some of you may recall them)

I've been looking for a stock that will give me a similar look to this old footage. I'm thinking that fuji's newly released Eterna Vivid 500T would give me the high contrast and saturated colour but it has very fine grain for a fast stock and I want as much grain as possible (Im shooting s16)

Does anyone have any suggestions? I know there is the option of doing it in post of course.

(milk tray adverts are on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0ya5kh4_ZM)

Matthew W. Phillips · September 23, 2009

You could shoot Kodak's Vision2 500T as you should still be able to find some of that around. It won't give you the saturated color of Fuji though. What you're asking for (high contrast, sat. colors, grainy) might not exist in a modern stock. It seems the saturated stocks tend to be finer grained. I would recommend sacraficing the saturated color for the grain in this case. And as such, I would go for 500T.

The only other option I can think of is shoot the Fuji stock like you want but keep the light low so you can shoot with a more open aperature and this will help make it a bit grainier. This is as much as I can help.

James Compton · September 24, 2009

You have several options if you want to attain that 80's retro look. Several key elements are WARDROBE, filmstock and LENSES. Use and old Angeniuex zoom if you can get one. Buy some

KODAK 7274 or 7248 off of EBAY and do a clip test to make sure the fogging is not extreme.

It may even add to that older look. Try shooting a test of 7285 and desaturate in post. Lastly regarding filmstock , try some FUJI 500D film with a polarizer. Print the film onto KODAK TELEPRINT film

and THEN telecine using a CRT telecine(MILLENIUM-if you want HD or RANK for SD), but not a

SPIRIT telecine. Wardrobe added to the above mentioned kungfu techniques will get you closer to your

desired look.

John Holland · September 24, 2009

!980s films wernt grainy !! Well ads like Milk Tray certainly wernt !!! I would suggest Fuji 160 Vivid !! you will have to use lights !!! but that whats give you look you after !! Good Luck !

Michael Kubaszak · September 24, 2009

john's right. The stock you can probably get close with fuji and a good colorist in post. but if you want the whole thing to look period you should use the same kind of lights as those shooting in the 80's would have had access to.