Since the first film was made, we have come a long way in perfecting cinema. The visuals and sound have gone high-definition, and today, what we see on screen is almost flawless when it comes to resolution and image clarity. Our stories have evolved, and so has our equipment to capture them.However, even in recent films, we’ve started to see old-timey flaws and imperfections embedded by great filmmakers. This proves that cinema, as a craft, is beyond the quest for making everything perfect. Rather, it’s in synergy with emotions, which are often best expressed through imperfections. One such powerful cinematic aesthetic that still remains frequently used is film grain. What Is Film Grain?In earlier times, when cinema was shot on celluloid film, grains were the visible metallic silver particles that resulted from the development process of exposed silver halide crystals. If you’re shooting on celluloid, grain is natural and unavoidable.To manage this visual flaw, which seemingly tampered with image clarity, we slowly moved to digital photography that eliminated the need for silver halide to capture light. But as visuals on screen sharpened to clarity, we realized that grains actually were part of a cinematic language, rather than technical shortcomings. So, while celluloid is on the decline, film grain is still an aesthetic used today, even in the most technologically advanced films. What Causes Grains In Digital Footage?Digital cameras introduced sensors to replace silver halide in the entire mechanism of capturing light. In modern cameras, when you increase the ISO, i.e.,...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 14 May, 2025