When and Why I Use Film Grain

In this short video essay, I will explain when and why I use film grain. What is film grain? Film grain is an element of a bygone era of filmmaking when we actually shot on physical film. It is a product of the actual texture that was present on old celluloid film that has become commonplace on many of our favorite films. Now that we shoot digitally it has remained because it adds this aesthetic feel that draws an emotion out in our audience. Should you use it? That's up for you to decide on whether you want to add noise to your digital art.
0:00 Introduction
0:35 What is it?
3:16 Why and When
3:58 Know the Endgame
4:50 Do your Research
5:44 Trust your Instincts
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#cinematography #filmgrain #creative

[@robrowles]

Cool tutorial. My mentor, a long time ago, went into the process of how the different chemicals that were light sensitive were layered.
The red and green sensitive layered chemical grains are relatively smaller than the blue layer. Hence that is why the blue grain is far larger.
Grain adds an aesthetic value to films just as much to how aspect ratio adds characteristic to storytelling.
Most of this comes from the history of filmmaking, visual elements and ascetic choices can change the narrative.

[@Zenith8924]

Thank you for this info, Im not in anyway apart of the film making industry, but I've always seen film grain, especially in video games and never understood why it would be used since IMO it always looked bad, sorry if that isn't a popular opinion. I really noticed it a lot while rewatching TWD series. I read it was filmed on 16mm film though so I think it was intentional for it. This helped me understand film grain more and why people actually like it. Thank you for helping me to understand it more.

[@BryanHoltFX]

There are certain things that take us out of stories and immersion and we never realized it. Just had a conversation with someone about TVs and how they can't stand the ultra rich, high frame rate televisions out there. I tend to agree with him. It's much of the same thing, a super clean image can sometimes take you out. In terms of video game, I would agree with you 100 percent as well! Thank you for the insight!

[@BryanHoltFX]

Do you use film grain? Why?

[@zman4668]

You said there were some current films that like to utilize film grain, I might not have seen some of them, but what are some of the better ones or more famous ones that have done this?
Cool video!

[@BryanHoltFX]

Well anything out of Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, JJ Abrams, Stephen Spielberg, Rian Johnson to name a few. Many big names still shoot on 35mm film. The Grain is almost always there. We almost never notice it because its the 'norm'.