What makes film grainy

Many people on forums and Facebook are talking about how to get fine-grain results on film. There have been entire books published on the subject, and millions of dollars in research over the last years on how to achieve the best, finest-grain results without sacrificing image sharpness.

So how do photographers get the smoothest results when shooting film? As a general rule, photographers reduce the appearance of film grain by over-exposing, using fine-grain solvent developers, or by stand-developing their rolls. By far, the best guide on developing films is The Film Developing Cookbook by Bill Troop and Steven Anchel , which will be referenced heavily in this article.

Some people love the sharpness of T-Grain films, where others prefer the rich tonal variations achieved by classic film grains. According to Troop and Anchell, T-Grains are a modern emulsion that came about in the 80s. The grains are flat — like a skipping stone, while regular grains are rounded, like pebbles. But they provide a sharper image with less grain, making them a favourite for many film shooters.

It responds well to every developer on the market, and can even show some remarkable fine-grain results when combined with solvent developers or when over exposing the negative.

T-Grain films are sharper and have finer grains than traditional films. But traditional film stocks show better tonal gradation and are far more flexible during development, and when pushing or pulling the film.

The best way to ensure fine-grain results is to slightly over-expose your film. Over exposure allows more light to react with the smaller grains in the emulsion to fill in spaces between larger grains, thus reducing the appearance of graininess.

This is a really interesting phenomenon that was discovered by Kodak scientists, and written about in this publication. Most films contain grains of different sizes that are spread out across the emulsion to pick up variations in light. The larger the grain, the more likely it will collect enough light to become developable. So by over-exposing the film, you are more likely to make the smaller grains developable to fill in the gaps and make the image appear less grainy.

The amount of over-exposure depends on the photographer. Going further than this can cause your negatives to lose contrast and sharpness. As well, dense negatives can be very difficult to scan — and let me tell you, Epson ISO noise is not pretty. Every black and white developer has a different effect on the film grain. Fine grain developers contain a solvent that dissolves part of the film grain during development. The solvent action will reduce the appearance of clumping grains on the negative, but in the process, can also reduce film speed and image sharpness.

Many film photographers use fine-grain developers at high dilutions to balance the solvent action and image sharpness. The reduction of grain became especially important with the introduction of 35mm film stocks. When these films are magnified in the printing and scanning process, the appearance of grains can significantly affect the quality of an image. Modern films have become much better than the films in the 30s and 40s, but shooters are still looking for ways to increase image quality.

Solvent developers were extensively researched throughout this time, and still remain favorites by photographers to this day. D — powder — The first ever moderately fine-grain developer made in the s, and still in production. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen?

Skip to content. A Bit of Science What is film grain on physical film? You can get an idea of what this looks like in this example. Grain Example. This is a major reason why some past movies shot on higher film stock, as the grain would prove to be too much when presented. This is also why some filmmakers shoot on higher quality film stock today, and why processes like IMAX are so attractive for big budget blockbusters. Digital noise What is film grain in digital cinema?

What is film grain to director Panos Cosmatos? Digital video noise in Adobe. Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards. Leave a comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Comment Name Email Website.

Next Post What is a Fisheye Lens? Definition and Examples in Film. But because film grain is something we associate with a classic cinematic style, adding visual noise in moderation is a way for creators to develop a certain visual tone for their videos.

And anything that helps you achieve your vision for a project is something worth learning about. Obviously the move to digital film did away with film grain, at least as a natural byproduct of the development process.

In fact, even Adobe offers tutorials on how to add it when editing digital photos. And higher ISOs have a higher light sensitivity, so adjusting that setting tends to produce a grainer image. You can also add film grain during post-production.

And you can do it right in your preferred editing program. The obvious answer is that it makes a video have a classic feel. The less obvious reason, however, is because film grain has a particular sense of emotion tied to it. And that is the real reason why film grain matters for content creators.

If used properly, that kind of noise makes a video feel more natural, almost like that footage is untouched and unedited. It makes the film more believable, which helps draw the audience into the reality you are trying to create in your video. And yes, historical dramas often incorporate film grain.

Recreating the associated visual style helps sell that. Film grain makes a picture or video feel almost like a shared memory. Evoking that sort of intimacy makes every emotion hit harder, which gives you more control over the way your video tells its story.