Simulating Film Grain For Video Using Photoshop

I've been using PS to color correct video since I got my 5D2 back in December, and have received numerous inquiries about how to do it since I began posting here and on Vimeo. While Photoshop gives you amazing flexibility and control regarding color, many of its filters and effects do not allow for random variation from frame to frame, so tasks like adding realistic film grain with the press of a button are basically impossible. If you run the film grain texture filter, or any other type of noise, the result is a static screen effect in which the grain does not organically change with each new frame.

I realized an easy fix would be to create my own film grain animation in Photoshop, render it as a movie, then overlay it onto my footage in a new Photoshop document. I don't claim to be an expert at film grain, and many of you are probably much more tuned in to the various grains associated with particular film stocks, etc. But the idea is, one could create or simulate any particular grain structure, build a library of different ones, then use them in Photoshop or anywhere else, for that matter.

I started by creating a film grain pattern larger than my actual frame, then duplicating, rotating and varying over about a hundred frames, adding little bits of gunk and spots here and there. Then rendered it out as a movie which could then be over-laid onto raw video with various layer modes and opacities. You have to remember that this is about being SUBTLE, which means you might actually not notice it any more than you would notice film grain on a new release DVD. The effect is more subliminal than anything, but every little detail helps in the overall appearance. Naturally, it's going to be most authentic when applied to 24P video shot at something near 1/48 second per frame.

Ok, so I know this seems like a lot of work. And the argument is, why do it in Photoshop if AE or COLOR already allows you to do it with filters, plugins, etc? I've said it before... a lot of photographers KNOW how to use Photoshop. They like it. It is comfortable. And believe it or not, it is amazingly powerful with video, if you know what you're doing.

So here's a test, executed fairly quickly using a short clip from a corporate documentary style ad I am working on for an automotive battery company.

http://www.frederickswanston.com/exider ... grain4.mov

Photoshop for Video

Old habits die hard. Using Photoshop to makes something look better is second nature. I've spent my entire career using it to fix photography, create special effects and illustrations, and even animate web graphics. But editing high definition video just seemed like something you should be doing with expensive high-end software and hardware systems.

Managing motion in Photoshop is nothing new - I've created my share of animated GIFS using simple animation frames. I've even assembled sequential jpegs to create movie clips.

But video? It required a paradigm shift, or at least that's what had to happen in my head before I thought that Photoshop could be a serious production tool in a high definition video workflow. But I thought I would try it, and this was my first result.

Bicycle Dolly - - Canon 5D Mark II from Bryan Keith Nixon on Vimeo.

It can only be done with Photoshop CS3 or CS4 Extended, which is an upgrade from the standard product. When you upgrade to Extended, you get a few things, but mainly, the ability to import any Quicktime movie as a video layer. It looks like any other layer, except there's a little filmstrip icon on it. The video layer is then represented in the video timeline, which is different than the frame timeline I was familiar with.

The easiest way I've found to begin is to start within Photoshop - just open a Quicktime movie from the file menu. It automatically places your movie on a video layer. Next, convert to smart object. Then go to town. You can add color correction layers, gradient blends, smart filters, textures, etc. For the most part, the results will be predictable across the entire video. Some of them can be varied over time if you learn how to manage the timeline. Then just export your movie with the compression settings of your choice.

You may wonder if the process is destructive. It's not. Photoshop doesn't harm a pixel.

I've simplified this a bit, but it's not that complicated. I've had a few Vimeo friends ask me to do a tutorial, and I may take the time to put something together soon. But I'm not an expert yet. I'm just a creature of habit, who hasn't had a lot of success learning how to use Final Cut and Color, or other traditional tools for improving video. With the advent of DSLR's capable of capturing beautiful HD, a lot of still photographers are starting to dabble in video. Maybe Photoshop is the answer for them, too.

Shot using a Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.8 with polarizer, mounted to an old Raleigh bicycle.