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