This video provides an in-depth comparison of popular film emulation plugins and tools, including Dehancer, Filmbox (updated), the new Genesis plugin, and DaVinci Resolve's built-in Film Look Creator. The comparison focuses on their ability to replicate the Kodak 250D and 2383 print stock look, evaluating color science, film grain, and halation effects.
DaVinci Resolve's Film Look Creator offers essential film effects but lacks the nuance of paid plugins.
Dehancer excels in realistic film grain and effects like halation, bloom, and gate weave, but struggles with color consistency and accuracy compared to real film stocks, often requiring manual adjustments.
Filmbox and Genesis both deliver excellent, nearly indistinguishable color, with Genesis offering slightly more natural grain and accurate halation but less flexibility.
Filmbox stands out for its modularity and extensive control over individual film emulation elements, allowing for deep customization.
The choice depends on workflow and priorities: Filmbox for control, Genesis for accuracy (if price isn't an issue), and Dehancer for effects with color workarounds.
A six-panel comparison of the same scene, showing the original Rec. 709, and applications of Resolve's Film Look Creator, Dehancer, Filmbox, and Genesis, highlighting variations in color and tone.
[
00:06:34
]
Comparison of various film emulation methods from a previous video, showing differences in skin tone and color across several plugins.
[
00:00:31
]
Digital camera advancements haven't diminished the appeal of the "film look" in high-end video production.
Shooting on real film is expensive, leading filmmakers to rely on digital film emulation methods.
Film emulation tools have significantly improved over the last five years.
This video is a follow-up to a previous comparison due to:
Filmbox Plugin Update [00:00:42]: Brings updated color science, new stock emulations, and effects.
Filmbox plugin interface, showcasing its extensive color photo C-41 emulations and effects options.
[
00:00:53
]
Genesis Plugin Release [00:00:53]: A new film emulation plugin developed by Cullen Kelly with input from veteran color scientist Mitch Bogdanowitz and cinematographer Steve Yedlin. The video aims to see how it compares, especially considering its higher price tag.
DaVinci Resolve's Built-in Film Look Creator [00:01:14]: This tool was not available in the previous comparison.
DaVinci Resolve's Film Look Creator interface, demonstrating its integration within the software and various controls.
[
00:01:16
]
The video visually demonstrates the application of various film emulation tools on different scenes, including indoor, outdoor, and night shots.
Each scene is shown with a "Base LOG LUT" (the original footage after basic color space transformation) followed by the application of:
Film Look Creator (DaVinci Resolve's built-in tool)
Dehancer
Filmbox Pro
Genesis (Trial mode with watermarks visible)
This section provides a direct visual preview of how each plugin alters the footage, showcasing differences in color rendition, contrast, and overall filmic quality before a detailed breakdown in the conclusion.
A woman reading on a couch, demonstrating the Genesis film emulation plugin applied to the footage.
[
00:02:50
]
A woman in a park with a red dress, demonstrating the Genesis film emulation plugin applied to the footage.
[
00:05:00
]
A woman by a river with a bridge in the background, demonstrating the Genesis film emulation plugin applied to the footage.
[
00:06:24
]
This segment offers a multi-panel display, presenting the same frame treated with different film emulation methods concurrently for direct visual comparison.
Plugins in View: REC709 (Base), Resolve Film Look Creator, Cinema Tools, Dehancer, Filmbox, and Genesis.
The side-by-side view allows viewers to scrutinize subtle differences in skin tones, color saturation, highlights, and shadow details across the various emulations.
A six-panel comparison of the same scene (woman in kitchen), showing Rec. 709, and applications of Resolve's Film Look Creator, Cinema Tools, Dehancer, Filmbox, and Genesis, highlighting variations in color and tone.
[
00:06:34
]
A six-panel comparison focusing on the skin tones and red dress in a scene, demonstrating how different film emulation plugins (Rec. 709, Resolve, Cinema Tools, Dehancer, Filmbox, Genesis) process color.
[
00:06:39
]
This section specifically highlights how each plugin renders the halation effect, a characteristic light bleed around bright areas on film.
Comparison Focus: No halation versus halation effects from Film Look Creator, Dehancer, Filmbox Pro, and Genesis.
The segment provides close-ups on bright areas and strong light sources to showcase the nuances of each plugin's halation simulation.
A comparison of halation effects from various film emulation plugins on a bright sky and fence, contrasting 'Halation DCTL' with Genesis.
[
00:07:14
]
A close-up comparison of halation effects from different film emulation plugins on a bright light source behind a fence, highlighting the distinctive glow each plugin creates.
[
00:07:39
]
Strengths: A great tool included with DaVinci Resolve Studio, offering essential film emulation effects. Comes with several color presets, with "Rochester" being the closest to traditional film stocks.
DaVinci Resolve's Film Look Creator interface with a scene, demonstrating its essential film emulation effects and various controls.
[
00:07:58
]
Weaknesses: Doesn't quite deliver the nuance of dedicated paid plugins. It feels more like a "film-inspired" look rather than an accurate emulation of a specific film stock.
Strengths: Its strongest point is its effects, particularly the excellent film grain. It includes convincing halation, bloom, gate weave, and overscan effects.
Dehancer Pro OFX Plugin interface, displaying film grain and print settings.
[
00:08:13
]
Dehancer showcasing a "gate weave" effect on footage, highlighting its specialized film effects.
[
00:08:21
]
Weaknesses: The biggest drawback is color consistency.
Color Processing: Color effects are processed in Rec 709 color space, even when using its "DaVinci Wide Gamut" option, which is likely not a fully accurate DWG implementation.
Inaccurate Film Stock Presets: Film stock presets do not consistently match real-world film behavior. For example, Kodak 250D appears bluer and more saturated than 50D, despite these stocks primarily differing in sensitivity. Tungsten-balanced stocks (200T, 500T) incorrectly show a warm tint. Modern film negatives should appear neutral, with print stock providing the tint.
A shot of a color chart and robot within DaVinci Resolve, illustrating color shifts when different Dehancer film stock presets are applied.
[
00:08:49
]
A comparison showing the warm tint of Dehancer's Kodak 200T preset, which is described as inaccurate for tungsten-balanced stock, with a color chart and robot.
[
00:09:06
]
Desaturation Issues: When using stock presets with 2383 print film, images (especially greens) are too desaturated by default, requiring a saturation boost to match other plugins.
Footage graded with Dehancer, showing added saturation to correct for default desaturation issues.
[
00:09:24
]
Stylization vs. Accuracy: While possibly stylized, this inconsistency makes maintaining a consistent look across shots more challenging compared to Filmbox or Genesis.
Strengths: Film grain appears slightly more natural, and its halation feels more accurate. It focuses on accuracy and consistency.
Weaknesses: Much more restrictive in workflow. It only functions as a full film emulation, meaning film negative and print stock cannot be disabled independently. While effects can be adjusted, overall control is limited. Its higher price tag is hard to justify given the current differences.
Genesis plugin interface, showing its integrated film negative and print stock options, highlighting its overall restricted control.
[
00:10:26
]
Strengths: Handles halation very well, softening and blurring highlight edges naturally, with further customization options. It is highly modular, allowing individual use of negative, print stock, or effects. Each element can be fine-tuned, offering extensive control and customization.
Filmbox Pro demonstrating how it handles halation with a gradient bar, showcasing smooth highlight softening.
[
00:10:01
]
For Control and Customization: Filmbox is highly recommended due to its modularity and fine-tuning capabilities.
An example of footage graded with Filmbox, showcasing its final filmic look.
[
00:10:49
]
For Accuracy and a Locked-in Approach: Genesis might be considered, but its higher price makes it a less attractive investment compared to Filmbox.
An example of footage graded with Genesis, showcasing its accurate and consistent film look.
[
00:10:55
]
Filmbox Pro pricing structure, including quarterly, yearly, and perpetual licenses, as well as studio options.
[
00:11:00
]
For Strong Effects (Grain, Halation): Dehancer is a good option, but users should be prepared for more effort in color correction to achieve desired results.
An example of footage graded with Dehancer, demonstrating its ability to create a filmic aesthetic with strong effects.
[
00:11:04
]
Affordable Alternatives:
DaVinci Resolve's Film Look Creator is a viable built-in option for basic film looks.
