Make it cinema

Although some argue that digital filmmakers should overlook the un-filmlike quality of DV, I disagree. For many digital filmmakers, the Holy Grail of optical effects remains the emulation of celluloid.

Film is the de facto standard for drama due to its slower frame rate, better dynamic range and naturally progressive scan. In fact, celluloid doesn't technically have scanlines, only film grain. Video, however, may display odd and even scan lines with a fraction of a second gap in between; this is called 'interlaced' video. Interlaced video has a vastly different look to film. When the odd and even video scanlines are displayed simultaneously, the video is known as 'progressive scan'. Progressive scan gives video a more film-like motion. You can create this effect in-camera on some camcorders, or simulate it later in your editing package.

Video has a harsh, real quality and lacks film's subtle, dreamlike appearance. Generally video describes reality, and film describes fantasy. So how can you make your video look like film?

The first step is to light your video with the mentality of a lighting director. Quickly throwing lots of light on a scene is not always a good way to approach a video shoot -- professional filmmakers often spend hours lighting a scene. Although you might not have access to any specialist equipment, you can achieve excellent results with common household items like tablelamps, and by using the sun streaming through windows.

The low frame rate of film (24 frames per second), and its other unique characteristics, can be emulated using a variety of professional tools like CineLook or Magic Bullet Editors.