How to Use DaVinci Resolve’s New Film Look Creator

DaVinci Resolve is one of the most powerful video editors on the market today. With it, you can create and apply an array of visual effects. One such effect is giving your footage a filmic look. And now, it’s easier than ever to do that with DaVinci Resolve’s new Film Look Creator.

A film look gives your videos a timeless, retro vibe. (Image source: Envato Elements.)

Filmic looks transform digitally-captured footage. They make it look as though it were shot on a classic film camera. The Film Look Creator is a powerful new feature that helps you create a filmic look, easily. Let’s get started.

This feature is isn’t in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 can be purchased for $295 USD as a one-time download.

What Creates a Filmic Look in Video?

As a video creator, you’ve likely heard others talk about adding filmic looks to their projects. But what is a filmic look? What visual elements cause a video or image to be called filmic?

The Film Look Creator simplifies the step to add classic filmic looks.

Filmic looks can be created in many ways. Often, the combination of these will vary depending on the specific footage. But look for these key traits as you seek to add filmic looks to your own video:

A flatter tone curve. The tone curve controls the brightness and intensity of color tones in your videos. By flattening it, you can capture the softer retro hues found in film.
Altered aspect ratios. By adding narrower or wider settings to your aspect ratio, you can replicate the visual shape of classic films.
Added grain. Film often has a grainy, gritty cast. By adding grain to digital videos, you can rapidly develop a filmic look.
Natural lighting and shallower depth. Film lighting often has a more natural cast, compared to sharper brightness seen in digital captures. This is notably visible when paired with a shallow depth of field. This creates an intimate, true-to-life visual scene.

In essence, a filmic look is a replica of the visual aesthetic of film imagery. It’s an effect that you add to digital footage – in other words, video not captured with an actual film camera! It’s part of post-production, added during the editing process.

In the past, filmic looks were often created using cinematic color grading. DaVinci Resolve has long been known for its powerful, robust color grading features.

These options are still available to you. But you can save time by using the brand-new Film Look Creator tool. Think of it as a shortcut. You no longer have to spend hours doing your own color grading. Apply with a few clicks, then dial in the effect using sliders.

How to Use DaVinci Resolve’s Film Look Creator (Step by Step)

The new Film Look Creator helps you create amazing filmic looks for any of your projects. It automates what once was a very manual, tedious editing process. In short, it applies a filmic look with the click of your mouse. From there, you can explore an array of presets and customization options. It merges speed and flexibility to create appealing filmic visuals for any video clip.

Here’s how DaVinci Resolve Studio 19’s Film Look Creator works, step by step.

1. Choose Footage to Apply Film Looks To

To use the DaVinci Resolve Film Look Creator, you’ll first want to choose footage to edit. In the screenshot below, you can see a video clip on the Media Pool panel.

To add a filmic look, place your chosen footage on the project Timeline. The Timeline is found in the lower third of your DaVinci Resolve screen. It controls the placement and timing of all clips in a given project.

Begin by choosing a video clip that you want to add a film look to, right inside DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. (Stock footage: Envato Elements.)

Here, I’m using stock footage from Envato Elements. It features beautiful scenes of California’s Joshua trees in a desert setting. If you want to follow along by using the footage, click here to download it now.

2. Open the Effects Panel in DaVinci Resolve Studio

The DaVinci Resolve Film Look Creator comes as part of the Effects panel. Effects control the visual look and feel of any footage. They span style edits, corrections, and countless other adjustments. Think of the Film Look Creator as a new and creative effect.

To launch the Effects panel, find the clip that you want to add a filmic look to. You’ll find it in the Media Pool > Master panel, on the upper left section of your DaVinci Resolve screen.

With a video clip selected, find the Effects tab and click on it to open the panel.

Click once on the video thumbnail. Then, look at the menu bar across the upper left corner of Resolve Studio. You’ll see Media Pool, Sync Bin, and more. From these options, click on Effects. When you do, the Effects panel opens. Be sure that you’re on the Video tab, which should launch by default.

3. Find the Film Look Creator

Once you have the Effects panel open, it’s time to find the Film Look Creator. As you can see, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 offers dozens and dozens of unique effects. Scroll down through the gallery options until you find the Resolve FX Film Emulation section.

The Film Look Creator in DaVinci Resolve is found in the Resolve FX Film Emulation group on the Effects panel.

Within this category, you will find the Film Look Creator. Click and drag the effect title onto the preview of your video. Drop it into place, and the effect will be applied! Immediately, you’ll notice a visual difference. Your footage already has a filmic look added. But as an editor, you’re just getting started.

Find the Inspector menu button and click on it. The Film Look Creator controls can be found on the Inspector > Effects tab.

Once you’ve added DaVinci Resolve Film Look Creator effects, look in the upper right corner of your screen. Find the button labeled Inspector. Click on it, and choose the Effects tab. Here is where you can refine and alter the look and feel of your filmic effects in DaVinci Resolve.

4. Customize Your Film Look with Presets

On the Inspector panel, my favorite way to begin working with the Film Look Creator is to use presets. You’ll find these right at the top, in the Presets dropdown.

By default, DaVinci Resolve will apply the Default 65mm preset. This is a really great option. It emulates the visual look of film, while maintaining the original aspect ratio.

Explore the preset options on the dropdown.

Explore your other options as well. Cinematic adds the wide, short framing common to older films. Nostalgic delivers a Polaroid-esque effect. Bleach Bypass washes out most color for a vintage, faded feel. You can even choose Custom, which leaves all editing parameters in your hands.

Some presets, like Cinematic, alter the aspect ratio of your DaVinci Resolve video.

It’s a good idea to explore different choices to see which one you like best. Remember: these edits are non-destructive. You can always undo them later. As you click on new presets, you’ll see your video transform in real time on the Timeline Preview to the left.

5. Fine-Tune Edits Using Sliders and Effect Tools

After you choose your DaVinci Resolve Film Look Creator preset, you still have options. Of course, you can use the preset settings unchanged. But to maximize the filmic look, I like to work with the sliders down below. In the Color Settings group, you can refine and adjust each visual element of your film look.

The most useful slider here is the Fade slider. What does it do? By adding fade, you can flatten the tone curve more aggressively. This is a perfect way to really enhance the filmic look. To add fade, simply pull the slider to the right.

By adding fade and adjusting the exposure and contrast, you can dramatically enhance your very own filmic look.

As you can see, there are countless adjustments that you can make. In this example, slight tweaks to the Exposure and Contrast sliders heighten the filmic look as well. Remember: there’s no one single solution. The “right” settings depend on two things: your footage itself, and your own sense of style.

Again, they show on the video preview in real time. When you’re finished, your video is ready to export and share!

More Great Tips & Tricks for DaVinci Resolve

Working in DaVinci Resolve unlocks countless options for you as a video producer. The app is packed with cool tools and features.

But it can seem daunting to learn them all. Fortunately, Envato Tuts+ is here to help. Below are some of our top DaVinci Resolve tutorials. Want to learn more about editing and production in Resolve? Start by exploring these handy tutorials:

Add a DaVinci Resolve Film Look To Your Videos Today

In our DaVinci Resolve film look tutorial, you learned a new and dramatic style edit for your videos. By adding a filmic look, you can create throwback videos that look like they came from decades ago.

Thanks to the new Film Look Creator in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19, it only takes a few clicks! Add these new effects and skills to your creative arsenal today.

Post date May 19, 2024

This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress

Film camera video editor — A film look gives your videos a timeless, retro vibe. (Image source: Envato Elements.)

This feature is isn’t in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 can be purchased for $295 USD as a one-time download.

What Creates a Filmic Look in Video?

As a video creator, you’ve likely heard others talk about adding filmic looks to their projects. But what is a filmic look? What visual elements cause a video or image to be called filmic?

Intro custom DaVinci Resolve Film Look — The Film Look Creator simplifies the step to add classic filmic looks.

Filmic looks can be created in many ways. Often, the combination of these will vary depending on the specific footage. But look for these key traits as you seek to add filmic looks to your own video:

A flatter tone curve. The tone curve controls the brightness and intensity of color tones in your videos. By flattening it, you can capture the softer retro hues found in film.
Altered aspect ratios. By adding narrower or wider settings to your aspect ratio, you can replicate the visual shape of classic films.
Added grain. Film often has a grainy, gritty cast. By adding grain to digital videos, you can rapidly develop a filmic look.
Natural lighting and shallower depth. Film lighting often has a more natural cast, compared to sharper brightness seen in digital captures. This is notably visible when paired with a shallow depth of field. This creates an intimate, true-to-life visual scene.

In essence, a filmic look is a replica of the visual aesthetic of film imagery. It’s an effect that you add to digital footage - in other words, video not captured with an actual film camera! It’s part of post-production, added during the editing process.

In the past, filmic looks were often created using cinematic color grading. DaVinci Resolve has long been known for its powerful, robust color grading features.