-
How to create Toho/Rashomon “glow” in B&W footage
Hi everyone! I am working on a short film, a period piece set in 1950s Japan. It was shot in full 4K color on a RED camera.
The producer and directors have been clear about the color correction they want, and I’ve done what they wanted, but I felt like it shouldn’t look like it was shot yesterday. It needs a little “aging”, so I’ve squeezed in just a hint of “yellowing” so that it at least appears to be an older film.
However, as a proof of concept, I want to show them a version that would look like it was actually filmed in 1950. I’ve matted it to 4:3, and desaturated the image and threw in some grain and extra contrast.
To “seal the deal”, I’d love to give the movie the glorious, luminous look of those amazing Toho films from the 1950s. Specifically, I’m looking to recreate the “glow” of the highlights from the forest scenes in “Rashomon”.
I have Adobe Premiere Pro 2018, running on Windows 7, but no 3rd party plug-ins or anything. Is there any way to get that glow with just what comes with Premiere? I’m not looking to sink a lot of time and/or money into this, I just want to see if I can duplicate it with a little bit of button pushing.
Thanks in advance!
Don
-
1 Reply
-
Duplicate the footage and overlay it on top of itself. Apply a mild amount of blur to the upper layer, and change the blending mode to Screen. Adjust the opacity and brightness to taste. A guy taught me this in the 90’s, back when that bloom-y soft-focus look was popular in music videos and soaps; he called it the “Instant Sex Trick” because it makes everything look soft and glowy.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up