Using film grain overlay to hide loss of resolution from stretching, etc.

[Caleb Genheimer]

This file was converted to ProRes422HQ via ClipWrap, then dropped into a 4000x1674 (2.39:1) sequence for the same codec settings as the clip. (my old copy of FCP only goes up to 4000, so no 4096, sorry.) I stretched the footage out from 2X, then scaled it up from 1080 to 1674 vertical (313X scale approx.) zoomed in to 100%, it is very obvious that the footage has been scaled both ways.

Then the magic started. I dropped a 4679 × 3119 film grain PNG file in the track above the footage, scaled to 100% (pixel-to-pixel with my 4000x1674 frame). See for yourself, but I think this is pretty brilliant. The grain brings the footage right up into 4K. To my eyes, it appears as if it was shot at 4K, just with a softer lens or with a softening filter in the matte box.

[QuickHitRecord]

Nice. I do this to a lot of my footage as well. I actually think that the film grain adds a little something extra.

[richg101]

thats great.  definitely give the feel of higher resolution.  please could you share your grain png so I can have a play?

[fetzu]

If I may: I'm not sure it is the one he used, but somebody posted a link to [url=http://byscuits.com/grain-tm400.png]this[/url] 4.5k film scan for grain.

You can find some more info on the pv topic there: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3665/film-grain-overlays-.-.-.-a-trick-for-getting-better-4k-with-anamorphic-from-your-1080p-camera (I hope I'm not breaking any rules by linking to that topic!).

[Andrew Reid]

Interesting test. Might blog this after I've tried it myself. Well done guys.

[Caleb Genheimer]

Andrew, seriously. It's killer awesome. try it out. The GH2 can totally pull it off with good intra footage, its such a sharp camera. Other cams with big piles of garbage in the shadows won't fare the same, the garbage will shine through. But the GH2 holds so much detail, this overtop of it is icing on the cake. It helps stretch softness of 1080p anamorphic stuff like a charm too. I'm not buying another camera for a long time now. This little trick made me so happy with the GH2.

[QuickHitRecord]

Not only does it look great, but it's also good for covering up high ISO noise, and the noise that results from shooting in crop modes.

[Sean Cunningham]

Adding at least subtle grain, post color-correction, is just a nice sweetening step regardless of anamorphic or not.  It helps with banding and gives the image some texture that makes it feel less clinical and antiseptic. 

AfterEffects has a pretty decent grain generator with several film stocks replicated.  Compositing mode can also influence the look greatly independent of the actual smoothness coarseness of the grain and whether you're working in linear space, etc.  I tend to use OVERLAY but there are cases where ADD or SCREEN can work too.  Applying grain through a keyer is also sometimes preferable (for instance, on the House episode shot on a 5D they only applied grain to the highs and mids and not the shadows).

Target resolution grain applied to lower-resolution, blow-up imagery is a trick I got taught way back on True Lies.  It works really well when applied with some finesse.

[b]EDIT[/b]: here are some examples from my most recent project, showing 7D before and after (de-moire, mild tone-mapping for sharpening, simulated high-speed grain from AE, MagicBullet grading)...

[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/2nsxv1g.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/2d9p91x.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/2jexyqb.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/dm9snt.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/z8ffp.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/33u75he.png[/img]

...top two scenes were shot with the kit zoom (car interior with the camera mounted via StickyPod) and the bottom CU was shot with the f1.2 85mm L which is an amazing, amazing lens.

[nahua]

Thank you so much for this thread. I need to try this on some of my night footage which has so much macroblocking noise, no matter how high the hack. I hope the film grain will help mask the noise and add some character to my footage.

[itimjim]

I've tried this, and can concur, it looks very nice indeed. I downloaded a png, imported into AE on a 30 second workspace at 4k. Added a 24fps wiggle (both H and Z), enable draft mode (to stop half value blending). I then overlay it in soft light blend mode on the top layer and it's beautiful. If you're using 1080p, use a crop and not a downscale of the 4k overlay.