How to make video look like film

Method 1: Depth of field
Depth of field refers to how much the image is in focus. Films traditionally use a shallow depth of field to draw more focus on a character or object.












Method 2: Frame rate
All films are shown in 24fps, and so unless we are trying to achieve a slow motion effect, then we will have to film at 24 fps as people are most accustomed to this and so it will look more like film this effect helps create a natural 'motion blur'.

Method 3: Shutter speed
In film, shutter speed should be set to double that of the fps being used, so for 24fps the shutter speed should be 1/48(However most cameras only offer 1/40 or 1/50). If the wrong shutter speed is used it can come off as strobing if its too slow(1/20) or it can look sped up if its too fast(1/100)




Method 4: Blown out highlights
A lot of modern digital cameras tend to clip or blow out the bright areas of footage. Wheras in film this can create a pleasant, stylised effect, on video they tend to look bad as the light doesn't bloom in the same way. to avoid this happening, don't overexpose anything in your footage, just bring your exposure down enough so that bright areas  have enough detail in them but are also not blown out. This may lead to some areas being too dark, which can be used as a stylistic choice or more light can be brought in to counteract it.

Method 5: Colour correction
This is a post-production step and can play a big part in creating a film like style. It is best to make the colours look as natural as possible, however you can cool down or warm up your footage to suit the mood of the scene. The best way to obtain natural colours is to tweak white balance and exposure.
Black levels and contrast can also be used to create a film like effect, but make sure to not go too far or the footage may appear too dark or the darks may be too 'crushed'.

Method 6: Film emulation
Film emulation is a technique which can apply the look of a specific film stock to your film. This can create a stylistic effect if you want your film to look like another film.