DFD (Digital-Film-Digital)
Digital-Film-Digital Services
What is DFD?
DFD stands for 'digital-film-digital'.
It is Cinelab’s analog intermediate process, where we transfer your digital movie file via ARRILASER on to celluloid film. We then process that film and scan it back to digital with an authentic film look applied to the source footage.
Why use DFD?
This technique adds real film grain and texture to the digital image. Cinelab’s DFD process has applications across commercials, music videos, episodic TV and feature films. It can be utilised for several purposes:
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Apply an authentic film look to digitally acquired footage.
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Bed in VFX shots and make them look more realistic.
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Unify the look of multiple digital, film, or hybrid shot footage.
Patch Size
We can authentically produce the grain size and look of full frame 35mm, S16mm, or S8mm.
*Anamorphic / 4perf / 3perf / 2perf
Film Stock
We usually record to a digital intermediate negative stock (Kodak 2254), which has a fine film grain. Alternatively, for additional grain we can record to original camera negative stock (Kodak 250D/50D).
Camera Negative - Kodak 250D
This is our most popular option if you want your digital content to look like it was captured on film. It retains the real film grain of the film stock, along with its other characteristics such as the image softening, halation and even the gate weave if shooting out to a 16mm or 8mm patch size.
Camera Negative - Kodak 50D
This is a very similar negative to the 250D but with a finer grain structure.
OTHER SERVICES
Prepare for your
DFD Project
Booking your DFD Project
with Cinelab Film & Digital
How much does DFD cost?
DI Negative - Kodak 2254
The digital intermediate negative stock is our cleanest option, it has a much finer grain structure than original camera negative and is best suited for blending VFX work.
Cinelab Film & Digital Showcase
View our video showcase below, including all film stock and patch size options:
Grading & Finishing
Colour and finishing work on your project can be completed at Cinelab. Our suites and colour grading theatre are equipped with the latest DaVinci Resolve colour systems, including 4K HDR monitoring, and capable of servicing productions of every scale. Our expert colourists have years of experiences - across all genres.
On DFD projects, we can either work with your finished graded files, or work off of your source data in its original LOG space.
For Shortform Projects it is often easier to send the material once the grade is complete.
For Longform Projects it is recommended to send us LOG data - either graded or ungraded. If you are completing colour grading at Cinelab, we will work closely with you on look development and can offer comprehensive testing including camera, stock and film processing comparisons.
Creative Looks
A variety of techniques for creative looks are available to us in the photochemical processing stage. These include push/pull processing, bleach by-pass, pre-flashing stock and recording out to panchromatic B&W negative.
Creating a celluloid version of your footage allows for drawn-on-film animation; the technique of drawing, or scratching directly onto film.
For examples of recent DFD projects, as well as a showreel of drawn-on-film work from ANA Projects, please look to the showcase below.
What's next?
If you are interested in any of these processing techniques please contact us to discuss your options in greater detail.
Alternatively, if you are ready to proceed with your project, please download the following documents to assist you:
