Your camera’s Film Simulation modes are just as useful when making movies as they are when making stills. Let’s explore some of the best ones to use.
One of the great things about using your FUJIFILM X Series camera for video is that you can deploy many of the amazing features you use when you’re photographing stills to make video that’s equally as creative. One of these is Film Simulation modes – a technology that’s exclusive to Fujifilm, and therefore something that can give your movies a distinctive look and feel.
You can use any of your camera’s Film Simulation modes when creating movie clips, though some are more suited to video than others. The standard PROVIA mode is just fine for general-purpose filming, just as it is for still photos, but also try some of the modes that are lower in contrast. This is because it’s harder to keep detail in the very brightest and very darkest parts of a scene when you’re making movies as opposed to stills.
Low-contrast Film Simulation modes are:
- ASTIA
- PRO Neg. Std
- PRO Neg. Hi
- ETERNA
ASTIA
PRO Neg. Std
PRO Neg. Hi
ETERNA
ETERNA is not available on every X Series camera, but it is a great choice for movies, since it’s been designed especially for video. It’s named after the FUJIFILM ETERNA analog film that’s been a big hit with Hollywood film studios for years and is characterized by flat contrast and muted colors.
If ETERNA is a bit too muted, try one of the PRO Neg. simulations, which will add a bit more contrast and color. And don’t forget that you can always fine-tune the look and feel of your footage by using the Highlight Tone, Shadow Tone, and Color adjustments, available from the camera’s Quick Menu (accessed by pressing the Q button) or the Image Quality Setting menu.
Your Next Steps
- CHALLENGE Set your camera to one of its low-contrast Film Simulation modes and make some movie clips of the town in which you live. Post your best clip to social media with the hashtag #MyFujifilmLegacy and #FilmSimMode. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.
Header image © Alison Conklin
