It seems that everyone with a camcorder today wants to get "that film look". With all the stories circulating about low/no-budget movies shot on video that make it into the film festivals (not to mention the Blair Witch Project), controlling my curiosity was hopeless. I just had to figure out how to do it (the fact that was impossible to make an $800 camcorder look like a $10,000 film camera never entered my mind).

Some quick research revealed that the "film look" was achieved through several processes: properly controlled lighting, optical filtering, progressive-scan technology and post-processing. Since neither of my cameras had progressive-scan capabilities, that option was out. And after some sticker shock on "FilmLook" processing and several Premiere plug-ins, I was in the mood for a more economical approach.

I had read several Internet posts about the Tiffen Pro-Mist filters - in particular the Black Pro-Mist. A simple optical filter, the Pro-Mist diffuses the light entering the camera lens and achieves a softer, more film-like appearance. Most of the posts had reported similar results, so I did a little cyber-shopping. Unfortunately, the filter for my camera was almost $80 and I didn't want to shell out that much just for an experiment.

During my research, I had also run across a handful of references to stretching panty-hose over the camera lens to achieve a similar effect. It seemed silly, but I knew this option was in my budget so, armed with leftover lunch money, I headed for the hosiery section of my local Discount Mega-Mart. After a slight detour through the nearby lingerie department, I found some generic knee-highs in both black and white (there was no consensus on the Internet as to which color worked best). Total investment: 66 cents + tax.

I cut off the thicker top of the knee-highs, stretched the stocking out and attached a rubber band at either end of the top to secure the assembly to my camera.

I felt like an idiot stretching panty-hose over the top of my camera, but after several adjustments, I got a pretty good fit and found places to secure the rubber bands.

So, how did it work? I was shocked and amazed at the results from this ridiculously simple and inexpensive technique. Although not perfect, the images were softer and had a bit of a "glow" to them. I've shot about a dozen interviews with this method and the audiences all comment on how "real" the video looks. I'm not sure what that means, but they evidently like what they see.

Based on my tests, I've found the black hose work best under most circumstances. I've even read about a specific model of Christian Dior hose that are supposed to be "magic" - let your wallet be your guide. In any case, you should keep as much light off the front of the camera as possible as the spill can radically change the look. A lens hood or flag can make a lot of difference. I'm sure the results would be even more dramatic with a better (3-chip) camera.

One very important tip is to shoot with long zoom settings. The shorter the zoom, the more the camera can "see" the mesh of the stocking. One of the above pictures gives an indication of how far my camera was from the interview subject. Once you try it, you'll see what I mean.

But does it look like film? I prefer to think that it looks less like video. Video can sometimes be harsh and too "real" on occasion. The interviews I shot using the panty-hose were heartfelt Thanksgiving pieces that needed to have a thoughtful ambience. The softening of the image with my makeshift filter, along with some nice piano background music was the perfect combination.

This little experiment did several things for me. First, it was fun to try a new shooting technique using absurd accessories. Second, I achieved a new look that perfectly suited a particular project and made a client very happy (and will come in handy in the future). Finally, the results were good enough to convince me to pry open my wallet and invest in "real" filters that will produce higher quality images. All in all, a pretty good day and easily worth the 66 cents invested.

Hal Robertson is a media producer, technology consultant and writer.
You may email him at: soundfound@angelfire.com

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