Another characteristic of film, or more specifically the camera lenses, is that they can create a very limited area that is in focus. This shallow depth of field focuses the viewer's attention on one plane, such as the actor's eye or a person sneaking up behind the main character.

You can use special adapters with some camcorders that will allow you to use film "prime" lenses. You may lose some automated features, like auto focus and exposure, but you'll gain a powerful ability to highlight just your subject, throwing much of the foreground and background wonderfully out of focus. Opening your camcorder's aperture to its widest setting will also reduce the depth of field. You can do this by using neutral-density filters, either in camera or in front of your lens.

Lens filters create two other film-like characteristics: they make the image less sharp and reduce contrast. There are lens filters that use various materials to slightly diffuse the image. These often also reduce the contrast at the same time. Polarizing filters will reduce contrast by bringing the exposure value of the sky down, depending on the time of day and angle to the sun. A graduated neutral-density filter can accomplish a similar task, but you are more restricted with its use. A matte box will make using filters easier and will also improve your overall image by keeping stray light off your lens.

The middle tones, or gamma, in your images can be adjusted, relative to the very light and dark areas. You can do this if you know the effect you are trying to achieve. However, this is really where specialized software becomes your best friend.

If you are working from a script or have a good idea of what you want your finished video to look like, then try altering your white balance. The two most common methods are white-balancing on a slightly red-orange card or on light-complexioned skin to make the video mimic that chilly blue hue that's so popular with some sci-fi flicks. To warm things up, white-balance on something slightly blue. You'll now have the perfect tone for romance in the desert.

Make sure you adjust any detail or sharpness enhancement to taste. Most camcorders come preset with some level of sharpness already applied to the signal, to counter inherently unsharp CCD or CMOS sensors. Even if the setting when you first encounter it is at zero, it probably means this is what the camcorder manufacturer thinks is appropriate. This digital enhancement is very un-film-like, so, with your camcorder trained on a subject with plenty of detail, hook it up to a monitor, and begin lowering the detail level until you are satisfied. At first it may seem too soft, but, when it's used in conjunction with the other tips in this article, you may find it is just right.

It is always important to frame your shots well, but it is particularly important if you are trying to trick your audience into thinking you shot on film. Amateurish composition will quickly break the illusion of film. Try to frame your scenes with a ratio of 16:9 in mind. You can do this even if you have a camcorder that has standard 4:3 ratio sensors. Just add black bars on top and bottom during editing, and you will force your audience into seeing your film-like vision.

Contributing editor Brian Peterson is a video production consultant, trainer and lecturer.

To view the tutorial video for Getting That Film Look, click here.