ARRI has launched a new OpenFX plugin designed to give your digital camera footage the look and feel of film. ARRI Film Lab has launched under the ambitious headline “The soul of analog film.”
Compatibility
ARRI Film Lab is an OpenFX plugin, so you need to use it with a compatible post-production tool. It works with both DaVinci Resolve and Fusion Studio from Blackmagic Design. You can also use the plugin with professional VFX software, including Autograph, Baselight, Autodesk, Nuke, Scratch and Silhouette.
You can view non-destructive preview simulations on set when recording ARRICORE or ARRIRAW with ALEXA 35 Xtreme or ALEXA 35 cameras.
Real-time processing
ARRI Film Lab delivers real-time 4K processing of RGB images from both ARRI and third-party digital cameras. It supports ARRICORE, ARRIRAW, ProRes and third-party codec footage. You need to bring your video into a LogC3 (AWG3) and LogC4 (AWG4) workflow and must use ARRI color management through to export. However, the plugin will support an ACES 2.0 workflow in the future.
Film look
With ARRI Film Lab, you can add realistically emulated film grain to your videos. You can choose between the look of a 50D, 200T, or 500T negative stock. The plugin offers a range of color options, including different print stock characteristics, reversal film and bleach bypass. In addition, you can add halation to your images. This replicates the red/orange halo around bright areas caused by light reflecting through film layers. Finally, the gate weave option in ARRI Film Lab simulates the slight unsteadiness sometimes seen in footage shot on film.
Analog feel
ARRI says that any combination of the plugin’s settings, at any intensity level, will result in an authentic and pleasing analog feel. The company also says that the results will be consistent even if material from different cameras is being mixed.
Additionally, ARRI Film Lab comes with a plugin version of the ARRI Look Library. This includes a diverse range of LUTs which deliver 87 pre-defined looks, each of which come in three intensities.
Vintage look
ARRI has published some impressive reviews of the new Film Lab plugin. Cinematographer Stijn Van der Veken said, “It is the first time I’ve seen a film look plugin that really helps create a vintage look on a period drama.” Also, Luisa Cavanagh, a colorist at Quanta Post, said, “ARRI Film Lab makes digital feel like real film. It’s incredibly easy to use, yet feels like it carries a full color science lab inside—robust and cinematic. The color response is stunningly accurate, skin tones feel alive, shadows stay rich, and the definition is superb, providing that crisp, organic detail you get from true film.”
What we think
ARRI has been the leading name in digital cinema since the launch of the original Alexa camera. Therefore, the release of ARRI Film Lab is a very exciting prospect. The company has put all of its expertise and knowledge into the plugin, and the sample footage shared by ARRI is very impressive. As you would expect for such high-end software, ARRI Film Lab isn’t cheap. However, you can download a trial of the full version of the plug-in free of charge. The only restriction is that your images will be watermarked after a week if you have not purchased a license and applied the registration key.
Pricing and availability
ARRI Film Lab is available now from RE:Vision Effects. A monthly subscription for DaVinci Resolve costs $24 per month or $247 if you pay for a whole year in advance. You can also buy the plugin outright for $494.
