Why Video Looks Different from Film

Ever wonder why your home video shot with your digital camcorder looks like a home video and movies look, well, like movies? You might assume the way video looks is just a result of crummy equipment and the amateurs using it. There's actually more to it.

Frame Rate

Film is shot at a slower frame rate than video. It's 24 frames per second as opposed to video, which is about 30 frames per second. The difference is pretty dramatic. Movies have an almost dreamy quality about the way things move about the screen, while video has a much more realistic motion to it.

Depth of Field

Film has a much shallower depth of field than video does. If you'll notice, the characters in movies are in focus while much of the background behind them is out of focus. This creates an effect that is similar to how our eyes focus on objects. Video, on the other hand, can keep its subjects and most, if not all, of the background in focus and perfectly clear. When trying to record an event or anything live, this can be a nice feature.

Lighting, Gamma, and Other Things

Aside from frame rate and depth of field (which are the big ones), there are a host of other things that create the differences in appearance between video and film.

Hollywood sets are meticulously lit to create certain looks and atmospheric effects. News programs and sitcoms shot on video are often lit very flat and evenly. Gamma is a very technical term that refers to the nonlinear operation used to code and decode luminance or tristimulus values in film or video. The important thing here is, gamma is different for film and video and contributes to the aesthetic differences. And finally, yes, the equipment itself plays a big part. Dollies, cranes, steadicams and other production aids allow Hollywood film cameras to move in ways your digital video camera cannot.