FilmLook
Encyclopedia
Filmlook is the name of a form of image processing used on television programs, established in 1989. Since 1992, Filmlook, Inc. is also the corporate name of the post-production company which invented the process.
He began developing the actual design for the Filmlook process and built the prototype in 1988. The process was first unveiled at an open house presentation held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel (then the Registry Hotel) in Universal City, California
in January 1989.
The basic idea of Filmlook is to give productions shot on videotape the look of film origination, and is intended on being money and time-saving alternative to shooting productions on film.
titled "Not With My Carol You Don't". However, the first television series to regularly use Filmlook was Beakman's World
, a kid-oriented science series which ran from 1992–1996 on CBS. In 1995, Filmlook was used on the LL Cool J sitcom In the House. However, when the series moved from NBC to UPN in 1996, the series began using unprocessed video.
In recent years, Filmlook has become known for its use on nearly all Disney Channel
Original Series made from 2002 to 2008 (except Phil of the Future
which was shot on film). That's So Raven
, which at one point was the channel's most-watched series, was the first Disney Channel show to use the processing. Since then, four other original series on the channel have had their taped product processed by the company: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, That's So Raven spinoff Cory in the House and The Suite Life on Deck. Filmlook processing has also been used on segments within the Nickelodeon series "The Amanda Show" for commercial parodies and the mock teen series "Moody's Point."
Some of the drawbacks to Filmlook process are it can be incompatible with some visual effects and it cannot process interlaced HD based material. The Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place
, which heavily uses visual effects due to the show centering on three teen siblings with magical abilities, is the most obvious example. The show used the Filmlook imaging in the first three episodes produced: "You Can't Always Get What You Carpet" (possibly intended as the pilot but aired as the sixth episode), "Crazy Ten Minute Sale" (the first aired episode), and "First Kiss" (which was aired second), except for scenes that contained visual effects. All episodes produced afterward until the final episode of its second season had used the 30P frame rate, making Wizards the only videotaped Disney Channel sitcom to debut between 2003 and 2008 not using the Filmlook imaging regularly (though this changed when Wizards began production of its third season, which uses a 'filmized
' appearance that has already been implemented on fellow Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance
and The Suite Life on Deck
, as Disney's returning pre-2008 sitcoms convert to HD after 2009).
†Denotes series that were previously or otherwise broadcast with unprocessed video.
Development
In 1986, company founder Robert Faber began researching the differences between the qualities of film processed in telecine and standard videotape. His findings were that there are three main film aspects to isolate and reproduce for video: motion characteristics, contrasting and grayscale and grain pattern.He began developing the actual design for the Filmlook process and built the prototype in 1988. The process was first unveiled at an open house presentation held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel (then the Registry Hotel) in Universal City, California
Universal City, California
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
in January 1989.
The basic idea of Filmlook is to give productions shot on videotape the look of film origination, and is intended on being money and time-saving alternative to shooting productions on film.
Details
The Filmlook process affects three main features to achieve the appearance of film: motion characteristics, gray scale/contrast and grain pattern. By altering the gray scale, color and contrast, the video mimics the typical film characteristics and is given the vibrant feel of film.- Motion characteristics - With a video camera, you see 60 pictures per second (for each video field) versus 24 in film. The Filmlook process gives the image the dynamic feel of film.
- Greyscale/contrast - Filmlook alters the gray scale, color and contrast to mimic the typical film characteristic - the "film density curve."
- Simulation of grain pattern - A generated grain pattern that can be varied in intensity and imitates film by remaining static for the duration of each (imaginary) film frame (two or three fields).
Background
Invented in 1989, the Filmlook image processing was first used in a test run in a 1991 episode of the ABC sitcom Growing PainsGrowing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
titled "Not With My Carol You Don't". However, the first television series to regularly use Filmlook was Beakman's World
Beakman's World
Beakman's World is an educational children's television show produced by ELP Communications, Columbia Pictures Television, Universal Belo Productions, and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution....
, a kid-oriented science series which ran from 1992–1996 on CBS. In 1995, Filmlook was used on the LL Cool J sitcom In the House. However, when the series moved from NBC to UPN in 1996, the series began using unprocessed video.
In recent years, Filmlook has become known for its use on nearly all Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
Original Series made from 2002 to 2008 (except Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment...
which was shot on film). That's So Raven
That's So Raven
That's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
, which at one point was the channel's most-watched series, was the first Disney Channel show to use the processing. Since then, four other original series on the channel have had their taped product processed by the company: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, That's So Raven spinoff Cory in the House and The Suite Life on Deck. Filmlook processing has also been used on segments within the Nickelodeon series "The Amanda Show" for commercial parodies and the mock teen series "Moody's Point."
Some of the drawbacks to Filmlook process are it can be incompatible with some visual effects and it cannot process interlaced HD based material. The Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
, which heavily uses visual effects due to the show centering on three teen siblings with magical abilities, is the most obvious example. The show used the Filmlook imaging in the first three episodes produced: "You Can't Always Get What You Carpet" (possibly intended as the pilot but aired as the sixth episode), "Crazy Ten Minute Sale" (the first aired episode), and "First Kiss" (which was aired second), except for scenes that contained visual effects. All episodes produced afterward until the final episode of its second season had used the 30P frame rate, making Wizards the only videotaped Disney Channel sitcom to debut between 2003 and 2008 not using the Filmlook imaging regularly (though this changed when Wizards began production of its third season, which uses a 'filmized
Filmizing
Filmizing is a process that makes video productions seem to have been shot on film. The term is generic and informal. The process is usually electronic, although filmizing can sometimes occur as an un-intentional by-product of some optical techniques, such as telerecording.-Differences between...
' appearance that has already been implemented on fellow Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance
Sonny With a Chance
Sonny with a Chance is an American children's sitcom which aired on Disney Channel, created by Steve Marmel, that follows the experiences of teenager Sonny Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, who becomes the newest accepted cast member of her favorite live comedy show, So Random!.The series debuted...
and The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
, as Disney's returning pre-2008 sitcoms convert to HD after 2009).
List of television productions that use/have used Filmlook
- American High
- American CandidateAmerican CandidateAmerican Candidate is a political reality television show. The program aired for one season on Showtime in 2004, and was hosted by Montel Williams. It was created by documentary filmmaker R. J...
- Beakman's WorldBeakman's WorldBeakman's World is an educational children's television show produced by ELP Communications, Columbia Pictures Television, Universal Belo Productions, and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution....
(one first-season episode did not go through the process) - Chasing the SunChasing the Sun- Albums :* Chasing the Sun , Indigenous' 2006 album* Chasing the Sun * Chasing the Sun - Other :* Chasing the Sun: The Epic Story of the Star That Gives Us Life by Richard Cohen...
- Chicken Soup for the SoulChicken Soup for the SoulChicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
- Cory in the HouseCory in the HouseCory in the House is an American television sitcom, which aired on the Disney Channel from January 12, 2007 to September 12, 2008 and was a spin-off from the Disney show That's So Raven. The show focuses on Cory Baxter, who moved from San Francisco, California to Washington, D.C., after Victor...
- CosbyCosbyCosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
- Used primarily on the "street" set during the first season. - Crossed Over - television special
- Drake and Josh - used only in season 1, utilized a 'filmizedFilmizingFilmizing is a process that makes video productions seem to have been shot on film. The term is generic and informal. The process is usually electronic, although filmizing can sometimes occur as an un-intentional by-product of some optical techniques, such as telerecording.-Differences between...
' appearance afterwards - EnduranceEndurance (TV series)Endurance is an American reality television children's program, currently shown on the Discovery Kids cable network in the United States and also on networks in other countries. The show's format is somewhat similar to the CBS television series Survivor, though with a teenaged cast...
† - used from 2005–2008 - Founding Brothers - television special
- Founding Fathers - television special
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
- used only in 1 episode, "Viva Lost Wages", only during the Las Vegas scenes - Growing PainsGrowing PainsGrowing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
† - used only in 1 episode, "Not With My Carol You Don't" - Hannah MontanaHannah MontanaHannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
(season 1-3) - Haunted Hotels - television special
- In the House - used from 1995–1996
- It's a MiracleIt's a MiracleIt's a Miracle is a television show that aired on PAX-TV between September 6, 1998 and September 1, 2004. Initially hosted by Billy Dean and Nia Peeples and then Richard Thomas, and later by Roma Downey, , it explored case studies of people who experienced perceived miracles during their...
- Kingdom of DavidKingdom of DavidKingdom of David was a part of the Empire Series of history documentaries for the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting in joint venture with Red Hill Productions of Los Angeles, California.The documentary chronicles the story of how the...
- Living DollsLiving DollsLiving Dolls is an American situation comedy featured on the fall 1989 schedule of ABC. It was a spin-off created by a writer from Who's the Boss? and featuring characters introduced during an episode of that show. The show is notable as the acting debut of Halle Berry...
- Making the BandMaking the BandMaking the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
- Military Diaries
- The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century
- The Ponderosa
- The Power of Play - television special
- Saved by the BellSaved by the BellSaved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
- used only in TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style - Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
- So Little TimeSo Little TimeSo Little Time is an American sitcom starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen that aired on Fox Family. The first half of the series aired from June 2, 2001 to August 15, 2001. The series then went on a four-month hiatus, due to network management changes...
- Special Forces
- SportsCenturySportsCenturySportsCentury is an ESPN biography program that reviews the people and athletic events that defined sports in North America throughout the 20th and 21st centuries....
- The Amanda ShowThe Amanda ShowThe Amanda Show is an American live-action sketch comedy and variety show that aired on Nickelodeon from November 6, 1999 to September 21, 2002. It starred Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, and Nancy Sullivan, along with several performing artists who came and left at different points, such as John Kassir,...
- segments - The John Larroquette ShowThe John Larroquette ShowThe John Larroquette Show is a situation comedy that ran on the NBC network from 1993 to 1996. The show, created by Don Reo, was a vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on Night Court. The series took place in a seedy bus terminal in St. Louis, Missouri and focused on the...
- The Suite Life of Zack and CodyThe Suite Life of Zack and CodyThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series premiered on Disney Channel on March 18, 2005 with 4 million viewers, making it the most successful premiere for Disney Channel in 2005. It was one of their first five shows available on the...
- The Suite Life on DeckThe Suite Life on DeckThe Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
- TainaTaina (TV series)Taina is an American sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon and was one of the last live-action comedy shows taped at Nickelodeon Studios but later moved to the Nickelodeon On Sunset in Hollywood, for its second season. The show aired from January 14, 2001 to May 11, 2002.-Premise:Taina Morales is a...
- That's So RavenThat's So RavenThat's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
- The Two Hundredth Anniversary Special on West Point - television special
- Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
- UndressedUndressedUndressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:...
- Untold Stories of the Navy Seals - television special
- Vet School Confidential
- World War II: When Lions RoaredWorld War II: When Lions RoaredWorld War II: When Lions Roared is a 1994 TV movie, directed by Joseph Sargent, that stars John Lithgow, Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins as the three major Allied leaders....
- Wizards of Waverly PlaceWizards of Waverly PlaceWizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
- used only in 3 episodes)
†Denotes series that were previously or otherwise broadcast with unprocessed video.