There is something about the look of analog film that digital cinematography has never quite managed to replicate, and while modern cameras have come an incredibly long way, filmmakers are still turning to film-inspired looks to give their footage that unmistakable cinematic character. Arri is looking to take that creative freedom even further with the release of Film Lab 1.5, a major update to its OpenFX plugin that brings a host of new controls, improved performance, and greater flexibility to digital video editing workflows.
Image credit: Arri
Image credit: Arri
One of the biggest additions is the ability to choose between different film formats, something that was previously limited to the traditional 35mm aesthetic. With Film Lab 1.5, filmmakers can now select 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, or 65mm as their starting point, opening up a much wider range of creative possibilities. Whether you're chasing the nostalgic, grain-heavy character of Super 8-style footage or the cleaner, more refined look associated with larger film formats, there is now considerably more freedom to achieve the aesthetic you're looking for.
But Arri hasn't stopped at simply introducing new film formats. Two additional controls, Grain Size and Rendition of Detail, allow users to fine-tune the appearance of their footage even further, adjusting everything from the scale of the grain to the perceived sharpness of the image. Both controls offer adjustment ranges between 0.75 and 1.5, meaning filmmakers aren't restricted to the traditional characteristics of each format and can instead create something that sits somewhere between them.
Another particularly interesting addition is the new Anamorphic Ratio control, which offers eight squeeze ratios ranging from 1.25x to 2.0x. This allows filmmakers to adjust how film grain and halation are stretched horizontally, helping the effect better match footage captured using different anamorphic lenses. There is also a new Halation Spread adjustment for controlling the glow around highlights and high-contrast edges, while the maximum Grain Intensity and Halation Intensity settings have both been doubled to 2.0. For anyone who likes to push their footage toward a much more pronounced analog aesthetic, these changes should make a noticeable difference.
Of course, creative controls are only half the story, because there is little point having an impressive film emulation tool if it slows your entire workflow to a crawl. Thankfully, Arri has also made some significant improvements under the hood, with Film Lab 1.5 now offering processing speeds up to four times faster than before. According to Arri, this means smooth, real-time 4K playback is now possible on a much wider range of systems, including Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models, making it considerably easier to experiment with different looks without constantly waiting for footage to render.
Image credit: Arri
Image credit: Arri
The update also brings improved integration with color-managed workflows, including new ACES 2.0 ACEScc and ACEScct input and output options for applications such as DaVinci Resolve and Baselight. Baselight users also benefit from OpenFX 1.5 color management integration, allowing Film Lab to automatically recognize the timeline color space and apply the correct input transform. It might not sound quite as exciting as the new creative controls, but for professional colorists working across complex projects, improvements like these can make a substantial difference to the editing experience.
What makes Film Lab 1.5 particularly interesting is that Arri isn't simply trying to recreate the appearance of traditional film. It is giving filmmakers the freedom to take those characteristics and shape them into something of their own. From subtle grain and delicate highlight glow to much more expressive, vintage-inspired looks, this latest update offers another compelling way to bring analog character into an entirely digital production.
Arri Film Lab 1.5 is available now through RE Effects for $494.60 (or $24.74 per month), with the update offered free of charge to existing license holders, while new users can purchase a license.
