The film versus digital debate continues to rage on as many directors and cinematographers still shoot on film. While most TV shows are shot digitally to keep costs down and to shoot more efficiently, there are still people who love the look of film.
Usually, cinematographers choose to shoot on film because of the grain, the way the highlights roll off at the higher end, and the way film handles the distribution of its dynamic range. From a purely anecdotal perspective, it’s also common that directors, film crew, and the cast all bring their A game to set when film is being shot because it is also a less forgiving format. Unlike with digital, you don’t have large monitors to ensure what you are rolling on is exactly what you want. You have to trust the crew.
That brings even more demand and attention to shows shot on film. Here are just a few current and past shows that were shot on the film format.
Shows Shot on Film
Master of None, Season 3 (Netflix, Premiered May 2021)
Cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis was the man behind the lens on The Lobster and worked with Aziz Ansari on season 3 of Masters of None. It was actually Ansari’s idea to shoot this more intimate story on film to give it more texture. When he told Thimios this, Thimios was fully on board. They shot on Kodak VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 to shoot most of the interior, low-light, and night-time scenes. When it came to the daylight interior shots, they chose Kodak VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 7213. Finally, they opted for Kodak VISION3 50D Color Negative Film 7203 for exterior shots.
Euphoria, Season 2 (HBO, Premiered January 2022)
Also switching from digital to film was Euphoria. Season two was shot completely on film utilizing Kodak’s EKTACHROME and VISION3 500T. The cinematographer who stunned everyone with the gorgeous cinematography in season one, Marcell Rév, had wanted to shoot the show on film from the beginning.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (HBO, Premiered March 2022)
Winning Time was shot on 35mm film, 8mm film, as well as with old Ikegami tube cameras. These were cameras that were actually used in the 1970s and early 1980s to film these games.
Conversations with Friends (Hulu, Premiered May 2022)
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Leanne Welham alongside Director of Photography Suzie Lavelle, the creators decided after the success of their last show Normal People (shot digitally), that they wanted to challenge themselves visually. For Converstations with Friends, they went with the Arricam LT 35mm and K35 lenses, which have a very vintage older look.
Succession (HBO, Premiered June 2018)
The show where you love to hate every single character, but can’t turn away, Succession is a runaway hit and has a gorgeous look in part due to the use of Kodak VISION3 5219 500T and 5203 50D. Creators are shooting it in a 3-perf format to achieve a 1.78:1 frame using Arriflex LT cameras with Leica Summilux primes and Angénieux Optimo zooms.
The Walking Dead (AMC, Premiered in October 2010)
The zombie apocalypse hasn’t deterred the use of analog in one of the more popular series on the AMC network. Filming with the Arriflex 416 and Kodak Vision3 film, The Walking Dead sometimes taps into 33mm for VFX shots.
American Horror Story (FX, Premiered in October 2011)
Another popular horror series, American Horror Story has been going strong for years while introducing an innovative anthology format per season. The director used the Arriflex 16 SR2, SR3, 235, and Xtreme cameras. Plus the use of 16mm and 35mm (for visual effects shots) with the Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2. Some scenes are even shot on 8mm.
Hand Of God (Amazon, Premiered in August 2014)
Hand of God gained popularity on Amazon’s streaming service. It was shot with the Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 and one of the few television dramas to be shot entirely in 35mm, Kodak Vision3 film.
Westworld (HBO, Premiered in October 2016)
This is a revisionist reworking of the classic 1973 science fiction movie (which in itself was adapted by Michael Crichton from his novel of the same name). Like Hand of God, Westworld it is shot entirely on 35mm Kodak film with ARRI Arricam LT and ST cameras.
The Middle (ABC. Premiered in September, 2009)
This half-hour comedic series was shot with Arricam LT and ST cameras on Kodak Vision2 and 35mm film.
