Fake Tube Camera Video at DVinfo.net

Marty Hamrick · March 20th, 2014, 12:47 PM

Anyone know of any way to make video video shot on a CCD camera look like late 70's tube camera video?

Charles Papert · March 20th, 2014, 01:40 PM

Marty, I looked into it a few times and couldn't find anything even close. The smearing, comet-tailing and texture are the real key and I've never seen a plug-in that could emulate it. Ultimately I ended up buying vintage cameras to achieve the look (I have two sets of consumer grade cameras and broadcast cameras, both from early 80's).

You can do a little bit with mis-aligning the color channels to achieve an out-of-registration 3-tube look...it's a start.

Marty Hamrick · March 20th, 2014, 01:43 PM

I'm looking to take some video shot in the 90's on a VHS camcorder of the era and I want to make it look like it was shot on one of the first single tube home video camera/VHS deck combos.

Charles Papert · March 20th, 2014, 01:49 PM

Here's one of the clips I shot with the Magnavox tube cam:

We recorded out to a DV hard drive recorder, with the VHS tape artifacts recreated in post.

I always wished I had removed the lampshade cover to let the bare bulb make those fabulous/awful burn trails to really hammer the look home!

One of the hallmarks of the tube cameras was image retention, so if you have a way to take the highlight channel and apply a delay on it to make a blurry trail and tint it green, you might be on to something. And overlaying the tape artifacts will help. I believe these were sampled off an old tape and keyed over. The crude date/time overlay is another signature (also created in post).

Color-wise, these old cameras tended to run on the cool side, with a green in the blacks.

Marty Hamrick · March 20th, 2014, 02:05 PM

How about this: Put the video on a flat screen monitor and shoot it off the screen with a tube camera? How would that work?

Really cool looking video BTW.

Marty Hamrick · March 21st, 2014, 03:30 PM

That's some really sweet period tube camera video, Charles.The project is a mockumentary that a friend is making. I've got some video that I shot back in the 90's of a 70's party and I'm wondering if shooting it off a flat screen monitor would give me what I want. I thought about using film, loading my super 8 camera up with some Ektachrome and making it look like news film, but I really want tube video. I want to put those comet trails on the disco ball and lava lamp.

March 20th, 2014, 12:47 PM	#1
Marty Hamrick Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 42	Fake Tube Camera Video Anyone know of any way to make video video shot on a CCD camera look like late 70's tube camera video?

March 20th, 2014, 01:40 PM	#2
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Re: Fake Tube Camera Video Marty, I looked into it a few times and couldn't find anything even close. The smearing, comet-tailing and texture are the real key and I've never seen a plug-in that could emulate it. Ultimately I ended up buying vintage cameras to achieve the look (I have two sets of consumer grade cameras and broadcast cameras, both from early 80's). You can do a little bit with mis-aligning the color channels to achieve an out-of-registration 3-tube look...it's a start. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 20th, 2014, 01:43 PM	#3
Marty Hamrick Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 42	Re: Fake Tube Camera Video I'm looking to take some video shot in the 90's on a VHS camcorder of the era and I want to make it look like it was shot on one of the first single tube home video camera/VHS deck combos.

March 20th, 2014, 01:49 PM	#4
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Re: Fake Tube Camera Video Here's one of the clips I shot with the Magnavox tube cam: Key & Peele: Obama - The College Years - YouTube We recorded out to a DV hard drive recorder, with the VHS tape artifacts recreated in post. I always wished I had removed the lampshade cover to let the bare bulb make those fabulous/awful burn trails to really hammer the look home! One of the hallmarks of the tube cameras was image retention, so if you have a way to take the highlight channel and apply a delay on it to make a blurry trail and tint it green, you might be on to something. And overlaying the tape artifacts will help. I believe these were sampled off an old tape and keyed over. The crude date/time overlay is another signature (also created in post). Color-wise, these old cameras tended to run on the cool side, with a green in the blacks. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 20th, 2014, 02:05 PM	#5
Marty Hamrick Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 42	Re: Fake Tube Camera Video How about this: Put the video on a flat screen monitor and shoot it off the screen with a tube camera? How would that work? Really cool looking video BTW. Last edited by Marty Hamrick; March 20th, 2014 at 02:50 PM.

March 21st, 2014, 03:30 PM	#6
Marty Hamrick Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 42	Re: Fake Tube Camera Video That's some really sweet period tube camera video, Charles.The project is a mockumentary that a friend is making. I've got some video that I shot back in the 90's of a 70's party and I'm wondering if shooting it off a flat screen monitor would give me what I want. I thought about using film, loading my super 8 camera up with some Ektachrome and making it look like news film, but I really want tube video. I want to put those comet trails on the disco ball and lava lamp.