How to Get the A24 Look Without Breaking the Bank

How to Get the A24 Look Without Breaking the Bank

Recreate That Iconic Indie Film Style

A24 films have a look. You know it when you see it:
The soft glow of golden hour.
Grainy textures that feel like memory.
Muted pastels or eerie color pops.
Frame compositions that make you feel something — even in silence.

From Lady Bird to Hereditary, The Green Knight to Moonlight, A24’s visual identity is unmistakable. It’s not just “good cinematography” — it’s a feeling. And if you’re a filmmaker or content creator working with digital cameras, you’ve probably wondered how to capture that vibe without a $50,000 camera rig or a DP credit.

The good news? You don’t need a RED, a rental house, or an ARRI Alexa. You need taste, intention, and the right tools. This guide shows you exactly how to get the A24 look on a budget — and how Retrofi Film Emulation helps you bring that style to life inside DaVinci Resolve.

What Is the A24 Look?

Let’s break it down. A24 doesn’t use one “look” — but there are common threads in many of their films:

  • Shot on 16mm or 35mm film (or made to feel like it)

  • Soft lighting, often natural or diffused

  • Shallow depth of field, especially on faces

  • Muted contrast with gentle rolloff

  • Pastel color palettes or bold complementary tones (teal/orange, red/green)

  • Visible grain that adds texture without noise

  • Emphasis on visual storytelling through silence, atmosphere, framing

It’s a mix of old-school film discipline and modern indie risk-taking — and it's absolutely achievable with digital footage, if you're intentional.

Step 1: Shoot Like You're on Film

Before you grade anything, you have to capture footage that feels analog. Here’s how:

✅ Lock to 24fps

Every A24 film uses 24 frames per second. It’s standard for cinema and gives motion that timeless, filmic cadence. Don’t shoot in 60fps and slow it down later. Lock it in.

✅ Use a 180° Shutter (1/48 or 1/50 sec)

Motion blur is crucial. A 180° shutter angle simulates the blur of film frames. If your camera doesn’t support shutter angle, set your shutter speed to 1/48 or 1/50 for 24fps.

✅ Light Softly

Use diffused light sources. Bounce light off walls. Use practicals and shoot during golden hour. A24 films often avoid harsh contrast unless for effect. Overhead lights? Kill ’em.

✅ Use Vintage Lenses or Diffusion

If you can, use old lenses (Canon FD, Takumar, Helios 44-2). If not, a diffusion filter like Tiffen Black Pro Mist or Moment CineBloom can help bloom highlights and soften your digital sharpness.

✅ Add Grain — In Post, Intentionally

We’ll get to this more below, but don’t add fake-looking grain overlays. Use node-based grain that responds like real film (like in Retrofi).

Step 2: Choose the Right Film Emulation Style

Here’s how A24’s visual DNA maps to Retrofi’s emulation packs:

🎞️ Portra 400 (Retrofi)

Think: Lady Bird, Minari, The Florida Project

A soft, emotional, pastel look with a gentle glow. This emulation is perfect for:

  • Daylight portraiture

  • Intimate dialogue scenes

  • Nostalgic or coming-of-age visuals

Traits:

  • Subtle pink/orange skin tones

  • Low contrast

  • Smooth rolloff and soft highlight bloom

Shoot with natural light, soft ND filters, and an eye for quiet moments.

🌘 500T (Retrofi)

Think: Moonlight, Uncut Gems, The Green Knight

Gritty, cinematic, and moody. This is the look for low-light scenes, interiors, or scenes with practical lighting (street lamps, neon, etc.).

Traits:

  • Cool shadows, warm highlights

  • Slight teal/orange color split

  • Rich black point and subtle halation

Great for urban night scenes or dramatic lighting setups. Pair with handheld movement and isolated frames.

📽️ Expired 16mm (Retrofi)

Think: The Lighthouse, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Waves

When things need to get gritty — emotionally or visually — expired film comes in. Heavy grain, blown-out highlights, strange color shifts. Beautiful chaos.

Traits:

  • High grain density

  • Slight magenta/green tinting

  • Blooming highlights and crushed blacks

  • Raw and imperfect

Use for dream sequences, breakdowns, flashbacks, or to convey psychological instability.

🎨 AGFA Ultra (Retrofi)

Think: Midsommar, Climax, Enemy

A punchier, more saturated look that still feels analog. Ideal for moments of heightened tension, expressionistic framing, or surreal settings.

Traits:

  • Bold reds and greens

  • Sharp contrast

  • Slight edge glow

  • Excellent for bold art direction or set design

Use for fashion-driven shorts, music videos, or moments that feel elevated.

🔥 Teal & Orange (Retrofi)

Think: Ex Machina, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Under the Skin

While A24 isn’t typically associated with the Hollywood-style teal/orange split, their colder entries lean into this in subtle ways. The Retrofi Teal & Orange pack lets you push into bold cinematic contrast — while still keeping the 16mm/35mm vibe.

Traits:

  • Orange skin tones, teal shadows

  • Halation around specular light

  • Polished contrast with analog texture

  • Feels bigger than your budget

Perfect for sci-fi, tension-building, or bold character pieces.

Step 3: Grade in DaVinci Resolve Using Retrofi

Once you’ve shot with the right exposure, white balance, and lighting, it’s time to grade. This is where Retrofi PowerGrades come in.

Unlike LUTs, Retrofi PowerGrades are built inside DaVinci Resolve using fully modular node trees. That means you can:

  • Toggle or modify glow, grain, halation

  • Adjust tone curve behavior like real film

  • Grade pre- and post-emulation

  • Layer multiple looks if needed

  • Customize without plugins

Each grade is handcrafted to behave like a real film stock — not just color, but texture, bloom, and motion handling.

Bonus Tips for the A24 Look

🎞️ Frame Like a Still Photo

Hold on shots. Use symmetry, negative space, and meaningful blocking. A24 is as much about how a story is shown as what’s in it.

🎛️ Let Silence Speak

Don’t rush the edit. Long takes, slow pacing, and room to breathe help sell the cinematic feel.

🧰 Use Retrofi Film Burn Transitions

For projects inspired by Waves or Euphoria, your film burn pack adds analog transitions and SFX that feel authentic, not YouTube-y.

Gear You Can Use (No ARRI Required)

Here's a sample “A24 on a budget” setup:

  • Camera: Lumix S5, Sony FX30, Canon R6, Fuji X-T4 — anything that shoots 10-bit

  • Lens: Vintage lens + EF adapter, or modern lens with diffusion

  • Lighting: Aputure Amaran or even window light

  • Audio: Zoom H6 or onboard mic with sound design in post

  • Software: DaVinci Resolve + Retrofi

That’s it. You’re ready to shoot a vibe-heavy indie short tomorrow.

Final Thoughts: Vibe > Budget

The A24 look isn’t just about grain and pastel colors. It’s about intention. About crafting every frame with care. About making the audience feel something without needing to explain.

With the right camera settings, thoughtful framing, and Retrofi Film Emulation, you can bring that same cinematic depth to your own projects — whether you're working on a short film, a music video, or just want to make your YouTube channel look like Sundance.

The only thing separating you from “that look” is taste — and now, you’ve got the tools too.

Start Grading Like A24

🎞️ Try the Retrofi Film Emulation Pack — 500T, Portra, 250D, AGFA
🌘 Add Grit with Expired 16mm
🔥 Push the Look with Teal & Orange
🎛️ Blend in Real Film Burn Transitions + SFX

👉 Shop all packs at retrofi.co

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