Cinematic One is a free Lightroom preset that gives photos a cool cinematic aesthetic. It has a charming mate texture that helps enhance mood and draw out drama. Its unsaturated old film style further makes images look like movie stills.
Collection: Cinematic Presets
Best for: Versatile, Indoor and Outdoor
Style: Old Film, Vintage, Matte
This preset is versatile can be used in various scenes, whether shot indoor or outdoor, from portraiture to landscape photography. It does work best on an image with diffused lighting, as it blends well with the preset’s soft look and feel.
You can use this as an Instagram filter as well. It will enhance the atmosphere of your images and make them look artistic. As a result, your photos would look elegant and timeless. Its distinct motif can help you achieve a professional and cohesive look.
Softens Tones for a Dramatic Scene
Soft Matte. To create its cinematic mood, the preset begins by softening its tones. It does so by muting whites and highlights and lightening blacks and shadows. As a result, the tonal range becomes compressed. In this style, there are no harsh or blinding tones. All of these come together to give off a gentle and ethereal feel. The preset refines these settings even further in the tone curve.
You can examine and compare the Before-After images above. Notice how Cinematic One softens the urban scene‘s tones and how it consequently produces a rich matte texture. This lowered intensity creates an understated ambiance that serves as the base for the cinematic film look.
Creates a Cinematic Film Motif
Split Toning. Cinematic One creates its distinct color motif by tinting its tones. This means that it finely adds some color in Lightroom’s split toning: it adds blue to shadows and beige to the highlights. Even with the preset’s tender look, these tones help give a definitive contrast. They retain their mild intensity but their colors add depth as they are complementary.
The After photo above shows this effect very well. Draw your attention to the woman’s jacket, for example. See how the highlights get a tinge of orange, while the shadows in the folds are bluish. You can notice the same on her denim jeans, too. Also, try to examine the contrast on the ocean waves. Even with the muted tones, you can still clearly appreciate their texture.
Softens Midtones
Soft Tones. The preset reinforces its cinematic matte look by further tweaking its midtones. It lowers clarity and some saturation as well. This, as a result, softens depth. The image may stylistically seem flatter. This, however, even enhances the preset’s vintage motif.
It is easy to spot the effect in the After photo above. Compare the midtones and some details between the newspapers and the man’s face. This example also shows how Cinematic One heightens moods or facial expressions in portraits. Although the original image is visually appealing as it is, the After photo looks more artistic and dramatic. The film style makes it seem like a narrative is unfolding.
Finely Adjusts Saturation and Luminance
Mild Hues. After lowering saturation under the Presence panel, Cinematic One more finely adjusts color intensity and brilliance in the HSL. This means that colors are optimized and set at varying levels.
The preset further reduces the saturation of colors, except for yellow and orange. This adjustment enables the preset to retain some golden warmth, even with the dominant bluish hues. For brilliance, Cinematic One tweaks luminance: it adds light to yellow, aqua, purple, and magenta, while it darkens red, blue, and a bit of orange.
These settings, like the previous split toning, also give a sense of depth. You can notice this effect the most on outdoor or travel photos like the one above. Observe the more brilliant blue sky and the deepened earth tones.
Refines Texture
Crisp Details. Given all the softening enhancements, it is a must for Cinematic One to also improve textures. It does so by increasing sharpening. Try to observe the trees in the After photo above. The trunk retains its rough, gritty, details and the leaves look crisply defined. Notice how this refinement improves the preset’s overall look and feel.
Finally, as a finishing touch, Cinematic One adds vignetting. Not only does it complete its film look but it also frames the movie-like scene.
Cinematic One is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…
Like all our presets, you can absolutely use Cinematic One preset as is, right out of the box. With any preset, you might need to make adjustments to accommodate your specific camera, settings, lighting and subject matter.
- Entirely Adjustable
- Compatible with Lightroom 4, 5, 6 and CC
- Performs with both PC, Mac, and Mobile
- Applicable to both RAW and JPG images
Free Lightroom Preset by Forrest Lane
