How to Make iPhone Photos Look Cinematic

The biggest difference between a phone photo and a movie frame is in the brightest parts. A phone cuts bright skies and lamps off at white. Motion picture film eases into them, so highlights fade softly and keep their color. In Daydream Film that's the film curve, and every film already sets it to 50%: Lab, then Develop, then Film Curve. Film tone curve, explained

Films are graded so warm light sits against cool shadows. It gives a frame depth and makes skin glow against the background.

Daydream keeps lamplight warm against a blue dusk, as in the photo below, and Nightcall pushes it further with its tungsten balance. On any film you can set it yourself with split toning: Lab, then Color, then Split Toning. Choose a cool hue for the shadows, a warm one for the highlights, and keep the saturation low. Split toning, explained

Film frames are never perfectly clean. Fine grain gives the image texture, and a soft glow around bright light takes the digital edge off.

• Grain: every film starts at ASA 800. Lab, then Texture, then Film Grain. Film grain
• Halation: the red glow around lights. Lab, then Atmosphere, then Halation. Halation
• Glow: a soft bloom like a mist filter on the lens. Lab, then Atmosphere, then Glow. Glow

For daytime, start with Daydream: a balanced film look with a soft glow, partly inspired by daylight cinema film. After dark, start with Nightcall, inspired by the tungsten film used for night scenes. Both already set the film curve, grain and glow, so most photos need only a tap; add split toning when you want more warm against cool. Night photos with a film look

1. Bring a photo into Daydream Film.
2. Tap Daydream for daylight, or Nightcall for night.
3. Fine-tune in the Lab: more film curve for softer highlights, split toning for warmer light and cooler shadows, a higher film speed for more grain.
4. Save. Your original photo stays as it was.