Nightcall

Cinematic tungsten film for shooting after dark

Dramatic
Nocturnal
Electric

A man in a long coat waiting under the strip lights of a bus shelter at night, rendered with the Nightcall preset

Tuned for this photo:Halation 30%Halation spread 55%Halation threshold 80%

The Look

What Nightcall does

Inspired by Cinestill 800T: a tungsten white balance shifts shadows cool and lights warm, and red halation glows around every bright source. Built for shooting after dark.

A commuter train standing at a platform at dusk, its headlights on, rendered with the Nightcall preset — Tuned for this photo:Halation 45%Halation spread 55%Halation threshold 80%

Red Halation

Signature warm halos around bright sources

Tungsten Balance

3500K shifts shadows cool, lights warm

Night-Tuned Grain

ASA 800 grit that suits the dark

Film Expire

Adds age and emulsion drift

Film Fog

Subtle haze softens harsh night contrast

Soft Glow

A gentle bloom around the lights

Up close

What gives Nightcall its look?

Close crops from the photos above.

Red halation around the headlights, a close crop of a commuter train standing at a platform at dusk, its headlights on — Red halation around the headlights

Tungsten balance: warm lamps, cool street, a close crop of a café at night under flower-shaped pendant lamps, a misty street beyond its window — Tungsten balance: warm lamps, cool street

ASA 800 grain across the shelter wall, a close crop of a man in a long coat waiting under the strip lights of a bus shelter at night — ASA 800 grain across the shelter wall

Settings

Dial it in

Default settings for Nightcall. Every parameter is adjustable — tweak any value and save your own version.

Color

Temperature: 3500K
Tint: −25

Develop

Film curve: 50%
Density: +20
Expire: 15%

Atmosphere

Halation: 15%
Halation spread: 35%
Halation threshold: 100%
Glow: 10%

Texture

Texture: 5%
Film grain: ASA 800
Film fog: 5%

Optics

Chromatic aberration: 25%
Vignette: 21%
Softening: 40%

Film Inspiration

What inspired it

Nightcall is an original look. These are the stocks whose character informed it — not stocks it reproduces.

Cinestill 800T: Tungsten-balanced with iconic red halation from removed anti-halation backing
Kodak Vision3 500T: The cinema stock Cinestill is based on, used for night scenes in feature films
Cinestill 400D: Daylight variant with similar halation character from removed remjet

A woman in a dark gown standing beside a narrow window of warm light, rendered with the Nightcall preset — Tuned for this photo:Halation 60%Halation spread 75%Halation threshold 80%

Film stock names are trademarks of their respective owners. Daydream is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any film manufacturer. Our presets are original looks inspired by the character of analog film, not licensed reproductions. Other app names and icons belong to their developers. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and TestFlight are trademarks of Apple Inc.

FAQ

Common questions

Why does Nightcall make shadows look blue?

The 3500K tungsten white balance is calibrated for artificial light sources. Anything lit by daylight or ambient light shifts blue — that’s the signature warm-light, cool-shadow cinema look. Warm the Temperature slider toward 3800–4000K to reduce the shift.

What is halation and why does Nightcall have it?

Halation is a red-orange glow around bright light sources caused by light bouncing through film emulsion. On Cinestill 800T, removing the anti-halation backing makes this glow visible and dramatic. Nightcall recreates this at strength 15 with a wide 35 spread.

Can I use Nightcall during the day?

You can, but the tungsten balance will push everything heavily blue. For a daytime Cinestill look, try warming Temperature to 5000–5500K while keeping the glow and halation character.

Ready to shoot with Nightcall?

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