Films do not look like phone photos because of colour grading: the shadows, highlights and skin tones are pushed in a deliberate direction. A cinematic filter does the same to a still photo. Here is how to add one free, with no app and no account.
Add a cinematic filter in three steps
- Open the free Cinematic filter and upload your photo.
- Pick a preset, then set Grading Intensity, Contrast and Saturation.
- Compare with the original and download.
The five looks
- Teal and Orange. Warm skin against cool shadows, the classic blockbuster look. Great for travel, city and portrait shots.
- Warm Vintage. Soft golden tones that flatter skin and evening light. The default.
- Moody Noir. Dark, low-colour and dramatic. Suits night streets and rainy days.
- Cyberpunk. Pink and blue neon tones for city lights at night.
- Matrix Green. A green tint for a tech or thriller mood.
The sliders
- Grading Intensity (10 to 100) sets how strong the look is. Start near the middle.
- Cinematic Contrast (0.8 to 1.8) deepens shadows. Raise it a little for drama.
- Color Saturation (0.3 to 2.0) controls how rich the colours are. Lower it for a muted, serious mood.
Make it look like a real film still
- Shoot wide or crop wide. A wide 16:9 frame reads as cinematic straight away. The free crop tool has a 16:9 preset.
- Leave space. Put the person off centre with room around them, not filling the frame.
- Use real light. Backlight, street lamps and window light grade better than flat midday sun.
- Do not overdo it. Strong grades look good on a phone and heavy in print, so check the original before you save.
- Add depth. A soft background blur or a light vignette adds to the film feel.
Which photos suit which look
| Photo | Try |
|---|---|
| Beach, mountains, a city trip | Teal and Orange |
| A portrait at sunset | Warm Vintage |
| A street at night, rain | Moody Noir or Cyberpunk |
| A moody selfie indoors | Moody Noir |
Common questions
Does it change my face? No. It changes colour and contrast only.
Is my photo kept? No. Photos are processed in memory and not kept on our servers.
Want to be the star of the poster too? Copy a free prompt from the Hollywood Glamour collection, or download Trendy AI Lab and make movie-style AI portraits in the app with a plan.
Coming soon