Creating a 1981 Vintage Aesthetic for "Casey Makes a Mixtape"
- Blake Calhoun
- 13 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Rewinding to 1981: How Casey Makes a Mixtape Nailed an ‘80s Look
Note: This is a more technical-related article about creating the look for my most recent directorial effort and one that I DP’d as well (and partially shot on iPhone).
I didn’t just want Casey Makes a Mixtape to be set in the 1980s—I wanted it to look and feel like it was made in the 1980s. Every detail, from the furniture to the film grain, was designed to make audiences wonder if they’d stumbled upon a lost VHS gem from the Reagan era.
To sell the illusion, we focused on three core elements:
Period art direction & props — Vintage furniture, classic cars, and an authentic 1981 jambox (from eBay)
Wardrobe & hair — Thrift store treasure hunts, replica vintage clothes, and plenty of “Farrah Fawcett” Google searches
Color grading & film look — Achieved through FilmConvert Nitrate, CineMatch, and meticulous post-production work
In this post I’m going to focus on the color grading & film look.
The film was primarily shot on a RED Komodo in 6K RAW, but additional footage came from a Sony a7Siii, Blackmagic Pocket 4K, DJI drone and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These were used for creative shots, pickups, and cost-saving second-unit work.
Thanks to FilmConvert CineMatch and Nitrate, all footage—regardless of camera—could be seamlessly used together in post.
Rather than round-tripping into DaVinci Resolve, we handled the entire color workflow inside Adobe Premiere Pro, using:
Lumetri Color for balancing
Custom LUTs for creative direction
FilmConvert Nitrate for film stock emulation and grain
And After Effects was also used for VFX cleanup, motion tracking, and rotoscoping—over 100 invisible effects shots were used to remove modern vehicles, signage, and anything that broke the 1980s illusion.
The first step in the color work was matching all cameras through CineMatch, converting everything into RED Log3G10 to align with the Komodo’s native gamma curve (which covered about 95% of the film).
From there, FilmConvert Nitrate did the heavy lifting for grading:
Kodak 5207 film stock emulation
Super 35 film grain
Halation glow around highlights for that unmistakable analog feel
I should note too that the final image was further shaped by shooting with Meike Cine prime lenses—known for their slightly vintage rendering—and a Black Satin filter that softened skin tones and bloomed highlights just enough to whisper “1981.”
A Love Letter to the Pre-Digital Age
With its heartfelt story, vintage vibe and analog aesthetic, I think (and hope) Casey Makes a Mixtape feels like a 1980s-era teen movie rediscovered for today’s audiences.
The film is now streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube Movies and Google Play, and it stands as proof that digital cameras can make magic—especially when guided by filmmakers with a love for celluloid cinema.
Next up I'm working on several “making of “ featurettes for the upcoming Blu-ray release (in early 2026) where I'll go into a lot more detail on how we made the film.
Learn more about the movie at the official website:
And direct links for each VOD platform are below:
Thanks for supporting indie film!
-BC
P.S. I'm planning to make a few more YouTube videos about how I integrated the iPhone footage in with all the other cameras used to shoot the movie. I really feel like Apple Log can be mixed in with any camera today.
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