Kinescope process

The real vintage television look

Kinescope was the practical workaround that made live television permanent in the 1950s and ’60s: a film camera pointed at a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor recorded live broadcasts directly from the screen, preserving the flicker, contrast, and slight geometric distortion inherent to early TV displays. The result is a distinctive, nostalgic texture — muted highlights, soft blacks, scanline rhythm, and the gentle bloom of phosphor glow — that reads as immediate, cinematic, and unmistakably vintage.

At STUDIO WILLIS we’ve painstakingly revived that analogue character for the modern era. We are the only studio in Canada capable of producing true kinescope-style video productions in 4K and higher by combining high-end digital cinematography with authentic CRT projection and capture. Our process: film with contemporary digital cameras for resolution and dynamic range, project the footage through restored cathode ray tube monitors to reintroduce phosphor bloom and scanline movement, and recapture the projected image with precision imaging chains. The result preserves the tactile imperfections and atmospheric depth of original kinescopes while delivering the sharpness, colour fidelity, and deliverables expected today.

We return fully edited masters suitable for theatrical, broadcast, and archival use — plus client-ready files in your requested formats. For filmmakers, brands, and creators seeking an authentic mid-century television aesthetic without sacrificing modern picture quality, our cinematic kinescope productions are unmatched in Canada.