15 Free Lightroom Presets for Cinema & Movie Effects

If you’re looking to add some cinematic magic to your photos, Lightroom presets for cinema and movie effects can help you achieve just that. These presets are designed to enhance the mood and feeling of your photos, giving them a cinematic touch that evokes the magic of the movies.

With a range of effects to choose from, you can transform your photos into stunning works of art that capture the essence of your creative vision. Whether you’re looking to add warm, nostalgic tones or dramatic, high-contrast effects, there’s a preset to match your style and preferences.

One of the advantages of using Lightroom presets for cinema and movie effects is that they can speed up your editing process. With just a couple of click, you can achieve professional-grade results that would typically take hours to create manually. This means you can spend more time focusing on your creative vision and less time behind a computer screen.

There are many free Lightroom presets for cinema and movie effects, and we have collected the best of them here. Our collection makes it easy to experiment with different effects and find the ones that work best for you. Just download the presets, import them into Lightroom, and apply them to your photos to see the instant cinematic transformation.

You might also like our collection of movie effect Photoshop actions.

What are Movie Effects in Photography?

Cinema and movie effects in photography are techniques and post-processing styles that emulate the visual characteristics of film and cinematic aesthetics in still images.

These effects aim to evoke the look and mood of movie scenes, creating a sense of nostalgia, drama, or cinematic storytelling in photographs. The many aspects of cinema and movie effects in photography include:

Film-Like Colors: Cinema effects often replicate the color grading of specific film stocks, adding warmth, coolness, or distinctive color casts.
Contrast & Tones: These effects emphasize strong contrasts and tones, mimicking the cinematic lighting often seen in movies.
Film Grain & Texture: Adding film grain or texture can recreate the characteristic graininess of analog film, providing a vintage and cinematic feel.
Vignettes & Borders: Vignettes and borders draw focus to the center of the image, reminiscent of old movie screens.
Aspect Ratios: Some effects simulate cinematic aspect ratios, altering the image’s dimensions to mimic widescreen formats.
Dramatic Lighting: Cinematic effects often enhance lighting and shadows, creating moody and atmospheric visuals.
Storytelling: By capturing scenes in a cinematic way, photographers can evoke a narrative or suggest a story within a single frame.
Emotional Impact: These effects can evoke emotions similar to those experienced while watching a movie, making the photograph feel more immersive.
Post-Processing Tools: Photo editing software, like Lightroom, is used to achieve cinematic effects by adjusting color, contrast, and other settings.
Creative Expression: Photographers can use cinema effects to explore their artistic vision and pay homage to the visual language of film.

Cinema and movie effects offer a unique way to infuse photographs with the mood, aesthetics, and storytelling aspects associated with films. It’s a creative choice that adds depth and cinematic allure to still images, blurring the line between photography and cinema.

Our Favorite Movie Effect Lightroom Preset Collection

50 Retro Films Lightroom Presets

This film Lightroom preset has been designed to be the only one you’ll ever need. With 50 native mobile presets, 50 LUTs, and 50 live streaming LUTs for OBS, it offers a wide range of effects and filters for cinematic results.

The Top Lightroom Presets for Cinematic Effects

Cinematic Film Lightroom Preset (Free)

This Lightroom preset is great for adding a cinematic feel to your photos. It comes with a main and a subset filter, allowing you to apply the perfect combination of effects to your pictures for stunning, professional-grade results.

Film Effect Lightroom Preset (Free)

This film effect Lightroom preset offers a range of filters and effects, making it easy to enhance your photos with warm, nostalgic tones or cool, modern effects.

Cinematic Landscape Lightroom Preset (Free)

For landscape photographers looking to enhance their photos with some movie magic, this Lightroom preset is a must-have. With a range of filters and effects, it’s easy to create stunning, professional-grade results with just a few clicks.

Analog Film Lightroom Preset (Free)

Transform your digital photos into classic film-style images with this Lightroom preset. You can apply a range of filters and effects to emulate the look of vintage film photography.

Analogue Film Lightroom Presets

This collection strives to save you time and money by giving you the best Lightroom templates to give any of your photos a rustic analog look and take the feel of the image to higher levels.

20 Free Cinematic Lightroom Presets (Free)

This Lightroom preset pack gives you twenty presets to apply to your photos to bring them to new heights and give them a whole new life. Easy to use, these cinematic effects will be the ones your reach for.

Film Look Portraits Lightroom Preset (Free)

Enjoy the look and feel of your images when you use this preset. With 25 professionally designed Lightroom presets, you will find the perfect one to fit your needs.

Cinema Lightroom Preset (Free)

Get crystal clear photos with this cinematic preset. Take your photos to new heights and allow them to give off a powerful raw emotion. Quick and easy to use, this preset will make a huge impact.

50 Hypebeast Lightroom Presets

This pack is a considerable time and money saver with different presets for specific color ranges. This resource for Lightroom gives your 50 mobile and XMP presets, so no DNG or Lrtemplate files!

Cinematic Lightroom Preset (Free)

This cinematic Lightroom preset is perfect for adding a professional, polished look to your photos. Created by a photography professional, this preset has been designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of images, making it a versatile and reliable choice for any photography project. It also works on both RAW and JPEG file formats.

5 Lightroom Presets Retro Film (Free)

This Lightroom preset brings a touch of retro film magic to your digital photos. With five different film fade effects to choose from, you can recreate the look and feel of classic films like Kodak Porta 400 or FujiFilm FP100.

Stranger Things Cinematic Effect Lightroom Preset (Free)

Get the same eerie, vintage vibe as Stranger Things with this Lightroom preset. Designed to bring out the brown tones in shadows and light blues in highlights, this preset is perfect for creating a mysterious and captivating atmosphere.

Cinematic HDR Lightroom Preset (Free)

Transform your shots into cinematic HDR masterpieces with this Lightroom preset. Designed specifically for landscapes, this powerful tool can bring out the rich, vibrant colors and dynamic lighting that make your images pop.

Desaturated Cinema Effect Lightroom Preset (Free)

Create a soft, vintage aesthetic with this Lightroom preset that desaturates your photos with just one click. This subtle effect lightens and fades the colors, resulting in a beautifully muted and dreamy look that’s perfect for adding a touch of nostalgia to your images.

How to Install & Apply a Lightroom Preset

How to Install & and Apply a Preset in Lightroom CC 2018+:

Download &and unzip the preset file
Open Lightroom
Navigate to Develop Module
Hover over the + sign next to the Presets
Select Import Presets
Apply the preset by selecting the photo you want to edit and clicking the preset name.

How to Install and Apply a Preset in Older Versions of Lightroom:

Open Lightroom
Go to Preferences > Presets
Click on the box titled Show Lightroom Presets Folder
Double click on Lightroom
Double click on Develop Presets
Copy the folders of your presets into the Develop Presets folder
Restart Lightroom
Use the preset by selecting the photo you want to work with and clicking on the preset name

Cinematic Lightroom Preset FAQs

What are movie effect Lightroom presets?

They are pre-configured settings in Lightroom that mimic the visual style and color grading of popular movies, allowing users to apply these effects to their own photos with just a click.
Are these movie effect presets compatible with all versions of Lightroom?

Most presets are compatible with a range of Lightroom versions, but it’s best to check the specific requirements for each preset pack.
Can I use these presets on both RAW and JPEG images?

Yes, these presets can be applied to both RAW and JPEG formats, but remember that RAW files offer more flexibility for editing.
Do these presets work on mobile versions of Lightroom?

Many presets are designed to be compatible with both desktop and mobile versions of Lightroom, but always verify this with the preset provider.
Are these movie effect presets suitable for all types of photography?

While these presets are versatile, the best results are often seen in photos that match the mood and style of the movie effect being emulated.
Can I create my own movie effect presets in Lightroom?

Absolutely! By experimenting with various adjustments in Lightroom, you can create custom presets that match your desired movie effect.
Will using movie effect presets improve my photography skills?

Using presets can inspire creativity and help you understand the impact of different adjustments, but developing photography skills also requires practice and learning about composition, lighting, and other fundamentals.
Can I share the presets I’ve downloaded with others?

This depends on the license agreement of the preset. Many free presets are for personal use only and cannot be redistributed. Always check the license of each Lightroom preset you download.