Linus Sandgren shot La La Land on 35mm anamorphic film, leaning hard into saturated primary colours — the jewel-tone dresses, the neon signage, the painted Los Angeles skies — and wide CinemaScope magic-hour light. The palette swings from candy-bright daylight numbers to the dusky purple twilight of the Griffith Observatory, always heightened and warm, a deliberate nostalgic revival of the old Hollywood Technicolor musical.
Recipes
Another Day of Sun
The opening highway number under bright, saturated daylight with primary-colour dresses
Film SimulationVelvia/Vivid
GrainWeak/Small
Color ChromeStrong
CC FX BlueWeak
White BalanceDaylight
WB ShiftR+1 / B+0
Dynamic RangeDR200
Highlight+0
Shadow+1
Color+2
Sharpness+1
Noise Reduction-2
Clarity+2
ISOISO 200
Griffith Twilight
The purple-blue observatory dance at dusk, dreamy and cool
Film SimulationClassic Chrome
GrainWeak/Small
Color ChromeWeak
CC FX BlueStrong
White BalanceShade
WB ShiftR+1 / B+3
Dynamic RangeDR400
Highlight-1
Shadow+2
Color-1
Sharpness+0
Noise Reduction-1
Clarity-1
ISOISO 800–1600
Golden Hour Duet
The magic-hour bench silhouettes, warm and glowing
Film SimulationNostalgic Neg
GrainWeak/Large
Color ChromeWeak
CC FX BlueOff
White BalanceDaylight
WB ShiftR+4 / B-3
Dynamic RangeDR400
Highlight-2
Shadow+0
Color+0
Sharpness-1
Noise Reduction-2
Clarity-1
ISOISO 400
Shoot this look
These recipes run on Fujifilm's film-simulation engine — any current X-series body will do. A pairing to start from: