Natasha Braier lit The Neon Demon like a fashion editorial pushed to breaking point — saturated magenta, cyan and gold against bottomless black, rigid symmetry, and strobing colour that turns the runway into ritual. Refn's palette is glossy and airless, beautiful and clinical at once, every frame lacquered and deliberate.
Recipes
Runway Strobe
The neon-triangle runway show, magenta and blue strobing against black
Film SimulationVelvia/Vivid
GrainOff
Color ChromeStrong
CC FX BlueStrong
White BalanceShade
WB ShiftR+2 / B+3
Dynamic RangeDR400
Highlight+2
Shadow+3
Color+3
Sharpness+1
Noise Reduction-3
Clarity+2
ISOISO 800–1600
Motel Cyan
The cold cyan-teal motel rooms
Film SimulationClassic Chrome
GrainWeak/Small
Color ChromeWeak
CC FX BlueStrong
White BalanceFluorescent 1
WB ShiftR-2 / B+4
Dynamic RangeDR400
Highlight+0
Shadow+2
Color-1
Sharpness+0
Noise Reduction-2
Clarity+0
ISOISO 800
Gold Ritual
The gold-drenched pool and mirror sequences
Film SimulationAstia/Soft
GrainOff
Color ChromeStrong
CC FX BlueOff
White BalanceShade
WB ShiftR+4 / B-2
Dynamic RangeDR200
Highlight+1
Shadow+2
Color+2
Sharpness+0
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: