This is my first post. I've had problems figuring out how to post a question, so if this is the wrong place... I apologize.

My situation is this. I'll be shooting HD video. I work for the government so a lot of my B-roll ends up being used for more than one project. On some projects I may want the HD look and on others I'd prefer a film look.

Here are my assumptions:
1. If I shoot using, let's say, a Tiffen soft sx3 filter, the HD will look more like "film" than actual HD, correct?

2. If I shoot without the filter, I'll have the option of using the footage as either HD or I could apply a filter effect in post to create the film look.

If both of my assumptions are correct, and I always want the option of different looks, then I would think that I should never shoot with a filter. Correct?

And if that is correct, then what is the best software to provide me those "film" looks. I'm using PremierePro CS4 and shooting with a sony EX3. Or is it correct to say that no software will give as good results as shooting with a filter (for the film look)?

I hope all that makes sense. I look forward to your replies.

1. No, it'll just look blurry
2. Yes, and therefore correct.
After Effects is designed to work with PPro, and is likely all you'd ever need.

Always do all the tricky stuff in post. You can blur a shot, but you can't make it sharper. Never play any tricks in the camera.

I never got into the PP to AE workflow so I've taken a different track. I use Magic Bullet Looks to build, well, looks! Having spent some time learning the basics of color grading, I don't use the stock looks presets. I'll build them from scratch or customize the presets. To my eyes the Looks presets are a but much unless you're actually shooting mutant aliens in another part of the galaxy, but I've learned a lot by pulling them apart to figure out what they're doing.

For me, the advantages of MBL are time savings and consistency when I save my customized presets. I bought the whole suite when I found it on sale for 50% off. I'd be it's on the GSA schedule somewhere.

Magic Bullet Looks is indeed a great tool. I have an older version as a Premiere Plugin in CS3. It's only a few dozen sliders, but everything you do makes for a good result. I mean you could just push all the sliders randomly and the result would maybe be extreme, but not bad.
Used with care though, the plugin enables me as an amateur color grader to quickly achieve grading results that are way beyond my abilities ;)