The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for providing fast access to film grain patterns in a film grain simulation process including providing a first memory storing at least one film grain pattern and in response to a film grain pattern required by the film grain simulation process not being stored in the first memory, updating the first memory to obtain at least the required film grain pattern from at least a second memory. In one embodiment, the first memory is a local cache, the second memory is a film grain pattern database and a controller causes the examination of the local cache for a particular film grain pattern required in the film grain simulation process. In response to the required film grain pattern not being stored in the local cache, the controller causes the update of the local cache using the film grain pattern database.