The orientational elastic constants of free-standing films in a tilted smectic phase are directly measured in absolute units with a new experimental method similar to light scattering in the heterodyne regime. Basically, the amplitude of the thermodynamically excited orientational fluctuations, which modulate polarized light, is measured in the direct space by means of a microscope and a video camera connected to a microcomputer. Then, with a Fourier transform, we go into the reciprocal space and deduce the two-dimensional bend and splay elastic constants of the film in a range of wave vectors simultaneously. The method, which only needs light experimental means, is simple, fast, and accurate. It can be particularly helpful in the ferroelectric smecticC*liquid crystals for determining the elastic constants and indirectly the ferroelectric polarizations, without problems for orienting the samples. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.