Tag Archives: Colorist

Colorist Chat: Company 3 Colorist Yoomin Lee

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Yoomin Lee is a colorist at Company 3 London, a global company providing post services across feature films, episodic television, commercials, gaming and more. “The freedom to work on all sorts of projects, big or small, is a major thing that attracts talent to work for them,” Lee says.

We reached out to Lee to find out more about how she works and what inspires her.

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
Most people think I’m a hairdresser when I say I’m a colorist, so it surprises them that my job exists.

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
Alongside color, sometimes I’m asked to do some compositing. Beauty work, cleaning and giving some texture to images are also common in color grading. Our tools have become so powerful that they allow us to do so much with them.

Yoomin Lee

Louis Vuitton Speakers

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
The Louis Vuitton Speakers and Earphones films for Jacob Sutton, Anton Corbijn’s feature film Squaring the Circle, L’Occitane’s global campaign “Art of Gifting” and the 2023 Waitrose Christmas campaign directed by Autumn De Wilde.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
Ideally, I like to work with them in person, as it allows us to build relationships and interact in real time. However, as times have changed, remote working has become more popular and is another tool in our arsenal to collaborate with filmmakers.

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples, film to emulate, etc.?
Rather than verbal recommendations, visual references help me understand the base of what the client is looking for. From there, we can work together to build out the piece of work.

After working together on several projects, it becomes easier over time as you understand their vision and become familiar with their taste.

Do you have any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
It’s always helpful when clients are clear about what they want; however, I think leaving some room to explore in color-grading sessions is good. Sometimes, we get a shot-by-shot reference from clients, which could limit what you can achieve because it’s hard to judge if that is the best approach until you see something different or better.

Do you provide LUTs for on-set?
Sometimes, if requested, but we tend to be more generic rather than extreme so that it works for most shots.

How does your process change when working on a film versus episodics or commercials?
With long-form, I tend to spend more time creating the basic overall look rather than finessing shot by shot too much, whereas with commercials, we have more time to finesse the details.

What system do you work on?
I use both FilmLight Baselight and Blackmagic Resolve.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
That would be creating beautiful images, taking an ordinary picture and bringing life to it. No two days are the same.

Why did you choose this profession?
One of the main reasons is that I love bringing life to images. However, I also like that it’s technical as well as creative. It’s such a satisfying thing to see the transformation of the projects after color grading.

I only found out the role of a colorist existed when I started working as a junior in a post company, and I have been fascinated since then.

What would you be doing if you didn‘t have this job?
I would likely have become an architect. Shapes and forms of buildings tell stories, and architecture can be visually pleasing. There are synergies with being a colorist.

U2 “Joshua Tree”

What is the project that you are most proud of?
“The Joshua Tree” 30th anniversary concert visuals for U2. It was a joy to participate in this project and to see the visuals live on the 200-foot-wide screen behind the legendary U2 in 39 cities worldwide.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
Everywhere! Anything visual has been my inspiration: photography, paintings and films. Over the years, since I became a colorist, I have observed more how light changes at different times of the day all over the world.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of amazing color?
There are so many, but most recently, I saw Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and color-graded by my colleague at Company 3, Greg Fisher, and it looked amazing.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
Like many others, my phone allows me to take snapshots of inspiration and look through different social media channels to find inspiration. Still, I’m pretty good at spending only a little time on Instagram and social media.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
I don’t have a television at home, mainly because I’m scared to see things I graded look differently on a domestic monitor. Still, I’m in front of a monitor all day long, so while I’m at home, I’m trying to avoid the environment that surrounds me at work. I’m trying to live an analog life as much as I can.

DP Pierre Gill on Grounded Tone of VFX-Heavy Percy Jackson

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Now streaming on Disney+ is Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is based on the novels by Rick Riordan. The story follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who, upon learning he is a demigod, has to lead a quest across America to prevent a war among the Olympian gods.

Credit: Chris Gibbins

DP Pierre Gill

Cinematographer Pierre Gill, CSC, helped set the tone of this VFX-heavy series, which was shot in a variety of locations, including on an ILM LED volume. We reached out to Gill to find out more about his workflow on the show.

When did you get involved on the series?
I got involved very early, three months before shooting. I had many discussions with showrunners Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz and with director James Bobin. I knew we were going to be shooting in a variety of places, so I was able to start testing hundreds of lenses to find the best fit for the volume, bluescreen, VFX, location and stages.

You worked on the first episode, so in a sense you set the tone. How did the showrunners direct you in terms of the look?
The showrunners were very specific on one thing: make Percy Jackson look and feel real and down-to-earth. They didn’t want to create a flashy artificial superhero-style series. Instead, they wanted the tone to be grounded. A big part of the book is that Percy is relatable, so visually we wanted it to be grounded in the world around us and believable — giving the idea of Percy being a regular kid.

Did you use a lookbook?
I typically create a lookbook for every project I work on. My references were already quite natural, but I wanted to be realistic… but with beauty. I start my mood board with movie posters and visual aspects from those films that I would like to include. With this one, some of the references included E.T. for youth and adventure and The Lord of the Rings for scope and power. Jon Steinberg really liked all of the references I showed him.

Another important part of my lookbook was the focus on youthfulness along with the faces and eyes. I wanted to make sure the show felt youthful because the characters are so young; the visuals needed to reflect that. I tried to make sure that faces and eyes are the main focus in many scenes because actors’ expressions tell us so much about what they are going through.

How would you describe the look of the show?
Natural and realistic. I also wanted to keep colors. I see too many shows that are all desaturated, which is actually easier to do — it’s harder to keep it colorful while staying elegant. Part of making it look realistic had to do with light sources. Even when we used a volume, I tried to introduce natural light sources, like car lights, bonfires or candles, to create dimension and blurriness to make it less perfect, just like the world around us.

Does that look stay steady throughout the series?
It does. Even though we changed sets frequently, I always went back to the tone and palette I established in the beginning. So regardless of whether we shot on-location, onstage or in the volume, we made sure that visually all those elements were connected. Jules O’Loughlin was the second DP on the show. He shot episodes 103, 104 and 107, and he did a good job following my lead.

What were some of the challenges of shooting on-location at different places for each episode?
The biggest challenge was to try to mix locations with the volume. For example, the minotaur sequence was shot in many different environments. I shot some of it in a real car; the house on the beach was built on a stage; inside the car was shot with a bluescreen; the crash was again shot on the stage. And then, when they get out of the car, they are on the volume with elements of bluescreen when Percy fights the minotaur.

With complex sequences like this one, we had a lot of discussions on what was feasible and how we could achieve each element. For example, we could shoot them talking in the car on a location, but because the scene is long, they would have to drive quite a distance with each take. This would make it much harder to light them properly outside of a moving vehicle, so doing it with the bluescreen was much more practical.

We also had to be more mindful of the shooting schedule with such a young cast. , Sso, there was a lot of prep and discussions that went into making each of these scenes work and for us to figurefiguring out the best way to bring them to life.

What about shooting the realistic interiors and exteriors in the ILM LED volume? Is this an area you have worked in before?
It’s very hard to do a realistic volume; it’s great for sci-fi but not for reality. I worked incredibly hard with the ILM team to create content that would allow us to make it look real. For example, they created special tools for my request so I could control the sky and the sun. It made a big difference. At the end, we succeeded pretty well in the exterior MET, the interior MET, the minotaur forest fight sequence and in later episodes.

Did you work with a LUT? What about the colorist? How did that relationship work?
In prep, I created a special LUT for the look of Percy. I have a very particular way of working on-set, as I do my own color. I apply a CDL on every shot using the Pomfort software Livegrade. After, I worked with colorist Charles Bunnag from Light Iron. I sent him many stills with the guidance of the final look, and he worked on his own to make it better. I’m very happy with his work.

What camera and lenses did you choose and why?
I tested hundreds of lenses to make sure they would fit perfectly in the volume. I wanted to shoot anamorphic because it has scope and keeps you closer to the actors. My final choice was Cooke Anamorphic 2x iS35 with a Sony Venice 2 camera. It was a very nice mix.

Pierre Gill

I also worked with William F. White production services in Vancouver, and they provided me with very good service. Their lens technician, Alex Theodore, tweaked four sets of Cookes for me to change the flare and make it bloom. I called them the Cooke Velvet. I also like the Sony Venice. It’s a good camera and is very versatile.

What about lighting?
Most of the sets were huge, so lighting was an important element. I could have a lengthy and in-depth discussion on that, but the general goal was to try to match real location versus the volume versus the bluescreen versus stage sets.

For example, the minotaur sequence is in all of the above; the same goes for the MET sequence, the Camp Half-Blood sequence and many others.

What about working with the author Rick Riordan? What were those conversations like?
Rick is a great person, very down-to-earth and collaborative. He is a gentleman. He left most of the guidance to go through Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz, in whom he had great confidence, so I mostly interacted with them.

Edgar Reyna

Colorist Chat: After Studios’ Edgar Reyna

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Edgar Reyna is a colorist at India’s After Studios, a company that offers post services, including digital intermediates, visual effects and online editorial. A 10-year industry veteran, Reyna, who is Mexican-born, has been enjoying his time in Mumbai.

Let’s find out more…

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
When I’m questioned by people from different industries, they don’t understand what I do for a living. Sometimes people ask me if I can dye their hair, and some other people think I’m an actor.

People who attend a DI session for the first time are often surprised by the enormous changes we, as colorists, can make to their projects.

Edgar ReynaAre you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
Recently, I have spent more time doing composites than grading, so having an extended tool set increases the quality of the output.

When I’m grading long-form work, DPs and directors usually ask if I can do something to the sky. I don’t like to add only blue, so I replace the sky. Besides sky replacement, sometimes I do simple cleanups — like for commercials, I usually do skin retouch.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
Recently I finished a show called 36 Days, a film called Afwaah and another one called Akelli. I’m currently working on two other shows.

Can you describe a challenging scene from one of them?
Afwaah was shot at night. When working with low light, you need to avoid breaking the image. They also did multiple setups while shooting.

36 Days is an HDR show, and the cinematographer got dramatic contrast in a low-light environment. Working with a high-contrast ratio without burning the eyes of the audience was quite challenging, but we found a way to create a rich contrast ratio without going too high or too low in exposure.

Akelli features the most complex look I’ve done this year. We created a fusion between the tonal curve from 2383 and 500T film stocks. I really appreciated the opportunity to work and experiment on this project.

The most complicated factor was interchanging languages, nits and footlamberts, and I had to adjust to it daily.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
The first thing I like to do is talk about the project, the story and the characters. Basically, I feel the need to be involved as much as possible. After having an overall look at what the film, is I start to discuss the look, the intentions for scenes and the message they want to send.

Edgar Reyna

When I spend time communicating and getting along with my collaborators before the grading process starts, I get better results.

How do like the DP or director to describe the look they want? Look books, etc.?
It depends a lot on the DPs, directors and projects. I usually have a conversation with the cinematographer, and we dedicate some time to developing the look for the film or a particular scene.

Directors usually come with a reference from a film or a photograph. Sometimes they show me some stills from my

Instagram and ask me to get something closer to a previous project.

I have no problem with any type of reference; the only thing I’m expecting from a DP is to have the security to lock the look without hesitation.

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
Reading the image and learning to read the context of it are the most important things for me because without the proper context, we can lose what we are trying to communicate. Sometimes a frame looks stunning by itself, but the same look might not work for the whole scene.

Having a proper understanding of what the person in charge of the grade wants is very important because there is always a way to make the producers, DP and director happy.

How does your process change when working on a film, versus episodics or commercials?
Usually, for commercials I do a lot of secondaries. Shaping light and relighting is my bread and butter.

For episodics, I usually create assets for scenes and episodes (a preset on a power grade or a preset on layers, depending on the system), and I’m currently bringing those for every episode. I like to set the mood for the night, day, interior and exterior.

For films, I like to create an overall look with primaries, then I usually push the image, taking the look as a base for particular scenes with secondaries.

What system do you work on?
I use Blackmagic Resolve and FilmLight Baselight.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
When I see the grade after months of not seeing it. Sometimes I’m so close to the project that having a break from it and watching it from another perspective is like breathing fresh air. That is the moment when I can judge what I did, grow and learn.

Do you have a least favorite?
When I have to watch a project that I just finished as part of my own QC. I always see things I want to modify or do differently, but it’s not always possible because of deadlines.

Also, supervising sessions might be hell on earth if you are not able to break the ice with the person who is sitting with you.

How early on did you know this would be your path?
I was around 16 when I saw a show about making The Lord of the Rings. While I was watching it, they talked about the DI process and how they used the technology to enhance the world they were creating. At that time, I thought that was video editing, and I get so amused that I decided to do that after I went to college — small gigs as an offline editor, modifying colors and doing some basic VFX. One day a producer saw my work and asked me if I wanted to specialize in VFX or color grading. At that point, I wasn’t sure what a colorist did, so I went back home and Googled it. I was shocked to find the DI process for The Lord of the Rings on YouTube since that was the moment my life changed. And now, 15 years later, I can say that I accomplished my dream.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
Definitely interior design. I’m so crazy about looking through mood boards and renovation, and sometimes I get some inspiration for my grades from mood boards I find on Pinterest. It is very refreshing to see color palettes applied in something different from what I do.

What is the project that you are most proud of?
The first feature film I did, called Dovecove, was a life-changer. Working with limited equipment on a low-budget film helped me to develop hard and soft skills that helped me become the colorist I am now. Dovecove opened the door to conversations, and it helped me to get some projects early on in my career.

This is one of those examples when (almost) giving your work for free might take you to better places.

Where do you find inspiration?
Until this year, I was using Shotdeck and Pinterest as sources of inspiration. Each platform gave me different types of flavors (film stills, photographs, paintings, illustrations, etc.).

I studied contemporary photographers to understand the way they see light. Now I’m currently following some art galleries on Instagram, which is a faster and easier way to learn, study and get some inspiration.

Edgar ReynaIs there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
There are currently three projects that are stuck in my mind:

I just saw Tumbadd, and I think that’s an amazing example of color serving the storytelling. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a film with an amazing natural grade. I never felt the image was pushed too much… it was always on point. Drive My Car is also a film with a very good grade; the hues are just on point.

These three projects are the best things I have seen this year so far (even though they might not have been released this year).

Any tips or tricks you would like to offer up?
The best tip or advice I can give to younger or aspiring colorists is to connect with your clients or collaborators. It is just as important to create a nice collaborative space than the grade itself. After some time, the grade will be forgotten by both parties, but the moments you spent will stick forever. Be the coworker you want to work with.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
My iPad is an amazing tool for recreation and work. I can watch some exports on it; use it to review grades; access emails, references, HDR, SDR, etc. I think an iPad is a must for every colorist.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Walking has brought me a lot of joy. I usually walk to clear my mind and restart my mood.

When it is possible, I call friends or family on the phone while working so I can make the session less stressful.

Podcasts and books have helped a lot to de-stress, but definitely visiting coffee shops is the most “Edgar thing” you’ll ever find.

Volpatto

Veteran Colorist Walter Volpatto Joins Picture Shop

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Senior colorist Walter Volpatto has joined Picture Shop from Company 3. Volpatto is known for his work on Oscar-winning films such as Peter Farrelly’s Green Book and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, as well as Gina Prince-Blythewood’s The Woman King and Rian Johnson’s blockbuster Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.

Volpatto has received nominations from the Hollywood Professional Association for Outstanding Color Grading awards for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2023), Sweet Tooth (2021) and Green Book (2019). His extensive list of credits include features such as Hustlers, Red Notice, Moonfall, Rampage, Interstellar, San Andreas, Bad Moms, Independence Day: Resurgence and The Master.

In addition to his time at Company 3, Volpatto’s 20 years of experience has included stints at Efilm, FotoKem and Cinecitta. He works on Blackmagic Resolve.

“This change is about working at one of the best facilities with the most creative clients, alongside talented colleagues,” says Volpatto. “I am looking forward to collaborating on amazing projects with outstanding global team at Picture Shop.”

 

Colorist Chat: Outpost’s Clark Griffiths

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Clark Griffiths is a colorist at St. Louis-based Bruton Stroube, a 40-year-old live-action production studio whose post division is called Outpost.

After stints at Framestore and Company 3 in Chicago, Griffiths moved to Missouri in 2022 to work at Outpost. Over his career, he has graded spots for Allstate, Cadillac, Corona, Nintendo and McDonald’s, just to name a few. He’s also colored music videos for artists including Blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly and Chance the Rapper.

Griffiths is well-versed in both FilmLight Baselight and Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve, is Dolby Vision-certified and is fluent in Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite.

Before transitioning into the world of color and visual effects, Griffiths was a freelance advertising photographer shooting primarily lifestyle and location-based work.

We spoke to him to find out more…

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
I think people outside of the production and post world are just surprised that it is an actual career.

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
Not really. Outpost does a good job of allowing me to focus just on color grading. Our editors handle all of the final conforms and delivery of their spots, so I really only need to worry about conforming on my end, and getting the graded shots to the editors once I’m finished.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
I graded a really cool spot for Caterpillar, a short piece that revolves around a pair of lifelong friends. Director Jon Michael Ryan and I settled on a Kodachrome-inspired look that I think turned out really nice.

I also recently graded a comedic short film for actor John P. Reynolds and director Guy Kozak. It’s hilarious and received a Vimeo Staff Pick honor. I’ve also been working on a feature-length sci-fi film called Saturn from director Eric Esu.

Can you describe a challenging scene from one of those projects?
Saturn features a climactic scene that was shot over three days on a beach in the Pacific Northwest. The weather on each of those three days was different. It has been rewarding and challenging getting all of the shots to come together without looking like they were shot on different days.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
I love working with DPs/directors who are collaborative and know what they would like to accomplish with the grade. I also love the ones who give you free reign to cook up different looks.

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples? Film to emulate?
I love it when DPs and directors explain their vision and what they were trying to accomplish with the footage they captured. That shows me they care and aren’t just after a look that matches a certain movie or TV show.

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
Start your grade out with small adjustments and try to avoid a heavy look right away. It’s a lot easier to build on a grade than it is to peel layers back on a grade that was overcooked.

Do you provide on-set LUTs?
Since the bulk of my work so far in my career has been short form, I haven’t had many opportunities to do this, but I am looking forward to it as I progress.

What system do you work on?
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
The collaboration with directors, DPs, my coworkers at Outpost and Bruton Stroube, and all the agency creatives.

Do you have a least favorite? If so, what?
I don’t think I have one. Well, maybe eye fatigue, but some good eye drops can clear that up!

How did you choose color grading as a profession?
I got into this profession later than most. I was an advertising photographer for eight years before switching over to post in my early 30s. I knew I wanted to move on from photography and into motion. I thought that maybe I’d try directing, but once I got a taste of color grading and the magic of the color suite, I was hooked.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I think I’d own my own barbecue restaurant.

What is the project that you are most proud of?
I graded a Super Bowl spot back in 2020 for State Farm that starred Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Paul Rudd and Drake. It was shot by the great Bob Richardson (ASC). That was my first Super Bowl spot, and it was a really fun experience.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
Instagram is obviously a great source of inspiration, but I try to limit that. Being outside and active inspires me, as well as traveling.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
Michael Mann’s Manhunter always comes to mind when I think about a movie that just looks downright great. It’s an ‘80s classic based on the novel “Red Dragon,” and I absolutely love it.

Arrival is another film I love the look of. For something more recent, the Amazon miniseries The English, which is a western, had a really unique look to it.

Any tips you would like to offer up?
Stay humble, and be someone other people want to be around.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
My Elgato Stream Deck would have to be up there.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Staying active! Running and mountain biking are two of my favorite things to do when I’m not in the grading suite.

Senior Colorist Tim Stipan Joins Picture Shop

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Picture Shop has added senior colorist Tim Stipan to its roster. Stipan, who most recently worked on Darren Aronofsky’s immersive MSG Sphere production, Postcard From Earth, brings over 20 years of finishing experience to Picture Shop.

Based in Los Angeles, Stipan works on Blackmagic Resolve and FilmLight Baselight. He used the latter while working on Postcard from Earth.

Stipan has been nominated for two HPA Awards in Outstanding Color Grading: for Jojo Rabbit (2020) and The Greatest Showman (2018). His nearly 200 credits include feature films The Whale, Creed, Into the Woods, Moonrise Kingdom, Black Swan, The Reader, The Wrestler and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, among others. He has contributed to series such as Minx, Ozark, Dexter: New Blood, Maid and The Flight Attendant. Stipan’s work can next be seen in Maggie Betts’ feature film The Burial on Amazon Prime.

Prior to joining Picture Shop, Stipan worked at Company 3. His background also includes stints at Efilm and Technicolor.

“This is a great opportunity to be part of a wonderful team of artists,” notes Stipan. “I am very passionate about helping filmmakers realize their visions, and I’m excited to join Picture Shop.”

In addition to its Los Angeles facilities, Picture Shop locations include New York, Toronto and Vancouver, with international locations in the UK that include London, Manchester, Bristol, Wales and Pinewood Studios.

Alter Ego Opens in Santa Monica, Adds to Team

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Alter Ego, a Toronto-based commercial post facility, has opened a studio in Santa Monica. The new location is headed up by Alter Ego partner and colorist Eric Whipp, who is joined by colorist Kya Lou, color assistant Corey Martinez and executive producer Pravina Sippy.

Kya Lou and Eric Whipp

Alter Ego has grown steadily since its launch in 2007, and the team has been contemplating expansion for some time. “The post-pandemic world has opened the door to more remote workflows, which makes it a perfect time to expand,” says Greg Edgar, managing partner at Alter Ego.

The LA facility will offer color, VFX, finishing, CG and motion design services. Like the Toronto facility, the new studio is largely focused on commercials but will provide creative support on a variety of content, including series and feature films. The LA-based color team will be working on FilmLight Baselight Two systems, which are connected to Alter Ego’s Toronto systems, making a total of eight suites across the company offering HDR, SDR and P3 work.

Colorist Lou’s credits include Old Spice, Google and Calvin Klein. “Kya’s work is amazing,” says Whipp. “She has a great sensibility and attention to detail that we love. There’s also a level of polish and structure to her work that makes it stand out from other reels.”

EP Sippy was previously with Mr. Wolf, Harbor Picture Company and ArsenalCreative. Color assistant Martinez joins from A52.

Alter Ego LA officially opened its doors on  September 13, kicking off with a variety of commercial projects and three feature docs. The studio will soon begin work on the new feature film Furiosa.

Mark Meadows

Colorist Chat: Stone Dogs’ Mark Meadows

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Mark Meadows is a colorist at Stone Dogs, a London-based post house offering full production services, VFX, color and finishing. Meadows, who joined Stone Dogs in February, has worked in post for over 15 years. He moved up the ranks — from runner to MCR operator toassistant — learning to lace and scan film. With his aptitude for colors, hues and saturation, color grading was a natural progression in his career path.

Mark Meadows

Compare the Market

With a portfolio spanning commercials, short films, fashion and music videos, Meadows has an eye for detail and a particular love of beauty work. His past clients include brands such as L’Oréal, Toyota, Apple, Adidas and Virgin, as well as musical artists including David Bowie, Dua Lipa and Stormzy.

Let’s find out more…

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
When I tell most people outside the industry that I’m a colorist they assume it is for hair. Being lacking in that area myself, they doubt my qualifications, but when I explain the actual job, many are unaware of its existence, so I would say all aspects of it surprise people.

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
I primarily work on commercials, where we follow a general workflow and clients know what they are paying for. I always encourage them to make the most of the skillset I provide, but I will always help with a bit of cleanup or beauty cover-up where I can, and I am careful not to step on the toes of the Flame artists I will be passing my work on to.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
I like the director and DP to attend the grade in person and to give me as much direction as possible. It is more their vision than mine. I feel as though I am just adding to what they have created — putting the cherry on top.

What about when they describe the look they want? Physical examples? Films to emulate?
It is great to get a description from the DP and director of what they have visualized from the start of the process — mixed with references from film, TV and art that influenced their creative process. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
Always keep in mind what was shot and the point that was being conveyed when it was filmed. Build on that rather than trying to force a look onto a project.

What are the benefits of working in short-form?
Working on commercials gives you a lot more time to be very specific about all aspects of the picture. Longer-form projects have broader strokes.

Sky and Netflix

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
I have been working on the Compare the Market projects recently, something that is now a franchise… which is always nice to say you’re a part of.

What system do you work on?
DaVinci Resolve with an advanced panel and a giant 31-inch Eizo Prominence reference monitor.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
I really enjoy grading beauty and cars and generally making things look beautiful.

Do you have a least favorite?
A change of direction by a client/director very late in a grade can be a challenge.

Why did you choose this profession?
I got a degree in set design, and once I finished, I spent a year working in preproduction. That’s when I realized it wasn’t for me. Too much waiting around! However, I knew television/film was the only thing I had an interest/flare for, so I looked at other areas I could get involved in, and post was an obvious option. After becoming a runner and discovering grading, my career path was mapped.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
Probably something manual, although I always wanted to be a stuntman when I was little.

Mark Meadows

Compare the Market

What is the project that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the work that I have had to rescue. This could be due to bad weather, the wrong lighting or mistakes made on the shoot. This is when my skills are really put to the test. The finished piece looks great, and hopefully the viewer isn’t aware of the hard work done to get it there. It is quite easy to make something look great if it is brilliantly shot.

Where do you find inspiration?
I would say mostly films.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is my favorite-looking film of all time.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Spending time with the family (I have two little girls that take up most of my spare time), walking the dog and socializing.

Alana Cotton

Colorist Chat: Images & Sound’s Alana Cotton

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Alana Cotton is a colorist at Auckland, New Zealand-based Images & Sound, a full-service post house covering editorial, grading, visual effects, Foley, composition, ADR, mixing and deliverables. It’s been around for 40 years.

Let’s find out more about Cotton and the way she likes to work…

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
When I first started coloring, it was a bit of a dark art (excuse the pun). It was something you had to learn on the job in the suite from other artists. But these days, with the programs being more accessible and tutorials a click away, people have a better understanding of what the job entails. The technical job itself has come into the light, so to speak. So perhaps it’s workflow or emotional support.

The Luminaries

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
The systems are constantly evolving, and the color tools available to us are ever-increasing, so there is definitely an expectation to be able to cross over into other departments. I do a little editing, beauty work, graphics addition, paint-outs/comps and other small VFX tweaks.

So yes, while I do some of them when required, I am not always the best person to do it. I have a Flame artist sitting right next door who, with their 20-plus years of experience, is likely to do a more refined and appropriate fix than what I could do.

The same would be reversed with color work. So while the boxes have similar toolsets, the skill and experience of the artist are more important.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
Bad Behaviour by Alice Englert, which premiered in the World Competition at Sundance 2023, and Black Hands, an episodic dramatization of the tragic Bain family murders directed by David Stubbs.

Alana Cotton

Bad Behaviour

Can you describe a challenging scene from one of them?
Black Hands wasn’t challenging technically (it was shot beautifully by Dave Garbett), but due to the nature of the piece, it was challenging to hit the right note.

The story was very high-profile here, but this was the first time we as a country were really spending any time with the members of the family that was killed. It was important to be tender with the portrayal of the characters as they were real people with surviving family and friends.

Unfortunately, the story is so well-known in this country that it had evolved to the point where it had almost become a punchline in certain spaces. We wanted to remind people of the tragedy and the humanity. We wanted to tell the victims’ story.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
I tend to be led a little by what the creatives prefer. I am aware that I am one small piece at the end of a film that has been crafted over months or even years before me. I bounce quite well off other people, so I am happy to have creatives in the suite when it suits them.

Saying that, being in a dark room can be exhausting if you are not used to it. I do recommend some time away for the health of the piece and yourself.

Alana Cotton

Black Hands

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples?
To be honest, whichever way works best for them. I’ve had a director come in with a canister of pearlescent candy pastilles and say, “This is the film we’re making.” I had another director say, “This should feel watery” on a smoky amber tobacco and cyan piece. In this case it meant we needed to give a heightened, translucent feel to the palette.

If a director has seen a film that references the intention, they send stills, or I watch it — whatever is the easiest way for them to convey what they are looking for. It is my job to interpret it. If I don’t understand, it is my job to ask questions and offer suggestions until I do.

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
Light. Time. Early conversations. The earlier you can talk to your colorist, the better. It starts the gestation of ideas, builds trust and can often save you time and money.

Do you provide LUTs for on-set?
I do. Not only is it an incredibly useful tool to help with setting the look early for on-set and editorial, but it’s also a great opportunity for some early conversations with the creatives so that we can get everyone on board and thinking about the color story early on.

How does your process change when working on a film versus episodics versus commercials, etc.?
All forms are inherently storytelling, so it is really just time management.

For commercials, you have more time to really craft a shot, which is important if you only have a few shots to sell your story and (often) more people answer to.

Black Hands

For episodic versus film, this is budget-dependent, but I tend to have a bit more time on a film than on episodic. So it is really just managing the suite time so that you have a cohesive piece at the final grade.

What system do you work on?
FilmLight’s Baselight. We have three rooms set up at Images & Sound to cater to the different deliverables: a 4K DCI grading theater, our 4K HDR suite and a broadcast suite.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
The evolution. The ideas always move as we solidify the energy of a piece. Often, it’s in those last couple of days — when all of the VFX are in and the creative work is done — when those final little bumps of color need to settle themselves.

Do you have a least favorite? If so, what?
The room. I have a really nice one, but the job is long hours in a dark room looking at multiple screens. It is not that healthy for you, so you really have to love the job to do it.

Why did you choose this profession?
It chose me. I was working as an assistant editor when I applied for a job as a cinetape operator, but it was deemed more appropriate for the color assist role that was going. I fell in love and never left.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I suspect that I would still be in this industry, perhaps as an editor or sound mixer, as I like to get lost in the tiny details. Those small increments that change the tone of a piece gently but effectively.

Canterbury

If I wasn’t in the industry, it would be the complete opposite… perhaps a tramping guide. I could very happily spend my days in the fresh air of the maunga (mountains) and diving into waterfalls.

What is the project that you are most proud of?
For short form, it’s a recent collaboration with Tom Gould for Canterbury, New Zealand. Tom is someone whose work I look to for inspiration, and this one felt like a passion piece for him. Each frame was dripped in personality, and it was such a pleasure to grade.

For long form, it’s The Luminaries with DP Denson Baker. It’s a moody, atmospheric, sumptuous period piece. A dream. The way Denson captures light and texture is wondrous, so to paint frames with him for a couple of months (albeit remotely) was incredibly fulfilling.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
This might sound cheesy, but it’s everywhere. It could be the texture of a dusty footpath, the way the light reflects off a broken bottle, the paint used in a Renaissance masterpiece or a note in a moving musical composition.

The Luminaries

I am that annoying person that pulls over on the side of the road to see how the sun is setting over the hillside. I remember biking home one evening when I was working on the biopic Whina with DP Leon Narbey, and I called him and made him go outside and look at the bruised-apricot sky as a reference for a scene we hadn’t quite landed.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
So many. The one that comes to mind right now is last year’s The Batman, colored by Dave Cole. There was clearly a lot of collaboration and trust between the director, the cinematographer and the colorist, and it shows. Gotham City is really its own character, and the color intensified the mood, the grime and the danger of it. There were some brave choices, and they paid off. It was striking.

Any tips or tricks you would like to offer up?
One thing that I am still working on is taking enough breaks, getting some space from the project. It is so easy to get drawn into the finer details that you can lose time very quickly. The ability to step back and refocus is important and often gives you new perspective.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
The Baselight Blackboard. It is essentially another limb at this point.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Winter dips in the sea, cycling and climbing any of the extinct volcanoes around the city.

Ana Escorse

Colorist Chat: Studio Feather’s Ana Escorse

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Ana Escorse is a senior colorist at Toronto’s Studio Feather, a post house whose services include color, visual effects, finishing and motion design.

Born and raised in Brazil, Escorse’s interest in color can be traced back to her early exposure to Brazilian Baroque art. She moved to Canada in 2012 and found her way to color grading, working at post companies such as Frame Discreet and Nice Shoes before joining Studio Feather in 2020.

Let’s find out more…

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
That it’s actually a thing. There’s so much talk about other aspects of filmmaking, but colorists are usually crammed into the end credits — most people don’t know we exist.

Drake’s Sticky

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects?
It definitely happens, and depending on the project and time, I’m happy to help out in any way I can while respecting people’s roles and expertise. The most common requests are probably VFX/cleanups, but I’ve had clients involving me in the preproduction process as well.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
I finished a couple of Latin American commercial jobs, which I love being able to collaborate on, even though I’m in Canada. Also, a very special short documentary Holding Moses, which was shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards.

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
Collaboration is at the core. I think everyone has a different way to express themselves. Some people are good with describing what they want; some are more visual; some don’t know and just want to try things. My job is to interpret that expression in whichever way it comes, but when everyone involved is open to collaboration, the result is often quite beautiful.

Ana Escorse

Taco Bell

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples? Films to emulate, etc.?
I think the best looks are created on-set, so the look should be a conversation that starts before filming begins. But sometimes we only talk about color when it’s time to actually color, so having some references that were used in preproduction gives a good insight into the creative intentions.

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
I think the relationship between everyone involved is integral in getting the most out of a project from a color perspective. We are all experts in our own way, so coming together with openness allows each person’s talent to be expressed, and then we can see what comes from that.

How does your process change when working on a film versus episodics versus commercials, etc.?
Creatively, it’s more about the project rather than where it’s going to be shown, but it’s also about the footage. Getting a feel for the material as opposed to forcing a look, honoring the footage and decisions that were made on-set.

Ana Escorse

Flash Brasil

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
Maybe looking back to a project after a couple of months and being able to fully appreciate it. My least favorite is probably eye strain after you have been looking at a monitor for many hours.

You took home a 2022 FilmLight Color Award for Best Music Video, Lovezinho. Why was it important to enter these awards and that project?
I am Brazilian so I feel I have a responsibility to use whatever platform I can to showcase my country, its talents and its colors. Lovezinho was the only project that I submitted, so seeing how far it got was really special to everyone involved.

Can you describe a challenging scene from this project?
I would if there was one. The process for this project was very respectful and fluid ­—­ a complete credit to the director, Lu Villaça, for trusting in everyone during the whole process.

How early on did you know this would be your path?
I had no idea it existed, so it wasn’t a planned path. When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor because growing up, that’s what I saw as a career. I think the timing and the exposure I had living in Canada helped me explore and realize that being a colorist was a career that encompassed things I genuinely liked and was interested in, and things clicked. After that, I was very intentional in my choices to help me get to where I am today.

Ana Escorse

Gypsy Son

What is the project that you are most proud of?
I really liked Divina, directed by my friend and talented artist, Ode. Divina is a short that premiered on Dazed Digital highlighting Marcinha do Corintho, a Brazilian trevesti icon.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
A good cup of espresso, rested eyes and body, a shower, a good cry. Life things.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
I really like the work Peter Doyle did on White Noise, as well as War Sailor graded by William Kjarval.

What system do you work on?
I work on FilmLight Baselight. I think its tools, color science and overall interface complement the way I like to work and explore the footage, allowing me to go where I want to go pretty fast.

Any tips or tricks you would like to offer up?
Sometimes the best thing is to start over. There’s no shame in recognizing something is not working.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
Maybe I would open a retreat hotel. Create a space where people can go and contemplate whatever it is they need to contemplate.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
In broad technology terms probably planes. In everyday life, it would be silly not to say my phone. We rely on it so heavily for so many things nowadays.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Being around water, whether it’s a beach, a lake or my shower.

Colorist Chat: Ethos Studio’s Cameron Marygold

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Colorist Cameron Marygold is a recent addition to the roster at LA-based Ethos Studio, a post company offering color, editing and visual effects.

Marygold, who started in the industry as a mixing engineer, has pivoted to picture and now enjoys evoking emotion through color. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he transitioned from playing guitar and drums in various bands around the area to mixing soundtracks for TV and film, most notably one of the soundtracks of the film Crazy Rich Asians. When Marygold transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took a deep dive into color in his free time.

Cameron Marygold

Tory Burch

Since then he has earned credits as a colorist for the launch film for SZA’s 2022 album “SOS” as well as music videos for artist Lizzy McAlpine and film collaborations for Tory Burch and Dazed magazine, Hypebeast and Alpha Industries, and BMW and visual artist Joshua Vides.

Other commercial projects include the Vans 2022 holiday campaign and marketing campaigns for Nike.

Let’s find out more about Marygold…

As a colorist, what would surprise people about what falls under that title?
Knowing how to communicate appropriately with people is one of the most significant aspects of the job. There are often a lot of notes and directions being thrown around, especially on long-form stuff, and being able to ask the right questions to steer everything in a clearer direction is huge.

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects? Has your job evolved at all beyond color?
I often get asked to do some light VFX or beauty work, but I prefer sending that work to people who specialize in those things so I can focus on color for the job rather than a few different tasks.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
Currently, I’m working with Danny Gevirtz on his first feature film, I Think I’m Sick. Another fun project toward the end of last year was a feature with director Kerry Mondragon called Wetiko, which should be premiering soon. I also worked on a commercial spot for Tory Burch and Dazed, directed by Luca Venter and shot by DP Daniel Patrick Brennan.

Cameron Marygold

BMW

Can you describe a challenging scene from one of those projects?
Wetiko was a unique situation. I first connected with them in January of 2022 about the film, but there were a lot of delays, and everything went quiet for a bit. Then at the tail end of the year, the filmmakers reached back out and were ready to grade — five days before the film was due for festivals. Thankfully, when they initially reached out, I had graded some test clips they liked, which was a huge help since we had a look built already.

On top of that, the film was scanned at two different labs on two different scanners and in two different resolutions, so it took a lot of polishing to get the few clips from the original scan to blend in with the newer, better scans. Communication was vital for this film, but we were able to meet the deadline, thankfully.

The Tory Burch commercial was a super-challenging location because it has a lot of mixed temperature lighting and tons of neon around, so it took a lot of windowing to get everything to match and feel consistent. In the end, though, I was extremely happy with the look we crafted, so it all paid off.

Feid – Ferxxo

How do you prefer to work with the DP/director?
It depends on the project and job scope, but I like having conversations with the DP and director about their visions for the project. I also love to get still references or a color treatment so I can see what they’re picturing scene by scene.

If it’s a feature, I typically like to be brought in during preproduction to help create monitoring LUTs for them. For Danny’s feature, we used the dailies from the first couple of days to build a wide variety of LUTs so that he and the DP could pick what to use while shooting. That always helps create a faster grade once it’s time for the DI.

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples?
At this point, I can usually pull together a look based on our conversations, but I love getting still references whenever possible. They’re great to have since I can throw them into Resolve and pop them up against the project to see how it’s feeling. I always love to know where their heads are in terms of direction: Are we going with heavy film emulation, or do we want to lean in to a cleaner, digital look?

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
In my opinion, proper exposure and lighting is one of the biggest things. Regardless of the camera, if you’re not shooting with great lighting, the end product will reflect that. Another hugely underrated thing is production design and costumes. Many people tend not to consider that in terms of the color process, but having your set pieces and costumes match the palette you’re going for is huge.

How does your process change when working on a film versus episodics versus commercials, etc.?
My process is relatively the same across everything, but I love to group my footage and grade on a post-clip level, leaving the clip-level nodes to balance, pull keys and add windows.

Devon Again

Switching to a group-based workflow drastically sped up my grading process, so I always recommend people try that out.

You work on Resolve?
Yes, on a Mac Studio running Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
I love how collaborative and creative the grading process is. There are so many different approaches that someone could take with color, and I love how there are infinite possibilities when crafting a look. I’m always curious about another colorist’s approach while working on something because everyone’s workflow and intuition are unique to them.

Do you have a least favorite? If so, what?
Pulling keys (LOL). It’s easy for them to fall apart clip to clip, so I always try to avoid keys whenever I can and defer to things that are more of a broad stroke.

How early on did you know this would be your path?
I was always interested in the film side of things, but as soon as I saw how powerful color is and how much you can do within Resolve, I knew I wanted to throw everything into it. And coming from being a mixing engineer in the music industry made it feel like a natural transition because there are tons of parallels between the two. Once I started learning, I couldn’t stop.

What is the project that you are most proud of?
My favorite project was for Lizzy McAlpine’s latest album, “Five Seconds Flat.” I got to work on the music videos and the short film, which Gus Black directed. I felt a significant shift in my career while doing that project. I got a last-minute call from one of the producers on the project, Will Noyce, and as soon as I saw the first video cut, I knew I had to be a part of it. We graded the first video a day or two after Will and I talked, with the other four videos and narrative scenes following shortly after that.

Trippie Redd

I’m so proud of my work on those videos; those are always the first to come to mind. Everyone involved with that project was highly talented, so I’m very grateful that I was able to be a part of that.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
The first film that comes to mind is Moonlight, graded by Alex Bickel. That’s always going to be a film I look to for inspiration while working on something. A beautiful new film is Aftersun, graded by Kath Raisch. Her grade matched the film’s tone perfectly, and I was in awe the entire time I watched it. A fantastic show is Severance, graded by Tom Poole. On the note of production design and wardrobe being so integral to color, this show perfectly demonstrates how the two work so well together. Brilliant show, brilliant grade.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
My biggest inspirations come from watching films. At this point, color is (obviously) the first thing that catches my attention when watching something, and it can be super-inspiring when I see a grade that I can’t stop thinking about. Instagram is another place where I find a lot of inspiration because I follow many talented colorists who constantly post beautiful work.

Any tips or tricks you would like to offer up?
I don’t really have any specific tricks, but my No. 1 piece of advice is to try to develop great taste with color. You can have all the tools available, but you need good taste to pull together a grade that catches people’s attention. My workflow is quite simple, but I always go with a look that supports the piece and aligns with my taste. The best grade is one you don’t notice and allows you to fall into the film.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
My Mini Panel is integral to my workflow. I couldn’t go back to working with a mouse and keyboard for everything.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
Work/life balance is extremely important to me. I always try to keep to strict working hours during the week and take weekends off to enjoy time with my fiancée and our pets. They’re what bring me peace when I’m feeling stressed. Also, stay hydrated and go outside.

Senior Colorist Adam Inglis Set to Join Harbor London

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Industry veteran Adam Inglis will join Harbor’s UK team as senior colorist starting in early summer. Having worked with directors and producers all over the globe, Inglis’ credits include high-end scripted features and TV dramas as well as wildlife documentaries such as Planet Earth II and Our Planet.

His work on Apple TV+’s Earth at Night in Color won two RTS West awards and one RTS award, and it was nominated for a BAFTA. Other highlights include Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Turner and Wolf Hall.

Inglis has worked with digital intermediates since their inception. After completing a degree in film studies, he began his career as an edit assistant and in 2001 joined The Computer Film Company’s Digital Lab. Two years later he graded his first feature film — Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, one of the earliest features to be entirely digitally graded. In 2006 he became senior colorist at Deluxe, where he graded Atonement and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. 

“It was the people that attracted me to work at Harbor,” says Inglis. “What Zak [Tucker], James [Corless] and Thom [Berryman] are creating is very exciting. Combining the infrastructure and resources of a large company with the ethos of a personal, boutique facility offers a valuable contribution to the industry and something that I would love to be a part of.”

In addition to London, Harbor has locations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

Notable post projects from Harbor include, Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Netflix; Halloween Ends, directed by David Gordon Green for Universal Pictures; Lisey’s Story, created by Pablo Larraín for Apple TV+; When You Finish Saving the World, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg for A24; Hunters (Season 2), created by David Weil for Amazon Prime; and Your Place or Mine, directed by Aline Brosh McKenna for Netflix.

Harbor’s advertising brand clients include American Express, Nike, Adidas, Swarovski, Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Dior, Versace, Estee Lauder, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Tide, Mercedes, Toyota, Walmart, Citibank, Bounty, Olay, Crest and Cascade.

Colorist Chat: ArsenalFX Color’s Tahirah Foy

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Tahirah Foy is a colorist at Santa Monica’s ArsenalFX Color, a post studio providing full-spectrum services to the television industry, including color, VFX, conform and dailies.

Formerly with HBO, Foy joined ArsenalFX Color earlier this year, bringing with her experience in color grading for television, film and broadcast media as well as in film restoration. Foy, who has a Master of Fine Arts media arts degree from Emerson College, began her career as a post coordinator working on the AMC series Fear the Walking Dead. She later joined the post house Mad Old Nut Productions in Hollywood as an online editor. She became a colorist at the entertainment marketing agency Lussier, and in 2019 she joined HBO as a colorist, where, among other things, she was part of a team that remastered nearly 100 episodes of the hit series Sex and the City.

In her first project for ArsenalFX Color, she performed final color grading for the feature documentary Big Boss, directed by Keke Palmer.

We reached out to Foy to find out more about her job and how she works.

As a colorist, what would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
I think a lot of people are surprised that color science and color theory actually involve a lot of math.

Are you sometimes asked to do more than just color on projects? Has your job evolved at all beyond color?
I have worked as a colorist and online editor on a few projects. I enjoy it, though I love all aspects of post production and finishing.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on?
Recently, I worked as one of the colorists on the team that remastered HBO’s Sex and the City.

Can you describe a challenging scene from one of them?
The biggest challenge with Sex and the City was remaining true to the look and tone of the original series while amplifying the visuals for the new display technologies of today. It was an exciting process.

How do you prefer the DP or director to describe the look they want? Physical examples? Film to emulate?
Physical examples and mood boards are great, but every project is different. I try to take it project by project. Every director and/or DP has their own way of articulating their creative vision, so I just try to listen and maintain a sense of openness. I think that is the best way to develop a good collaborative shorthand.

Any suggestions for getting the most out of a project from a color perspective?
As a colorist I strive first to understand the creative vision and create a safe space for visual exploration. Then I use my tools and skillsets to help make the creative vision as clear, captivating and engaging as possible.

How does your process change when working on a film versus episodics versus commercials, etc.?
Ultimately, I feel the color fundamentals are very similar across all three. The change is fine-tuning the process for the difference in pace and the way audiences experience each of the three.

What system do you work on?
I work primarily in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve.

What’s your favorite part of color grading?
My favorite part of color grading is that it nurtures my creativity, curiosity and love of visual art. Every day I get to stretch my creative muscles in new ways. I am constantly exposed to different visual perspectives, which is exciting.

Do you have a least favorite?
I don’t really have a least favorite part. I love the whole process. Every project is unique. That’s what makes the job so exciting.
How early on did you know this would be your path?
From a very early age, I was always painting and drawing. My parents would hang my artwork all around the house. I always had an interest in color and light and how they could be used to emote. When I started to study film theory and media art in undergraduate and graduate school, I gained a broader toolset and language to articulate and interact with the visual mediums I had always loved.

In my MFA program at Emerson College, I was exposed to the ins and outs of post production, and that’s when I realized that I wanted to work in television post production as a colorist.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I think I would be a painter or a photographer. I would be doing something very similar to what I am doing now, just with a different medium.

What is the project that you are most proud of?
I am proud of them all. Each piece is a part of my journey. They all pushed me to learn and refine my craft. I would not be the colorist I am today without each project, so I am proud of them all.

Where do you find inspiration? Art? Photography? Instagram?
I find a lot of inspiration in still photography, street art and traditional fine art. I enjoy going to museums or flipping through a good photobook.

Is there a film or show that sticks out to you as an example of great color?
I absolutely loved the look of The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

Any tips you would like to offer up?
I think is it important to remember that perceptive color is relative. Striking visuals are about context, and that context is built from our emotions and experiences, both individual and collective. I think it’s important we trust this visual language just as much as we trust the color science.

Can you name some technology you can’t live without?
I cannot live without a camera, whether it’s a medium-format film camera, a 35mm film camera, a DSLR or a small point-and-shoot. I absolutely love carrying a camera. I prefer taking pictures with a camera over a phone.

What do you do to de-stress from it all?
I enjoy the high-paced energy of post production, but when I need to de-stress, I listen to music and play the piano.

Entergalactic

Doug Delaney on Color Grading Animated Film Entergalactic

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Picture Shop senior colorist Doug Delaney started his career in post production shortly after moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 1995, when he began learning the art and science of film imaging for visual effects. Since then, he has built a career collaborating with top film timers, VFX supervisors and color scientists and working with some of the industry’s top filmmakers on a mixture of live-action and animated projects, including Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story; Love, Death & Robots; Captain Marvel; and The Equalizer.

Most recently, Delaney handled the color grading on the Netflix animated special Entergalactic. The film is a music television special – made for adults not kids — created by American musician and actor Kid Cudi and directed by Fletcher Moules.

Entergalactic tells the story of Jabari, a charming, streetwear-clad artist on the cusp of real success. After a chance run-in with his cool new photographer neighbor, Meadow, Jabari has to figure out whether he can make space for love in his life. 

Honoring the Art of Animation
Having worked on a variety of both live-action and animated projects in his career, Delaney is well aware of the different requirements and expectations when it comes to grading animation.

“For a live-action movie, assuming we’re involved early on in camera tests, which more and more we are, we have a more direct role in helping the cinematographer and filmmakers create the look and feel,” he comments. “You could be involved from the get-go, with dailies, preproduction and camera tests. It’s great creatively to be involved in that, and, ideally, you get to read the scripts and really understand the show before you step foot in it.”

Animation is a much longer process than physical production, with some differences in terms of what is being asked of the colorist. “However, there are many similarities in terms of the objective,” Delaney explains. “For example, in physical production we can be fixing things, like weather issues or consistency, time of day or editorial changes. These types of fixes don’t happen in animation, but there are other factors that require us to nuance and refine the scenes. It might come from two different places, but it’s the same end goal.”

Delaney feels that animation in general can be a bit more technical in terms of approach. “There is more specificity in animation because they have lived with it and designed it and literally painted and rendered it in a very specific way,” he explains. “The challenge is to serve and honor this and to tackle the technical challenges of ensuring that it remains consistent and that all parties involved are seeing what they expect to see. Then it’s about maintaining this through all the various deliverables and processes. Of course, this is also important in live action, but I think in animation it’s even more so.”

Entergalactic
Following his work on Love, Death & Robots, Delaney was approached by the Entergalactic team to help with the grade. For this animation project, he was brought in early in the process and was able to support the team with both creative and technical advice.

“It was the height of COVID, so I was invited to a few Zoom interviews with art director Robh Ruppel and the director, Fletcher,” says Delaney. “We kicked the tires about what they were looking for and what I could bring to the table, and we did some early color tests to sort out the color pipeline as well as some technical preproduction calls.”

Delaney wanted to be granular with his ability to assist in final grade and suggested they create masters for each of the characters, developing a matte for each one. “The technical challenge was the delivery of those mattes, as I needed them to be consistent,” he explains. “They were delivering EXRs, which can have a pretty big payload, and I wanted those consistently assigned to a channel for all the deliverables. This requires a bit of work for the animation houses in preproduction, but I felt it was important.”

Delaney used the sophisticated tools within FilmLight Baselight to help manage the character and object mattes, and he supported with tweaking and refining the renders. “With animation, Baselight’s ability to accept the EXRs with multiple matte channels and manage them quickly, easily and consistently is critical,” he explains. “The ability to manage incoming mattes and then supplement those with my own techniques — like shapes, keys, frames and rotoscoping — was really valuable.”

Technical Challenges
Art director Ruppel is a renowned artist and illustrator, and he and Fletcher had a very clear idea of where they wanted to take the movie visually. “In terms of the grade itself, animation is a very particular thing,” says Delaney. “The art director and the animation vendors are living with these images, and they render them to a very specific color palette and contrast – which can come with some technical challenges.”

The first challenge was the organization of the show and its hand-off from animation to editorial to color. “As it was a native Baselight conform, and we were working in ACES, it was really important to ensure the color pipeline was sorted and the character mattes and organization were consistent,” explains Delaney.

And visually, as it was a Netflix show with Dolby Vision requirements, the SDR had to be derived from an HDR source. “Because it’s animation, they’re rendering to a specific SDR color palette for a couple of years, and they know exactly what that looks like,” says Delaney. “To go from that to HDR and back to a derived SDR – and making sure that it matches the original SDR – can be challenging because you’re taking quite a detour in the color space.”

Delaney leveraged the color management tools within his system to support this. “I also find it very useful to be able to maintain multiple timelines. For example, I can check an SDR reference directly against a derived SDR from Dolby Vision HDR. The ability to check your work, track your color space journey and clearly see your layout of the color pipeline, and present this to a client, is extremely valuable.”

Texture and Film Grain
Early on, Delaney presented some ideas around applying film grain to the movie to help give the CGI-rendered images more texture.

“We added a little film grain, and I also pitched a couple of ideas for some lensing effects and chromatic aberration around the edges of the frame to give the film a bit more of an optical quality,” explains Delaney.

Delaney recalls working on a particular scene where the brush strokes and the lighting on Jabari weren’t quite consistent with what Ruppel and Moules were looking for. He also points out how, particularly in animation, an important part of the colorist’s role is to interpret and understand the team’s creative language.

“As a side note,” explains Delaney, “with Rob being an illustrator, the way he talks about highlights and shadows is very different to the language a cinematographer would use. Hearing his requests, getting inside each other’s heads and interpreting the language was a fun creative challenge.

“For this scene, in particular, he wasn’t happy with some of the brush strokes and the way the highlights were brushed on Jabari. To fix this, I used rotoscoping, keys and some sophisticated matting techniques to even it out and enhance some particular shots. There was a bit of work to get them to match and to execute the lighting techniques that he wanted in a 2D world.”

Adding Sound
When grading, Delaney usually likes to work in silence or with subtle background music to help with concentration and ensure he’s not distracted from the images. And, for the final master color correction, he always works in silence. But for Entergalactic, which was created by American musician Kid Cudi, sound was an important element for the director.

“When Fletcher came in, we would typically have versions of the stems or the current sound mix from the sound house so we could do playbacks with sound,” explains Delaney. “For Fletcher, that was important. There were sound queues, and the music certainly helped with the cadence of some of the HDR hits that we were doing.”

“One of my favorite things is seeing the final picture and the final sound all come together for the first time with everybody in the room,” says Delaney. “I still remember doing this with Fletcher and Rob. It’s exciting and will always be one of my favorite parts of the process.”

Racoon Adds Enge Gray as Senior Colorist

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Racoon, a London creative studio, has added senior colorist Enge Gray to its in-house team. He brings with him over 20 years of experience across features, television, branded content and commercials. Gray will be based at Racoon’s facility on Margaret Street.

His latest work includes Liam Gallagher Knebworth ‘22, The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley and the BAFTA-winning and Academy Award-nominated For Sama. To support the move, Racoon has also invested in a new FilmLight Baselight Two grading system along with a Blackboard control panel.

Racoon has been harnessing the freelance community to provide color grading services for the two years since its inception, working on a fantastic portfolio including, Clarkson’s Farm, The Grand Tour and The King’s Christmas Broadcast. 

“We have tracked Enge’s career with interest for a number of years — his breadth of experience across multiple genres is fantastic,” says David “Klaf” Klafkowski, founder/CEO at Racoon. “The quality of his work speaks for itself, and we love his passion. As importantly, his ethos mirrors our own, particularly in supporting next-generation talent and giving opportunities to those who may not always easily find them.”

For Racoon, the choice of colorist was paramount, and they were keen to collaborate with Gray on a system that he felt comfortable with and worked with the studio’s wider workflow pipeline. “Having worked with Baselight for a number of years, I know how precisely — and quickly — I can get the results I and my clients need.”

The technical team at Racoon, headed up by CTO Adam Peat, is continually striving to streamline and speedup workflow – keeping up to-date with the latest technologies very important to them. “Baselight fits right in with our current workflow at Racoon as we are able to use the AAF for renderless workflows to and from Avid,” comments Klafkowski. “Our capability for remote viewing and signoff is being incorporated into our Tanooki platform, which will enable our clients to view grades at leisure or in real-time viewing sessions with Enge if needed. With a mix of FilmLight and our networked storage, we are already working on large format resolutions for UHD/HDR and multi-delivery to our clients.”

Natasha Leonnet

Veteran Colorist Natasha Leonnet Joins Picture Shop

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Picture Shop has added Natasha Leonnet to its team as a senior colorist. Leonnet brings over 20 years of finishing experience on features and episodics. She will be based out of Picture Shop’s Sunset facility in Los Angeles — where a custom grading environment is being built for her, equipped with Blackmagic Resolve —and available via the company’s global network.

Leonnet fell in love with filmmaking at an early age and pursued her passion at Brown University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in media/culture. She got her start in Germany on commercials and music videos then worked on features in Denmark, after which she was ILM’s first digital intermediate colorist. Most recently, she was a supervising colorist at Company 3.

Leonnet recently collaborated with Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC, on Columbia Pictures’ feature Where the Crawdads Sing as well as with cinematographer John Guleserian on Universal Pictures’ Cocaine Bear and on Apple TV+’s Platonic. Last year, her work could also be seen in Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 (DP Elliot Davis), Universal Pictures’ Bros (DP Brandon Trost) and Bleecker Street Media’s Breaking (DP Doug Emmett).

Leonnet, who earned an HPA Award for her work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, has received HPA Outstanding Color Grading nominations for her work on Billie Eilish: Happier than Ever (2022), Candyman (2021), Mulan (2020), First Man (2018), Hidden Figures (2016), Whiplash (2014), Labor Day (2013), Love & Other Drugs (2010), Get Low (2009) and Defiance (2009).

She has compiled over 100 credits throughout her career, including Black Bird, La La Land, Sin City, Juno, Blood Diamond, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Up in the Air, Star Wars: Episode II and the remaster of George Lucas’ THX 1138, among others.

“I’m excited to be joining the talented group at Picture Shop,” says Leonnet. “I love being part of the storytelling community and look forward to collaborating with the global Picture Shop team to support filmmakers in pursuit of their vision.”