A new member of Colorist Society Hollywood, Jason Bowdach is a colorist and finishing editor at Fox where he grades multi-platform marketing media for such hit shows as 9-1-1, The Cleaning Lady and The Masked Singer. He is also a certified DaVinci Resolve trainer, contributing author to Frame.io and entrepreneur. His company PixelTools develops “artist focused” plugins and presets for Resolve.
A Southern California native, Jason got his start at Disney where he was involved in remastering and localization of entertainment content for international markets. Looking for a more challenging career, he sought advice from industry veterans and determined that color was his best bet. “The idea of influencing a viewer’s emotions through color suited my personality,” he says. “I enjoy helping filmmakers bring their projects to life.”
Jason gained exposure to color through grading his own short films. Eventually, he acquired enough experience to leave Disney and pursue work as a freelance colorist. After having success in commercials and independent films, he landed a gig at EFilm as assistant to veteran colorist Walter Volpatto, CSI on Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day: Resurgence.
He calls it a career altering moment. “It was a big adjustment to go from $100,000 indie films to a $200 million blockbuster,” he recalls. “But it was an amazing experience. It confirmed how much I loved color grading and that it’s what I hope to do for the rest of my life.”
Around the same time, Jason developed an interest in teaching. He became a certified Da Vinci trainer and has taught color grading through such companies as Mixing Light, Lowepost, TAC Resolve and Adobe. He hosts the Color & Coffee podcasts and produces training videos, writes articles on post-production problem solving and leads seminars at trade shows.
To facilitate his work as a trainer, Jason began developing presets for Resolve. They proved so effective in streamlining his workflow that he formed a business to license them. “In 2019, I launched PixelTools,” he says. “I create looks and presets just as I did for my project clients, only now, I do it for other colorists. There is nothing better than building tools for people I like shooting the breeze with.”
Among the products offered by PixelTools is Hue Shift, which supercharges Resolve’s native tools for shifting hues and adjusting density. “It makes it easier to create looks and perform routine tasks,” he explains. “It’s a lifesaver when you have thousands of shots to grade and only so many days to do it. It’s a dream to take things like that that are in my head and make them a reality.”
A member of Colorist Society since 2016, Jason says he was honored to receive an invitation to join the Hollywood Chapter. “I’m a person who wants to give back,” he insists. “That’s what attracted me to this organization. I want more people to recognize the artistry of color and the dedicated people who practice this craft.”
