Colorist Society Hollywood members John Daro, CSH, Lynette Duensing, CSH and Juan Cabrera, CSH shared their expertise in SDR/HDR grading at an event sponsored by SMPTE Hollywood. The three veteran colorists discussed best practices for SDR/HDR through examples drawn from their work in film, television and trailers. Held October 5 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Linwood Dunn Theater, the event dre an enthusiastic crowd of more than 200 industry professionals and students.Daro, Duensing and Cabrera shared insights into LUTs, deliverables, and ACES workflows.

Click here to watch the video

Annie Chang, P/Creative Technologies, Universal Pictures and ACES Co-Chair, followed with a presentation on the technical application of ACES and the soon to be released ACES 2.  All four presenters were then joined by colorist Laura Jans Fazio for a lively panel discussion moderated by SMPTE Hollywood chair Marc Zorn, Content Protection & Production Security, Marvel Studios was moderator.

Colorist Society Hollywood hosted its first in-person meetup on Thursday, September 14^th at the classic Hollywood pub, The Cat & the Fiddle. Colorists from across Southern California turned up for an evening of drinks, hos d’oeuvres, conversation and fun. The Hollywood Chapter expects host to many more such events, says Lynette Duensing, CSH. “It was great seeing everyone in person,” she notes. “The folks shared their experiences with technology and philosophies on how to approach a project. This speaks exactly to one of the core missions of CSH.”

The event was organized by Michael Mintz, CSH and promoted by Troy Smith, CSH.

Submissions are currently being accepted for the Dehancer Colourist Awards, a worldwide competition for colorists, created by color experts. Categories include Feature Film, Short Film, Documentary, Music Video and Mobile Video. Submissions are free but limited to projects using the Dehancer plugin and at least one film profile. Make your submissions here. Submissions close December 14.

The company describes the competition as “a great opportunity to showcase your skills and get recognized around the world. It is more than just a competition; it is an homage to the artistry, creativity and storytelling through film color.”

Winners receive a cash prize of US$ 6,000. Shortlist nominees are awarded a Lifetime License for Dehancer. Other prizes include subscriptions to Lowepost, Ravegate Cinelook perpetual licenses, monthly, full access subscriptions to DeMystify Color, vouchers for DeMystify Color Shop and Filmic Pro annual license codes. Winning work will also be featured in the company’s social media, which reaches 30,000 industry professionals.

Judges include:

• Nico Fink, colorist, Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Certified Trainer, Head of DeMystify Color
• Daria Fissoun, CSI, Colorist, Compositor, and Certified DaVinci Resolve Trainer
• Darren Mostyn, Senior Colorist and Founder of Online Creative
• Stig Olsen, Founder and Creative Director of Lowepost and Ravengrade
• Toby Tomkins, CHEAT Founder and Senior Colorist
• Matthew Tomlinson, Head of Color Science at Harbor

Please read the Rules & Legal Terms carefully before submitting your project.

On October 18 at 7pm AEST, the Australia/New Zealand Chapter will host an online meeting via our Discord Group. Along with a general group catch up, it will include a discussion about working remotely with clients in a post-COVID world. We are looking to broaden our scope, so please invite friends and colleagues from the vision side of production and post-production to take part in the discussion and perhaps become members.

Register here.

Colorist Society hosted a Colorist Mixer, September 16, in Amsterdam in tandem with the 2023 International Broadcasters Convention. Organized by iColorist, the event was held at Arti et Amicitiae, former home of a Dutch artist's society, in Rokin. 

The Mixer was well attended and enthusiastically received. It was a great opportunity to network, relax, learn, reconnect with old friends and make new ones. We also handed out more than $15,000 in raffle prizes provided by our sponsors. Winners included Jamie Dickinson (ACES), Cassiano Zoboli (Adobe), James Willett (ASUS) Nikolai Waldman (Blackmagic Design), Rik Mahieu (Colorfront), Alexander Hohenthaner (Flanders Scientific), Boris Klasser (Hedge), Paolo Verrucci (Kaurus), Alexandre Sadowsky (Leader), Achim Kapitza (MASV), Jenn Lee (Portrait Displays), Jon Hall (Professional Video Alliance) and Peteris Sudakovs (Tangent). 

(l to r) Alexander Hohenthaner, Rik Mahieu, Boris Klasser, Alexandre Sadowsky, Jenn Lee, Jon Hall, Kevin Shaw, James Willet, Jamie Dickinson, Achim Kapitza, Paolo Verrucci, Nikolai Waldman, Peteris Sudakovs, Cassiano Zoboli

IMDbPro recently launched a series of “How To” videos on YouTube to help you manage your profile. Learn how to change your primary profession or update your personal details with step-by-step instructions. Click here.

Colorist Society members receive a discount off an IMDbPro Premium Subscription, which offers full access to the most powerful features, including setting your featured image, primary profession and unlocking advanced search. See the Member section of the website for details.

The availability of powerful, and relatively low-cost color grading software is contributing to the growth of the post-production industry worldwide and enabling colorists everywhere to expand their skill sets. A prime example of both these trends is colorist and new CSI member Bilal Ahmed who has developed an impressive resume in his hometown of Baghdad, Iraq, a city not often thought of as a media production center.

A graduate of the University of Baghdad’s College of Fine Arts, Ahmed began his career as an editor and later founded Mesopotamia Cinematheque, the first library to build a catalog of Iraqi cinema. More recently, he developed an interest in color grading and taught himself to use Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve. In 2021, he became the first Iraqi colorist to be certified as a DaVinci Resolve trainer. “I worked for years as an editor at a satellite television station, but I loved cinema,” Habib recalls. “I wanted to learn how to color movies, but grading systems were too expensive until I found Resolve.”

Ahmed now conducts training courses and leads workshops in grading, editing and sound post-production, while also working as a freelance colorist. His credits include a mix of locally produced short films, television shows, music videos and commercials. His recent projects include editing and grading 31 episodes of the television drama Entiqam Rooh. He also graded the films Rain Music, On A Highway to Germany, Michigan and Black Line. “I see membership in CSI as a chance to further develop my skills and share my work with other colorists and professionals,” he explains. “Membership in an international, professional organization distinguishes me among my peers.”

As production grows in Iraq, Ahmed hopes to have more opportunities to grade features, scripted television shows and high-end commercials. He would also one day like to open his own post facility. Another short term goal is to broaden his experience by working outside Iraq, perhaps in the United States. “I have dreams,” he says. “But working in Iraq is very nice now. The future looks good.”

At this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas, CSI Fellow Lou Levinson took part in a thought-provoking panel discussion on remote collaboration and grading in the cloud. Sponsored by SMPTE, the session also featured FilmLight Managing Director of the Americas Peter Postma and AWS Senior Specialist Solutions Architect Marlon Campos.

Moderator Debra Kaufman asked the panel about the benefits and limitations to cloud-based workflows. Postma noted that recent software and hardware improvements have reduced but not eliminated issues with latency, bandwidth and compression, making cloud grading a more practical option than in the past. But it still works best when storage and virtual resources and located close to the user—across town rather than on the other side of the world. Campos added that AWS has been building data centers at strategic locations around the world. “In some Local Zones, we have reduced latency to single milliseconds,” he said.

According to Levinson, the cloud offers practical advantages for colorists faced with shorter deadlines and client bases spread around the globe, but they come with new responsibilities. “It can be done well,” he pointed out. “But you must be careful. Colorists are used to sitting down at a control surface and not thinking about infrastructure. There is a direct connection between our brains and the color we want. If you disturb that with concerns over latency or bandwidth, it interferes our ability to translate and deliver what the director has in mind.”

Postma said that cloud solutions work best in terms of cost efficiency when applied to post-production ecosystems that include visual effects, editorial, dailies processing and other services in addition to grading. He also noted that the cloud provides facilities with the flexibility to add virtual resources and avoid the expense of additional local hardware.

The discussion also touched on AI and machine learning tools available locally and in the cloud. All three panelists agreed that AI is helping colorists with repetitive tasks but are a long way from replicating the skills of experienced artists. As Levinson put it, “Humans are still necessary.”

At the end of the session, an audience member asked about security in the cloud. Levinson acknowledged that protecting assets remains a serious issue and cautioned that technology alone provides no guarantees.  “You can have the best protection in the world, but humans will still fail.”

You can view the full session here.

FilmLight has finalised the 2023 FilmLight Colour Awards jury, made up of high-profile creatives from across the world, and appointed renowned cinematographer, Lawrence Sher, ASC, as this year’s president. Due to popular demand, the awards deadline has also been extended, with submissions now closing to the global colourist community at 23:59 BST on 7 August 2023.

The FilmLight Colour Awards are open to colourists on any grading platform and entries are judged by an independent panel of cinematographers, colourists and creatives who bring their understanding of how an image is made, and how its light and shade creates a mood and a dynamic. 

Lawrence Sher, ASC, is an award-winning American cinematographer and film director best known for his work on Joker (2019), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), War Dogs (2016), The Hangover (2009), Garden State (2004) as well as Dua Lipa’s music video, Don't Start Now (2019).

“I’m very excited to be president of the FilmLight Colour Awards,” comments Sher. “Colouring and colourists are as fundamental to modern filmmaking as any lighting or camera tool. As someone who started their career colour timing movies the ‘old fashioned’ way, I was an early adopter and champion of the Digital Intermediate as I could see its potential.

 

“I believe the colour tools we have today are perhaps (along with the digital sensor) the most transformative change in filmmaking in the last 50 years. My relationship and collaboration with my colourists is as important as any relationship I have with my camera, grip and lighting teams. I am very excited to see the great work from this year’s submissions and shine a spotlight on their creative inputs to their projects.”  

The final 2023 FilmLight Colour Awards jury is as follows:

Lawrence Sher, ASC, Cinematographer & Film Director; Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC, Cinematographer; Natasha Braier, ASC, ADF,  Cinematographer; Simone Appleby, Head of Film & Digital Restoration Lab, CNC; Eben Bolter, BSC, Cinematographer; Daniela Cajías, AEC, Cinematographer; Eve M Cohen, Cinematographer; Thomas Eberschveiler, Image Workflow Supervisor, MPC Paris; Yinka Edward, Cinematographer; Ana Escorse, Senior Colourist; Ricky Gausis, Senior Colourist & Creative Partner, TRAFIK; Adam Glasman, Senior DI Colourist, Goldcrest; Michael Goi, ASC, ISC, Cinematographer & Film Director; Michael Hatzer, VP of Creative Colour Finishing, Picture Shop; Aljoscha Hoffmann, Senior Colourist; Dave Hussey, Senior Colourist, Company 3; Takuro Ishizaka, JSC, Cinematographer; Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Cinematographer & Head of Discipline, Cinematography at the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory; Marjolaine Mispelaere, Senior Colourist; Luke Morrison, Head of Colour, Electric Theatre Collective; Wade Odlum, Senior Colourist & Partner at alter ego; Swapnil Patole, Chief Colourist, Famous Studios; Ahmet Sesigurgil, Cinematographer.

Award-winning Australian cinematographer ACS, ASC, Greig Fraser – Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Lion (2016), Dune (2021), The Batman (2022) and more – comments: “We live in a space where often films are based on a trend or previous ideas. In this year’s Colour Award entries, I’m looking for original vision.”

Jacqueline Loran, Director at FilmLight, commented: “I have worked with colourists across the world for many years and I know how hard working and creative the community is. They are crucial to the creation of great visual content and we are honoured to be able to provide them with a platform to receive the recognition that they truly deserve.” 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and support for the awards so far and we are incredibly grateful to everyone involved, including the talented jury, without which the awards could not take place,” says Loran.

The call for entries will now close on Monday 7 August 2023. A shortlist will be announced in the autumn, with the winners unveiled in November at EnergaCAMERIMAGE.

The Colour Awards are lead and organised by FilmLight, in conjunction with EnergaCAMERIMAGE, and are supported by prominent international groups such as the ASC (The American Society of Cinematographers), the BSC (British Society of Cinematographers), the AFC (The French Society of Cinematographers), CSI (Colorist Society International), CNSC (Chinese Society of Cinematographers), Imago (the International Federation of Cinematographers), the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC) and more.

For more information or to enter, visit: www.filmlightcolourawards.com/ 

On July 20, Blackmagic Design and IntekTV hosted South America’s first ever Colorist Mixer at Country Club Lima in Peru. Held in conjunction with Blackmagic Week, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 60 people from across Latin American, including more than 20 colorists. It was also streamed with the help of the Davinci Resolve Latinocommunity.

Diego Yhama, CSI, founder of Estudio Roco, Bogota, and creator of the podcast Coloristas Hispanos, acted as host and gave an informative talk on AI-assisted color grading. He was then joined by Peruvian colorist Miguel Mendez, CSI, Chilean colorist Wawin Arriagada, and Argentinian colorist Cecilia Belliz, CSI for a discussion about opportunities in Peru’s growing post-production community. That was followed by networking and socializing.

“We began with a short talk about AI tools available in DaVinci Resolve, how AI can help colorists, and whether AI is a threat to jobs,” says Yhama. “Our panel discussion focused on the role of the colorist, the state of color grading in Peru, how to create looks and how to work with clients. It ended with a beautiful exercise with panelists and attendees discussing the creation of node structures and important considerations in doing so. That was my favorite part.”

Yhama added that the event underscored the desire for connection among post production professionals in Latin America and the advantages of membership in Colorist Society. “There’s never been a Colorist Mixer in Peru,” he notes. “I expect several of the colorists in attendance to join CSI. “It was a great opportunity to begin building a professional community. We look forward to more events like this. It was wonderful to see such a large group of colorists talking about their work and sharing ideas on how to improve our craft.”

Yhama is currently leading an effort to raise the profile of colorists in South America through membership in CSI. “There are colorists in countries across South America, but they are hard for producers to find,” he explains. “Membership in CSI will give them greater visibility and better access to good projects. We’re stronger together.” He is currently working with the officers of CSI Argentina to create a chapter open to Spanish-speaking colorists throughout the region. “We’re from different countries, but we have the same goals. We are stronger together.”

Although local film and television production is growing, South American countries continue to get much of their content from the United States and other foreign suppliers. The development of a community of colorists and other professionals may help tip the balance in the other direction. “Colorists here and not only highly skilled, they also bring cultural experience and understanding,” Yhama observes. “Events like Blackmagic Week and the Colorist Mixer are important because they provide training and information in our language. The amount of television and film production in Spanish will continue to grow and we want to be ready for it.”

You can view a recording of the event (in Spanish) here.