CSI Takes Part in IBC and SMPTE Events

Colorist Society International participated in the first ACES User Group Day at IBC in Amsterdam in September. CSI president Kevin Shaw introduced Nikolai Waldman CSI who led an interactive discussion on the uses of camera metadata and LUTs in an ACES workflow. The discussion covered best practices for ACES workflows across a variety of grading software and distribution media. The well-attended, day-long event also included panels on ACES on-set, chaired by Mission head of color Pablo Garcia Soriano, and ACES and visual effects, hosted by Double Negative color scientist Sean Cooper.

Also at IBC, many CSI members attended the 6th Colorist Mixer and Color Cruise, hosted by the International Colorist Academy, Tao of Color and Mixing Light. The always popular event offered the opportunity to meet or reunite with colorists from around the world.

Kevin Shaw also took part in a panel discussion on wide color gamut at SMPTE Hollywood’s September meeting. The panel reviewed the creative and technical challenges involved in working with the wide color gamut afforded by HDR and other new standards in an environment where most consumers will continue to view content on older displays. The other panelists included cinematographer/visual effects supervisor/stereographer David Stump ASC, EFILM vice president of technology Joachim (JZ) Zell, and BlackStar Engineering CEO Andrew G. Setos. Freelance journalist Debra Kaufman served as moderator.

The 2019 ICA Colorist Summit took place in October at the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective in Oahu. In addition to the annual Colorist Mixer, the event featured a dozen intensive courses on subjects ranging from advanced Resolve techniques to visual effects and animation with FUSION.

CSI Launches in Amsterdam

Continuing to extend its reach around the world, the Colorist Society International has formed a new chapter in Amsterdam. The group expects to draw members from across the Netherlands, which is currently experiencing a boom in film and television production, spurred by a generous government rebate program. The chapter hosted its first meeting prior to IBC in September.

CSI Amsterdam is led by Guy Molin, a freelance colorist and instructor with the International Colorist Academy. Molin's professional background includes work across features, television, advertising and corporate media. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the NBF, the Dutch Association of Film and Television Professionals. He formerly was co-owner of the post house Cinemeta.

The principal aims of the chapter are to set standards for quality and training in color correction, and to promote the craft. "In the Netherlands there are two dozen or so colorists who are true professionals," says Molin, "but they often find themselves competing for work with editors and others who do some coloring but lack proper training and expertise. We hope to set standards, so producers know who the real pros are. We intend CSI to become synonymous with quality."

Molin adds that the chapter will also host master classes, conduct technology demonstrations, and serve as a clearinghouse for information about jobs, clients and industry news. “You’re never to old to learn,” says Molin. "We’re very excited to be part of CSI and connect with our colleagues around the world."

Discounts on Storage Products for CSI Members

CSI members can now receive discounts for products purchased through Western Digital's G-Technology online store. The site offers a variety of storage and workflow solutions tailored to production and post-production applications. Members receive 20 percent discounts by using the code "CSI".

"We want to show our appreciation to artists working behind-the-scenes to create stories that we love," says G-Technology’s head of technology Frank Love. "The discount can be used to purchase high-performance products for personal needs and passion projects."

G-Technology recently opened its G-Technology Studio, a studio space in Hollywood that showcases leading-edge workflow tools. It features multiple workstations, a full suite of multimedia production hardware and software, and a 4K Dolby post-production theater. "The space is designed as a free resource to the production and post community for use in designing workflows, soliciting advice and offering feedback,” says Love. "The studio’s staff can also provide assistance in accessing loaner gear kits."

For further information, contact the G-Technology Studio team at 323-745-3999 or thestudio@g-technology.com.

Getting the Most from IMDbPro

CSI Members Get Discounted Memberships

IMDbPro has become an essential tool for career management, tracking productions and connecting with colleagues and clients. The site is loaded with information about companies and industry professionals. It also offers a raft of tools that members can use to ensure their information is complete and up to date.

To ensure members get the most out of the service, IMDbPro has launched an instructional series with advice on optimizing membership and using the site’s features, especially those that have been added over the past few months. In the series’ first installment, IMDb’s Jed Shireman-Jones explains "Name Pages", IMDbPro’s bread and butter.

IMDb is currently offering discounted IMDbPro memberships to CSI members. A promo code is available on the blog in the members section of the CSI website.

What’s the difference between IMDb and IMDbPro?

IMDb has a wealth of entertainment information for fans, which these days is pretty much everyone. Every day, IMDb visitors fall down its rabbit hole of entertainment trivia, videos, and info to jog their memory about an actor or movie, discover a new film or TV show, or view trailers and images. Ask around and you’d be pretty hard-pressed to find someone who has never visited IMDb to learn more about an entertainment program or celebrity, answer their entertainment questions, or settle a wager.

IMDbPro, on the other hand, is an expanded resource of IMDb specifically for professionals working in the industry. IMDbPro includes all of the information on IMDb in addition to contact information, representation details, in-development titles, comprehensive STARmeter data, industry news, box office data, and other extras that are important to entertainment professionals.

What is a Name Page?

Ever wonder how many colorist credits your fearless director Kevin Shaw has or how to get in contact with him about a project? (I’m pretty sure you know how to get in contact with him as a CSI member but bear with me for the example.) Log into IMDbPro (with a 30-day free trial if you’re not already a member), search for him, and you’ll come to his Name Page. Name Pages contain a list of a person’s representation and their contact details, what in-development titles they’re attached to, how their STARmeter has fluctuated over time, and more professional information to help you make a connection.

Name Pages are how all of IMDb and IMDbPro’s users learn about your career. IMDb and IMDbPro Name Pages are connected, and IMDbPro members can curate how their information is promoted on both sites (more on this below), which helps you manage your brand and position yourself for the types of projects you’re looking to land next.

How do I manage my Name Page?

If you are a current IMDbPro member and haven’t done so already, you can claim your Name Page here. Claiming your Name Page gives you greater access to edit your page so you can optimize how your career is promoted. Updating your info on IMDbPro also affects your IMDb page as well as the details featured on Amazon Prime Video and Alexa-supported services. Below are some examples of these enhanced editing features and how you can use them to your advantage. **Note that the below hyperlinks will direct you to your own Name Page only if you are logged into an active IMDbPro account.**

Known For: The top of each person’s Name Page includes a short list of the titles they worked on and that they are most "Known For". It’s a career snapshot that gives viewers a quick sense of who you are and where they might know you from. This is algorithmically generated based on the viewing habits of IMDb fans but with IMDbPro, you can customize your "Known For" titles and be more strategic about showcasing the work you’re most proud of.

Let’s say your filmography is primarily TV credits but you’re looking to do more feature films. If you have past feature credits, you can move one or more titles into your Known For section so that viewers get a fuller picture of your work during a quick perusal of your Name Page.

Primary and Featured Images: Similar to Known For, IMDb by default will set a Primary Image for your Name Page and six featured images. It might select the first headshot you ever took, which may have been taken years ago. As an IMDbPro member you can curate the images that best represent who you are and the career you are pursuing. Your featured images can be updated at any time and as often as you choose.

Vanity URLs: IMDbPro members also have the ability to create a custom URL that links to your Name Page. IMDbPro members are directed to your IMDbPro Name Page and everyone else will go to your IMDb Name Page. These short, manageable URLs are perfect to add to resumes, business cards, and other print materials as well as your social media bios, email signature and more. To create a vanity URL, click "Edit your page" at the bottom of your Name Page.

Access your IMDbPro Discount If you’re not yet a member of IMDbPro, don’t forget that you can start with a 30-day free trial. Members of CSI receive a discount of 25% off. Visit the CSI website for instructions on how to redeem this benefit. This discount can be applied to an annual or monthly membership.

CSI New York Hosts Meet-Up in Manhattan

CSI's New York Chapter recently held its first meeting at The Penny Farthing in Manhattan. Colorists from across the city got together for a meet-and-greet session and to begin laying the groundwork for the future.

"We had an excellent turnout," says chapter chairperson Dario Bigi, who organized the event. "We had colorists representing every corner of the industry, from freelancers to guys who own their own shops. Some were generalists, others specialized in beauty work and visual effects. It was an opportunity to trade stories and discuss the similarities and differences in what we do. It was great!"

An independent who colors features, commercials, documentaries, branded content and other projects from his home studio, Bigi says that colorists in New York share common concerns. They all face tighter budgets, shorter deadlines and heightened expectations. "In the advertising world, agencies are now asking for digital deliveries, rather than broadcast deliveries, even though they don’t have the budget for it. You find similar issues in other areas of the business," he says. "A lot of colorists are looking for better pay equity." (Bigi recently took part in the International Colorists Academy "Color Tour" podcast. Watch it here.)

Colorists are also being asked to shoulder more responsibilities. "We’re often asked to take on the role of a finishing editor, doing more clean-up and compositing," he says. "So, colorists have to keeping upping their skillsets. That applies especially to freelancers and colorists at smaller, mom-and-pop shops."

Bigi hopes that CSI will address such issues by establishing professional standards and creating greater awareness for the art of color correction. "The people who turned out for our chapter meeting take their craft seriously," he observes. "We are glad that there is now an organization that’s looking out for our interests, one that will screen new members to ensure they are qualified. We’re masters of one of the dark arts of post-production. We want to ensure that people understand what we do."