In this video I am going to share what helped me to become a professional colorist and how you can take these rules and apply it to your workflow and land your next dream gig. With these rules, not only will you be more efficient as a colorist, but these will help you land your next job.

        The first rule is intention. First things first, have a comprehensive dialogue with the creative director or the person in charge and ask for samples. Most times they will give you a mood board or a link to their favorite stuff and that will help avoid any misunderstandings along the way. Let me share an experience of my own. A couple of years ago I worked on a project. They wanted “The Ring – Look.” It’s this monotone, green, sort of tealish look. I was given everything. I was given the creative deck, color palette, and the inspiration. But even after having all of that, I reached out to the producer and asked if I could get one-on-one time with the creative director. I got the OK and during our first five minutes of coffee, I realized that it was worth every penny.

The key here is human interaction. We are in a people business. The most important thing is to have that human connection. Even if you have great skills, the key is “can I hang out with you.” We must build a bond with who we work with.

Below is the shot I had to work on, and the client was stoked with the result.

Since that job, my company has been working with him for the past six years.

The second rule is obstacle. Now that you know what to do, the challenge is how do you get there.

DON’T just try to jump in and figure it out as you go.

You must first pick a hero shot. A hero shot is a clip that best describes your scene or your entire commercial. Once you pick that shot you must play it back on a loop and analyze it. This is where you must remember the intention. Stick with the plan and note anything you want to change or improve to help boost the story. This will keep you focused. Here is the list of obstacles we have to overcome in this example shot:

1. Reverse the shot

   • It looks more natural to have her coming forward than backing up

2. Speed ramp

3. Hide the cords

4. Depth of field

   • We need to create some depth of field because the image is too sharp

5. Shape light

6. Bring out detail

7. Light shaft

   • Have some sort of a light coming through

8. Flicker

   • Have the light flicker

9. Film Grain

   • We can go overboard on this shot

The final rule is resolution. Now that we have a plan, where do we begin? With

systems and processes. There is nothing more important. What I mean (using this example) is a node tree. Create a structure. Whatever works well for you, rinse and repeat so that muscle memory is locked in, and you can fly through grades.

        Finally, let's get to the final look overview. I started off with noise reduction to send a clean signal through. Then I used the primaries to dial in the global look as close as possible. Then I used secondaries to help fine tune the look. The layer below was for sharpening. Then it was OFX to hit everything on our obstacle list. Then it was our light modifiers to match the look. Then, the final adjustments where everything comes together. The question is, did we nail our intention?

MORE LIKE THIS