Episode 015: Alexis Van Hurkman

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this special episode of the Colorist Podcast, we discuss the details of NAB 2018 from a colorist’s perspective. Joining me is my long time friend and Coloristos podcast partner, Jason Myres. Back in 2012, Jason and co-hosted a podcast called “The Coloristos” with our friend Juan Salvo. Every year, we were excited about the announcements that came with every NAB. This one proved to be just as interesting and surprising as years past. Jason is also known for creating one of the best places for colorists to interact on the internet, liftgammagain.com. It’s the hub for colorists around the world to discuss software, hardware, inspiration, and techniques for colorists. Jason’s experience spans a wide variety of software and hardware platforms, which gives him a broad experience to draw on. In this podcast, we talk about: Blackmagic Design’s NAB announcements and how they effect colorists The addition of Fusion to DaVinci Resolve The IMF export spec and how it’s been adopted in different software Improvements in Flame and Lustre 2019 BLG grades inside of Flame Filmlight Baselight version 5 release across their entire platform The state of color managed workflows and ACES New grading monitors for NAB Coloring in HDR and VR Jason Myres Homepage Coloristos Podcast   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, https://coloristsociety.com/Join-the-Colorist-Society.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the colorist podcast, I talk with Color Scientist and Trainer, Dado Valentic. Recently, Dado’s presentation about Artificial Intelligence and Color Grading has been making it’s way through the internet. In this YouTube video, he poses a question: Can we make the colorist’s job easier by using machine learning to match shots? This is the basis for a new plug-in he is developing for DaVinci Resolve called, “Joi” Originally from Yugoslavia, Dado’s career has spanned from working at corporations like Apple and Sony, to running his own post production facility, “MyTherapy.” There he worked on a massive amount of projects in TV, film and commercials. In addition, he is a  trainer for the International Colori st Academy and Colour.Training. Currently, he’s decided to put his full focus on developing new software with his latest company “Colourlab” In this podcast, we talk about: Starting at Apple and how he first became exposed to color grading Machine learning and how it relates to color grading Working with HDR in a color managed workflow Being involved early in the filmmaking process How teaching has increased his skills as a colorist The tools that haven’t been created yet for the colorist Creating the “look” before the balance grade Running a facility versus being a colorist Why the CSI is an important group for colorists   AI & Machine Learning to Colour Grading http://www.dadovalentic.com https://www.colour.training http://www.mytherapy.tv http://colourlab.co   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, https://coloristsociety.com/Join-the-Colorist-Society. Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. Senior Production Engineer and Colorist at Dolby, Shane Mario Ruggieri, CSI, joins me on this episode of the colorist podcast. In San Francisco during the 2000’s, Shane came up through the ranks, working in all aspects of production and post production. From the beginning of Final Cut Pro, and later Apple Color, he cut his teeth on the early stages of color grading on the Mac. He’s colored for features, commercial, corporate, and entertainment industries. His clients have included Apple, Sony, Netflix, Green Day, Carrie Underwood, and Universal Studios.  Now working at Dolby, Shane has specialized and is one of a handful of colorists that has been working with Dolby Vision HDR since 2010. He co-authored “A Perceptual EOTF for Extended Dynamic Range Imager” and authored “Breaking Out of the 100-nit Box: A Colorist’s View of Grading HDR”, which were presented at SMPTE. In this podcast, we talk about: How starting with SDR prepared him for working with HDR Working with Dolby Vision in Resolve Comparing HDR10 and Dolby Vision Grading tools in HDR and how they will change in the future Advantages of working with HDR as a starting point Workflow considerations for working with HDR versus SDR Using ACES and color management with HDR How HDR will change art direction, makeup, and lighting on the production side Using HDR subtlety and keeping your work invisible Why images over 1000 nits are more compelling and powerful   Shane Mario Ruggieri, Homepage Email IMDB Language of HDR   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, https://coloristsociety.com/Join-the-Colorist-Society   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the colorist podcast, I talk with Ian Vertovec, Co-Founder, and Senior Colorist at Light Iron.  Ian has colored major films “The Social Network,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and “Ender’s Game.” And more recently, he has colored the TV shows “Baskets” for FX and “Glow” on Netflix.  Originally from Chicago, Ian focused on photography, then moved on to digital compositing. He later co-founded two post facilities in Los Angeles: Plaster City, then Light Iron. Out of necessity, he moved on to color at his company. He found his combination of photography and compositing matched perfectly for a career as a colorist. In this podcast, we talk about: Coloring David Fincher films and working with extremely dark images The challenges of working on VFX heavy projects Making HDR look both cinematic and realistic Advantages of working with high-end systems like Quantel Pablo The difference between working on TV and films How experience with compositing served him as a colorist Bringing life to images using texture Using film emulation LUTs in his workflow Comparing different cameras as a colorist Using ACES in a color managed workflow Keeping grades simple, clean, and efficient Ian Vertovec - IMDb Light Iron   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit www.coloristsociety.com. Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.  

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the Colorist Podcast, we take a look back at 2017. So much has happened this past year in the world of the colorist. Blackmagic unveiled two new affordable panels, as well as releasing Resolve 14. Filmlight continues to innovate, and shipped version 5 of Baselight. UHD and HDR are gaining wide adoption, with new content being available every day. I recently had the opportunity to go back and review every podcast from this past year. I couldn’t believe all the talented people that made time to sit and talk with me. Colorists that worked on films from Lord of the Rings to Saving Private Ryan, TV shows NCIS Los Angeles and Planet Earth II, and commercials for Coca-Cola and Levi’s. We delved into many different topics, like collaborating with DP’s, working in foreign countries, and emerging technologies like HDR. In this podcast, I’ve included some of my favorite insights from 2017: Peter Doyle: Working on films that vary visually and conceptually Dave Abrams: HDR and it’s effect on calibration Warren Eagles: Film stocks and how they relate to digital cameras today Bob Festa: Working with clients and getting them to come back for more Alexis Van Hurkman: Techniques for working with HDR Dale Grahn: Developing looks for The Ring and Saving Private Ryan Juan Cabrera: Collaborating with Directors and DP’s in the suite Adam Inglis: Working with nature footage in Planet Earth II Patrick Woodard: Being flexible and working efficiently in television Vanessa Taylor: Working in a foreign country and overcoming language barriers   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.  

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the Colorist Podcast, I talk with Patrick Woodard, Lead Colorist at Digital Film Tree. Patrick is best known for his color work on episodic TV shows like NCIS: Los Angeles, UNreal, Weeds, and Everybody Hates Chris. He’s worked on programs that air on the major networks, like CBS, NBC, and FOX, as well as the pay networks HBO and Showtime. In addition to working in TV, he’s also completed spots for Oakley, DC Shoes, and Fox Racing.   Patrick built his foundation in photography, studying at the Brooks Institute of Photography. Combining this background with an internship at Digital Film Tree, set him in the direction of becoming a colorist. Moving up within the company gave him the opportunity to holistically understand the file-based workflow and the ways that it could be fast and flexible.    In this podcast, we talk about: How his background in photography served him as a colorist Challenges of working on a big budget TV shows The effect of streaming networks like Netflix and Hulu on television colorists Coloring for short form versus long form Collaborating with DPs and showrunners via remote sessions New technologies like 4K and HDR in television color ACES and other color-managed workflows Coloring for different TV networks   PatWoodard.com Digital Film Tree Twitter Instagram IMDB   This episode is sponsored by:   Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com.   Senior Colorist Bob Festa joins me on this episode of the Colorist Podcast. Bob Festa has colored some of the most iconic music videos and national commercials. Companies like Coca-Cola, Levi’s, American Express, McDonalds, and IBM come back to his suite again and again. In a career that spans over 30 years, he has completed over 20,000 spots. He continues to color today, working on the shows “The Runaways” and “The Last Ship.” He is the recipient of daVinci’s “Master Colorist Award” and “Commercial Colorist of the Year.”  Bob has held positions as a Senior Colorist at Company 3, R!OT Santa Monica, Hollywood Digital, and Encore.  And he also ran his own facility, New Hat. He’s worked with daVinci systems since it’s start, and even helped drive some of the features we use today.  Bob continues to be a mentor to aspiring colorists. He shares his skills, experience, and knowledge to the next generation of artists.   In this podcast, we talk about: How to avoid burnout and have a long career as a colorist Comparing long and short form grading The inspiration of film and why some colorists still use printer points The most abused technique in color grading The Festa “Grade once - show many” concept New technologies like HDR and how colorists adapt to them Coming up with a lot of ideas in a high-pressure environment Colorist’s role in new business development How the declining price of color systems affect colorists today Collaborating with Directors and DPs   Vimeo IMDB Instagram Twitter   This episode is sponsored by: Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the Colorist Podcast, I continue the conversation with Director, Writer, and Colorist, Alexis Van Hurkman. In the last episode, I talked with Alexis about how he got his start in post, his experience at Apple, and starting his own boutique grading facility. There was so much great conversation in the podcast that I needed to break it into two separate shows. In this episode, we dive deeper into the tech side of grading. In the last five years, there’s been dramatic changes in color technology. High Dynamic Range (HDR) is making it’s way into the mainstream, and color managed workflows are improving with each day. And with that “bigger box of crayons,” we have more options when creating looks. The creative and the technical elements in grading are closely linked. In part two, we discuss: The “Color Correction Look Book” and how to create subtle grades When to push a look further then your comfort level Grading HDR and the “hierarchy of highlights” Will HDR change the way that colorists grade Using ACES, Resolve Color Management, Truelight and other color management workflows The Colorist Society and how it will benefit the community in the future   HDR, Resolve, and Creative Grading by Alexis Alexis Van Hurkman Blog Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Ripple Training Amazon: Titles by Alexis Van Hurkman   This episode is sponsored by:   Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. Director, writer, and colorist, Alexis Van Hurkman joins me on this episode of the Colorist Podcast.  There’s been many twists and turns in the career of Alexis Van Hurkman. He bounced around from audio, editorial, graphics, and visual effects. Ultimately, each of those steps in his journey contributed to his skills as a colorist. Along with grading his own projects, he’s finished programs for The History Channel, The Learning Channel, BBC Four, and WNET. Many listeners will recognize Alexis’s book titles, “The Color Correction Handbook” and “The Color Correction Look Book,” as well as the manuals for Apple Color, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. He’s also created several training titles with Ripple Training, featuring the newest features in Resolve. This epic podcast was one of the longest I’ve recorded yet. So long, in fact, that I’ve decided to split it up into two separate episodes. There’s a ton of great info and I didn’t want to lose any of it. In the first part, we talk about: The complicated path in becoming a colorist How writing increased his color knowledge and skills How he ended up working at Apple Working with and without a color control panel How the Fairlight page effects colorists Parallels between audio and color Learning to work in a client driven environment Visual Effects and how it contributes to a colorist’s skills Starting his own one man boutique grading facility   Alexis Van Hurkman Blog   Twitter   Facebook   LinkedIn   Ripple Training   Amazon: Titles by Alexis Van Hurkman   This episode is sponsored by:   Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Colorist Society International and Mixinglight.com. On this episode of the Colorist Podcast, I talk with Juan Ignacio Cabrera, CSI. Juan has worked on the films Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. He’s been credited as a stereographer, colorist, compositor, and visual effects supervisor.  Juan got his start in the visual effects industry in Spain, starting his own business at 17 years old. He later moved to the US and was hired at Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures. Currently, he runs his own boutique facility, Lightbender Post, as Founder and Senior Colorist. His projects span everything from features, television, streaming, and video games. On this podcast, we talk about: Translating the skills of visual effects to color grading Completing or enhancing vfx in a color application Working with SGO Mistika as his color tool of choice Improvements to color grading applications Color managed workflows with ACES HDR and when it will gain wide acceptance Working in a big facility compared to running your own shop Low budget versus high budget projects Working with directors and DP’s Essential business skills colorists should have Why he joined the Colorist Society International Advice for up and coming colorists Lightbender Post IMDB   This episode is sponsored by:   Colorist Society International For more information on how you can become a member, visit, www.coloristsociety.com.   Mixinglight.com Use the coupon code “josh15” for 15% off the first term of any Premium Color library subscription.