From Freelancer to Facility Owner With Senior Colourist CJ Dobson, CSI

Mixing Light Contributor Rich Roddman CSI interviews Rick Kalivoda, a 30-year gaffer and on-set veteran. Kalivoda talks about his craft in executing the DP's vision, the emergence of LED lighting, and its challenges. This starts a new Interview series featuring on-set crafts that affect post production workflows.Full notes and additional links, including the video, are on this Insight's homepage: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-rick-kalivoda-gaffer-lighting/Related Mixing Light InsightsThe Essential Gear For An On-Set Color Correction DIT Cart – Rich Roddman C.S.I. shows how he sets up his Cart for on-set color correction… and the thinking behind his choices.Part 4 of a DIT series.Being Flexible As A DIT: The Always Evolving DIT Cart – We all know that a good cart is essential to a DIT’s kit. But what if there is no room for your cart? What options do you have when size becomes a cause for concern? (00:00) - Introduction (00:43) - What is a Gaffer? (02:57) - A typical example of a Gaffer's work (05:29) - CRI vs SSI (07:02) - The evolution of LED lights (09:03) - Why Tungsten is the industry reference (12:02) - Light fixtures as the painter's palette (14:46) - Conversations with DPs (17:22) - LED Volume Walls as lighting instruments (19:55) - How has large dynamic range changed lighting? (25:20) - Lighting instruments & lens/camera choices (27:47) - Tungsten is our butter (27:53) - Tungsten - it's butter for chefs (29:15) - Are young DPs missing out on Tungsten? (31:20) - Managing Depth of Field (34:04) - Lighting is Logarithmic (36:30) - How to become a gaffer (37:32) - Advice for PAs (39:12) - Passing details from set to post (40:17) - Key & Fill Ratios (43:07) - The value of Makeup Artists (43:55) - What monitor to look at? (47:38) - What's Rick's trusted measuring device? (48:18) - Value of the on-set monitor (51:10) - Zero-budget lighting (56:45) - Replacing practical lights (59:39) - Wireless DMX vs Wifi and apps (01:01:05) - Essential roles on set (01:02:00) - Wrap Up

Full episode notes plus additional links mentioned in this video related to working as a post production professional are at this video's homepage:  https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/office-hours-live-how-much-are-other-colorists-earning/===On this edition of Office Hours Live, host and Mixing Light CEO Patrick Inhofer is joined by post-production veteran and Mixing Light contributor Katie Hinsen. They tackle the thorny topic of what you should charge for your creative services and how those rates stack up against others in your field.For the past nine years, Katie has spearheaded the Post Production Survey, which collects confidential and anonymous salary and working conditions data to provide a valuable snapshot of the market's current state.===

Full episode notes and links: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/color-grading-interview-daniel-stonehouse-crayon/====Experienced colorist Daniel Stonehouse owns and co-founded the boutique color grading studio Crayon in Melbourne, Australia. Throughout my detailed conversation with Dan, he shares a wealth of experience and practical insight on the art, craft, and business of color grading and what it takes to run a successful modern boutique shop.During our conversation, Dan emphasized adaptability, continuous learning, dedication, and a holistic approach to becoming an effective colorist.To this point, Dan offers some excellent wisdom to anyone managing color grading clients from ‘discovery to delivery’. You should consider perfecting the grading session and the lengthy discussions, negotiations, and planning preceding it. Plus, there are after-session processes, such as invoicing and generating visuals for promotion. (00:00) - Introduction (03:09) - The democratization of color grading (05:32) - The impact of Apple Color software (07:59) - Inspired by BEAN (10:25) - On being self-taught (13:25) - Dan's philosophy on grading (17:31) - FX Phd, Mixing Light, and online training (19:38) - You are a colorist until you tell yourself you're not (21:20) - It's not about the tools (24:25) - How did Crayon get to its current form? (27:22) - The end of the Post House era (33:26) - The Covid effect (34:33) - About colorist Abe Wynen (36:47) - It's not about being local anymore (38:31) - Remote freelance work vs a solid infrastructure (39:56) - Colleagues, competition, and self-confidence (46:57) - The blessing of limited time (48:56) - Getting into a flow state (53:13) - Paintings and photography as references (54:15) - Daniel's thoughts on 'Look creation' (56:08) - Grading under the look (01:04:10) - Don't get trapped by your workflow (01:08:04) - Matching shots (01:08:54) - Working on commercials (01:11:07) - Growing into the craft (01:15:04) - Evaluating a colorist's tendencies (01:17:47) - The trickiest color to work with.. (01:19:35) - What is next for Crayon? (01:22:35) - The importance of Producers (01:25:15) - Being a 'facility colorist' vs freelance (01:31:11) - Wrapping up...

Accelerate your post-production career: https://mixinglight.comFull episode notes and additional links: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/career-advice-for-colorists-from-aurora-shannon-company-3/====Aurora Shannon, colorist at Company 3 Vancouver, is known for her impressive work on popular shows, including Sweet Magnolia and Under the Bridge. Aurora’s career journey spans several continents and includes incredible career opportunities with:- Rob Pizzey- Stephen Nakamura- Stefan Sonnenfeld- Mitch Paulson- Adam Glassman- Greg Fisher- Paul EnnsbyAs a result, the wealth of color grading knowledge she has to share is considerable!In this detailed discussion, we unpacked her professional accomplishments, creative process, the technical aspects of color grading, and her approach to tackling long-form color grading.Alongside her professional achievements, Aurora has an inspiring commitment to mentorship roles and giving back to the community. Her insights on carving a successful career in the industry offer valuable lessons for all aspiring colorists.---Content like this is made possible by Mixing Light subscribers on MixingLight.com. You can support our work for as little as $4.58 per month (paid annually): https://mixinglight.com/membership/ (00:00) - - Introduction (01:43) - - The look for the shows Sweet Magnolias & Under the Bridge (04:14) - - Film is a format, not a color palette (06:29) - - Using a thick or thin LUT (07:22) - - Do you tend to work underneath or over the LUT? (08:59) - - Why you should talk to the DP before doing the grade (11:44) - - Using the CDL's (14:47) - - Mentoring Program (18:10) - - Who cares about your reel, what's in your CV? (22:09) - - What is a useful reel? (24:54) - - The two pathways (29:16) - - At the start of Aurora's career (37:12) - - After company 3 (39:23) - - How gender plays a role (41:30) - - Project levels vs Job titles (43:29) - - A bigger fish in a smaller pond (47:05) - - Back at Company 3 (49:55) - - What is the look of 'Hollywood film'? (52:53) - - Working on different kinds of projects (54:18) - - Working the node tree (59:07) - - Refining your methodology (01:02:54) - - Working remotely (01:05:04) - - Separate divisions have become one (01:08:57) - - Working on Crazy 8s (01:14:58) - - Working with RED Camera media (01:21:39) - - What is in the pipeline?

Accelerate your post-production career: https://mixinglight.comFull episode notes and additional links: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-bryn-interview-virtual-production/Content like this is made possible by Mixing Light subscribers on MixingLight.com. You can support our work for as little as $4.58 per month (paid annually): https://mixinglight.com/membership/====I met Bryn Morrow while colour grading television commercials shot on a volume stage at Steelbridge Studio in Brisbane, Australia. Interestingly, I didn’t realize until the resizes were removed from a shot that the commercial hadn’t been shot ‘in real life’ but on a stage.Once I started looking critically, I found opportunities to enhance the scene’s realism. As this is a new and rapidly developing technology, I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to speak with Bryn and understand the methodology and challenges of this medium.Bryn is a VFX Supervisor based out of Queensland, Australia. His training and experience as a Cinematographer, combined with his expertise as a VFX and CG Supervisor, provides a unique insight into live-action production and VFX workflows. Some of his film credits include:- Prometheus- The Power of the Dog- Land of Bad- Captain AmericaIn this interview, Bryn discusses virtual production on a volume stage. He specifically describes the workflow and relationship between post production and colour grading, how colour grading can be incorporated into the process, and what to look for when grading virtual production.00:00:00 Introduction And Background00:01:26 What Is A Volume?00:06:24 Creating Environments In The Volume00:13:27 Aligning The Digital And Real World00:19:19 Steel Bridge Studios And Virtual Production In Australia00:25:33 Virtual Production Adoption Challenges And Cost Structure00:28:50 Pre-Visualization And Digital Scouting00:32:02 Depth Of Field Constraints And Lens Constraints00:32:53 Collaboration With DPs00:37:42 Color Pipeline00:39:25 Challenges Of LED Panel Colour Management00:42:42 Linear Workflow00:45:53 Color Grading In Virtual Production00:50:59 Is There A Role For Colourists?00:58:15 Kalie’s Experience Grading A Volume01:00:54 What Happens In The Brain Bar01:02:32 Brain Bar: Challenges Tracking The Virtual Camera01:04:27 Brain Bar: Virtual Art Department Supervisor01:06:04 Bryn’s Interactions With The Brain Bar01:07:45 Bryn’s Background And Expertise01:14:05 Understanding Where Virtual Productions Make Sense01:16:08 The Role Of Colorists In Virtual Production01:23:30 Improvements In Panel Technology01:25:41 New Subframe Tech Generating Mattes For The Colourist01:30:26 Closing Remarks

Accelerate your post-production career at https://mixinglight.com====I’m excited to share my interview with Ferg Rotherham. He’s a senior colourist and his credits include “The Pope’s Exorcist”, “Heartbreak High”, and “Boy Swallows Universe.”We discuss his journey in the industry and the mentors who have shaped his career. Fergus also talks about his transition into long-form grading and the challenges of managing his own schedule as a freelancer.We talk about the process of grading some of his recent projects and the challenges when transitioning from theatrical grade to HDR.Key takeaways from this InsightStarting as an assistant and being mentored by experienced colorists is a valuable learning experience in the industry.Managing clients and running a grading room requires technical skills and the ability to handle different personalities and opinions.Developing a personal style as a colorist can help distinguish your work and attract clients.Balancing short and long-form grading projects can be challenging, but having strong relationships with directors and DOPs can help maintain a steady workflow.Transitioning from theatrical grade to HDR requires contrast, levels, and color adjustments to maintain the intended look.Remote work can revolutionize the industry, allowing for greater collaboration and the ability to work on projects from anywhere.Recognition and awards are important in the industry as they validate professionals’ hard work and talent.Adapting a story for the screen requires balancing staying true to the source material and creating a visually compelling experience.Taking an overview approach and leaving room for perspective can help colorists maintain a fresh perspective and make better decisions in their work.=====Full show notes and related links and tutorials are here: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/ferg-rotherham-interview/

Accelerate your post-production career at https://mixinglight.com= = = =Today, I talked to Hootan Haghshenas, CSI. He’s a senior colourist with extensive credits, including the Oscar-Winner “The Salesman”, plus many feature films, music videos, and documentaries. His clients include Netflix, Disney, National Geographic, and more.He studied cinematography at the Art University of Tehran. Hootan is also an accomplished photographer with a Masters in Photography from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.Our discussion starts with his career in Beruit and how he ended up in Australia, scene-referred workflows, Baselight / Resolve differences, and how colour preferences differ between cultures. He also discusses how remote workflows have had a positive impact on his career opportunities.=====Full show notes and additional links and related tutorials are here: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-hootan-haghshenas/

Accelerate your career at https://mixinglight.com= = = =Today, I talked to Peter Postma – Managing Director, Americas at FilmLight. Formerly at Kodak and a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was a part of the team that deployed the first hardware that could apply a LUT in real-time and was on the committee that developed the CDL. He’s also active in the development of ACES.Peter has made a career of creating workflows and standards that are easy to take for granted. Our conversation covers everything from ACES to rendering images for the new Sphere in Las Vegas. Plus, we talk about the innovative new features in Baslight v6 and its new perceptual color space.Note: Baselight 6 is now released. At the time of this recording, it was in beta.Key takeaways from this Insight- How CDLs were developed as a communication tool with DPs- The evolution of ACES- How HDR introduces creative challenges- The process of emulating photochemical processes- Why Film Processing improved after the introduction of digital tools- How Baselight evolved- Why BaseGrade uses Human Perceptual Space for color grading- Avoiding secondary corrections with better primary tools- The look development tools of ChromaGen- How color grading in the cloud is becoming possible- Producing color workflows for the Las Vegas Sphere=====Full show notes, additional links, and related tutorials are here: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-peter-postma-filmlight/

This is a MixingLight.com subscriber-supported podcast. Accelerate your career!= = = =Today, I talk with Christian Ganea Reitmeier, a Quebec-based VFX Colorist at DNEG. He shares what he’s learned solving creative and technical challenges for some of Hollywood’s biggest movies and shows. Just a few of his credits are:- Oppenheimer- Dune- Uncharted- Tenet- Ghostbusters: Afterlife- FoundationChristian has a wealth of knowledge of color science, workflow, and the little details that make a big difference in making a movie look good. If you weren’t aware of the role of a VFX Colorist before, now this exciting craft is on your radar.Full show notes, additional links, and related tutorials are here: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-vfx-colorist-christian-ganea/

Melbourne-based Colourist CJ Dobson, CSI shares how her recently opened colour facility, Mood Labs Film Looks, offers her clients new solutions to old workflow problems. We discuss CJ’s journey from being ‘queen of the conform’ at Digital Pictures to freelancing for a decade to becoming a business owner, some of the unique future-facing services Mood Labs offers, and the challenges of succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry.The full landing page for this episode, including links, can be found at: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/interview-senior-colourist-cj-dobson-csi/