The beach scene was shot over two days. On the first it was overcast, on the second the sun broke through, and in the edit the two halves now cut together badly. In the grading suite the colourist warms up the grey shots, softens the sharp shadows in the sunny ones and adds a faint haze to both. The audience will never notice it was two different days. The colourist is the person who gives the finished film its final colour and light.

What a colourist does

The colourist works mostly with the director and the director of photography. The process of adjusting colour is called grading. Often the colourist is involved before the shoot, building a look (a set of colour settings) that the camera team can view on set, so everyone sees roughly the intended mood from the first day.

The main work happens after picture lock in post-production. The colourist goes through the film shot by shot. First they balance and match shots so a scene looks consistent, then they shape the look per scene, for instance colder for a night chase or warmer for a memory. Finished visual effects shots are graded too. At the end the colourist produces versions for each screen the film will play on, such as cinema, TV and streaming in high dynamic range (HDR).

Responsibilities

  • Develop a look with the director and director of photography before the shoot
  • Prepare the graded images for dailies, when a production asks for it
  • Balance and match shots so each scene is consistent
  • Create the creative look for each scene and for the film as a whole
  • Repair problems such as wrong exposure, colour casts or distracting details
  • Grade finished VFX shots so they sit with the live-action footage
  • Deliver graded masters in every format on the delivery list

How the role touches the budget

Through bookings rather than spending decisions. The grade is usually priced per day, either as a package with a post-production house or as the colourist's fee plus a suite. The post-production supervisor books the days, so the colourist's main effect on the budget is how many days the grade takes. Late changes to the edit, extra versions for different screens or VFX shots that arrive late can all add days.

How people become colourists

Most start as runners or assistants in a post-production house and learn by watching senior colourists at work, then move to grading smaller projects such as music videos, commercials and short films. A strong eye for colour matters as much as knowledge of the grading software. Some come from camera departments, often from work as a digital imaging technician.

In TV and commercials

In TV the grade is much faster, often a day or two per episode, and the colourist follows a look set for the whole series. Commercials are graded in hours, often with the agency and client attending, and colourists who specialise in commercials can build a strong name in that world.