Colorist Questions

How do I become a Colorist?

To be a good colorist you must practice, and have a good eye for images. Many colorists need just those two things, but it helps to understand the nature of different media, formats, cameras etc. and to have a good knowledge of film, art and fashion. Personally, I think studying some color theory and psychology also helps. You do not need to go to art or film school to be a colorist, but all knowledge is useful.

The job is a mixture of technical, artistic and psychological skills.
You need to know the about the color system, the nature of color and how people see.
You need to be able to make a picture look “correct” and then improve on it.
You need to interface well with people, translate ideas and concepts and guide your clients when they need it.
Some colorists rely mostly on the psychology, others on creativity and still others on technique, but I believe the best colorists manage all three skills.

The traditional route to becoming a colorist is to get a job as an assistant to an established colorist. Often the position of colorist assistant is filled internally so it helps to get any job with the right company and then to show interest in being a colorist. Most of the manufacturers offer training classes, some free, others for a fee. They can often also advise on who is looking for new talent. Facility houses, vfx houses, editors, advertising agencies, film labs and broadcasters all employ colorists.

The best resource to advertise yourself and to look for a job is the Telecine Internet Group. Sign up to the mailing list and advertise on the classifieds.

Of course there are a few books and classes for colorists, but it is usually learned from experience - Hands on classes with an experienced instructor such as myself can greatly speed up the learning process. My classes are mostly private and arranged by facilities, often just after buying new equipment. Please contact me directly for a quote Email: Kevin Shaw

Digital photography books, and the special features on some dvds are good sources for ideas. For anyone wishing to become a colorist practice with photoshop or a similar program. An ideal first color system is Apple Color (in Final Cut Studio 2). For  my articles on color enhancement click here and for my suggested books list click here.

What is the difference between log and lin images?

Film naturally captures light as log, but these terms are usually used to describe two different ways of digitally scanning an image. Most commonly the term is used in scanning film, and in creating digital intermediates to go back to film.

Simply put lin capture means each digital step, from dark to light is equal. A lin sequence is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
For log capture each step is double the previous. A log sequence is 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128

If the total number of steps is kept the same, log captures a much greater dynamic range than linear, but it looks very flat. It is therefore ideal as a digital intermediate format.

However, log is not a substitute for more steps, (called the bit depth), it is only a way to get more dynamic range from a fixed bit depth.

So we can say 10 bit log has more dynamic range than 10 bit lin but 16 bit lin has more range and depth than either. For further information click here

For a more in depth tutorial please contact me to set up a training seminar

What is Bleach Bypass and Bleach Reduction?

Reduced or skipped bleach bath during color film processing. Some of the silver image remains and less of the color dye is coupled creating a distinctive contrasty faded look. "Saving Private Ryan" is a typical example. For an in depth article click here.

Digital Vision Questions