Hello from Finalcolor,

I often get asked where people should start with grading classes - whether wanting to learn from scratch, refresh existing knowledge, or take their skills to the next level after years in the business.

So in 2024 I’m doing things a bit differently. I want to make it easier than ever for people to get to grips with color. So if you want to better understand colour and grading, this one's for you!

Starting in Jan, I’ll run a full colour curriculum from start to finish. Broken into three modules, these classes will cover everything so you can go from colour novice to colour confidence in just SIX MONTHS.

Join online at any point that suits your needs - and come along to the first class for free to get a taste of what I’ll cover.

Registration is live now - but places are limited. Book at finalcolor.com and become color confident in 18 half day sessions or less!

Seasons Greetings and Happy Coloring,

Kevin

FAST From 0 to 100 in 18 weeks

Introducing a full curriculum from on set production to post-production.

All students taking a full module will receive official International Colorist Academy Certification.

EXPANSIVE 3 modules of 6 x 3hr live online classes with Q&A + practical application

Instructor Kevin Shaw, President of the Colorist Society, brings decades of experience in grading and teaching, with thousands of successful students in private classes, film schools, and major companies including Amazon, Netflix, Sky, BBC, CBS, Kodak and Dolby.

A well-known name in the world of Color Science and Imaging, his unique experience - as a colorist; consultant for DaVinci and Nucoda products; professional calibrator; workflow specialist; and current role at Mission working with DITs and Labs - has made him the go-to maestro for all things color-related.

FLEXIBLE Take individual classes or full modules, as needed

The Color Pipeline Mentor Program gives participants knowledge of wider disciplines and is structured to support film-makers and post-production professionals with their ongoing projects. Kevin is an established leader in identifying trends that define the future, and has been an early adopter of color management, ACES and HDR. He shares the benefits of these technologies with students to help them work better and be prepared for any project.

Saturdays 10am - 1pm (UK time) - Starts Jan 6th 2024

50% off 1-to-1 consultations ... when you book any full module. Leverage Kevin's 30+yrs of experience for your own project or colour challenge.

MODULE ONE: Setting the Look in Production

Covers: general principles of color science - capturing a visual mood - psychology of vision - language of color - production - how camera settings affect image - Look Management

Ideal for: Directors, Cinematographers, DITs, Post Supervisors, VFX, Conform Artists, Editors, Assistant Colorists, Colorists, and anyone interested in the collaboration between cinematographer on-set and colorist in the finishing suite

Level: Fundamentals

Schedule:

• Jan 6 The Magic of Colour FREE INTRODUCTORY CLASS

• Jan 13 Defining Colour

• Jan 20 Managing Colour

• Jan 27 Setting the Look in Production

• Feb 3 Colour Workflows

• Feb 10 Meeting Standards

MODULE TWO: Color Management & Grading

Covers: practical experience - setting up grading projects - interaction between editing, vfx and final color - Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) - technical grading and matching - optimising images - developing a Look

Ideal for: Directors, Cinematographers, DITs, VFX, Conform Artists, Editors, Assistant Colorists, Colorists, and anyone interested in the collaboration between cinematographer on-set and colorist in the finishing suite

Level: Professional

Schedule:

• Feb 17 Project Management

• Feb 24 Preparing to Finish

• Mar 2 ACES & other colour management systems

• Mar 9 Technical Grading

• Mar 16 What Makes Pictures Better?

• Mar 23 Look Management

MODULE THREE: Look Development & Grading

Covers: unleashing final color skills to elevate visual impact - manipulate colors, contrast, and saturation to breathe life into imagery - the allure of the film look and the elements that contribute to it - tools that isolate and spatial tools that go beyond LUTs - focus on practical applications

Ideal for: Directors, Cinematographers, DITs, VFX, Conform Artists, Editors, Assistant Colorists, Colorists, and anyone interested in the collaboration between cinematographer on-set and colorist in the finishing suite

Level: Advanced

Schedule:

• Apr 27 Film Print Emulation

• May 4 The Varnish

• May 11 Skin & Sky

• May 18 HDR & SDR

• May 25 HDR Grading

• Jun 1 Dolby Vision

‘LOOK MANAGEMENT’ CAMERIMAGE PANEL: watch free

Colorist Society hosted a seminar on Look Management at Cameraimage International Film Festival 2023, in collaboration with The German Society of Cinematographers (BVK). You can watch the expert colorists and DPs discuss everything Look Management in detail.

BETTER FOLDER STRUCTURES: free download & video

Folder structure might seem like peripheral admin, but it can save you precious time. I share mine here along with some time-saving tips. It’s designed for color grading and finishing, but will work for any postproductions use.

BULLETIN BOARD: 3 interesting things

• SEE IT: 4000 portraits from 20 countries - the ultimate reference for skin tones!

• WATCH IT: How pros store cords - not just a tongue twister, also a great life hack!

• DID YOU KNOW? The Mantis Shrimp has 12 different photoreceptors, compared to our 4, so does it see better than we do?