Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1533763
oss Baker is senior colorist and head of grading at Molinare (https://molinare.co.uk) in London. He has worked on high-end dramas, come- dies, documentaries and factual pro- graming. As head of grading, he is also responsible for ensuring his team has the right tools and infrastructure to deliver top-tier results. Baker's credits include Sexy Beast (2024), SAS: Rogue Heroes (2022 and 2024), Motherland (2016-2022), The World According to Jeff Goldblum (2019-2021), David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef (2015-2016), War of the Worlds (2022) and BBC1/Starz's The Missing (2014). He's been nominated for five RTS Programme Awards, and has made Televisual's Top 20 Colourists list every year since 2006. Here, he shares insight into his career path and some of its highlights. Ross, tell us about your journey to becoming a successful colorist and head of grading at Molinare? "I always had a passion for photography and was an early user of Photoshop, but I never imagined I could build a career in color. After leaving school, I got a job as an apprentice car mechanic, but it didn't take me long to realize it was not a career that would fulfil me. "I went on to secure a job at Metro Lab, starting as a positive assembler in fundamentally a runner position. After six months, I discovered the telecine department, which I found fascinating. I was working days and nights for four years alongside colorists, eager to get hands-on with the tools. From there, I moved to Pepper, where I took a step back to work as an assistant for some of London's best colorists. This period was key, as it allowed me to start again and truly develop my craft. "After my time at Pepper, I joined Vince Narduzzo at St. Anne's and later followed him to his own company, Narduzzo Too. From here, I got the chance to start a grading department at Halo and build a team from the ground up. I spent 13 years there and worked on a wide range of material, honing my skills in color grading and understanding the ever-changing needs and requirements of the industry. "Then, during the COVID lockdown, I was approached by Glen Gathard, chief creative officer at Molinare. Molinare is a company I always wanted to work for, and in meeting the creative team, I knew it was a place I could elevate my skills. And that's how I ended up where I am now – head of grading at Molinare." What does your role involve? "I've always had a very collaborative approach to grading, believing that by working well as a team, you can achieve much more. I also like to be part of the decision-making process and to have valued input into the company's devel- opment. When I started discussions with Molinare, Nigel Bennett quickly saw this potential in me. "My primary focus is on grading a wide range of genres, which I truly love. However, I am also responsible for ensur- ing that my team is working on projects that they enjoy, and that we have the right tools and infrastructure in place to deliver top-tier results. "I am also very passionate about training the next generation of colorists. I spend time encouraging our color sup- port team to get hands-on experience with the grading panel and set them various challenges to help them grow. "I love running and supporting the team, but my primary focus must always remain in the grading suite. I have full support from the managerial team in this, and we have developed efficient commu- nication channels to ensure everything runs smoothly." What are some of the benefits or challenges of working on a variety of content? "I enjoy working on a wide range of content, and I believe this diverse expe- rience has equipped me with a versatile skill set that I can apply across different projects. Whether it's in a high-pressured environment or a more relaxed one, each experience offers a unique learning op- portunity that helps to elevate the quality of my work. "One of the biggest challenges we face is the time allocated to each show. We need to be mindful of what can be achieved within the given budgets and timelines. Balancing the artistic vision with practical constraints is a constant challenge, but it also pushes us to be ultra creative and efficient." Color can really shape the way an audience perceives an image. What are your thoughts? "I can't express enough how important color is in film and TV. I believe that color significantly influences how an audience perceives a story or scene. Much of this impact operates on a subconscious level. "Color can subtly convey emotions, set the tone and enhance the narrative. For example, warm colors can evoke feelings of comfort or tension, while cool colors can create a sense of calm or detach- ment. Even something as simple as a time-of-day mismatch in color grading can be jarring and take the viewer out of the story." How has the role of a colorist changed over the years and how do you see it evolving? "I've been in the industry since the late '90s, starting with rushes (dailies) on telecine machines at Metrocolor. Back then we only had basic six-vector and primary grades — primarily balancing for creating looks. Now, I feel that col- orists have become integral members of the larger creative team, responsible for conveying the story through colors, building emotions and crafting worlds around the narrative. "As our tools have developed, so have client requests and expectations. In the past, clients would ask if we could fix something or add an effect. Now, it's less of a request. We are seen as finishing art- ists tasked with refining and enhancing the visual storytelling. MOLINARE'S HEAD OF GRADING, ROSS BAKER EDITED BY MARC LOFTUS MLOFTUS@ POSTMAGAZINE.COM THIS VETERAN COLORIST SHARES INSIGHT INTO HIS CAREER PATH & STYLE R COLOR GRADING www.postmagazine.com 30 POST MAR/APR 2025 Molinare's Ross Baker