Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1547068
solve has expanded its toolset dramatically. Meanwhile, I'm seeing more and more showrunners, cinematographers, and VFX supervi- sors coming into color sessions with a real understanding of what we can do beyond traditional color. When everyone involved in prep and production has a firm grasp on what can be achieved in the grade, it affects how they approach the shoot. Depth Map is relatively new, and I'm finding a lot of inter- est in what's possible with it. Is Depth Map primarily useful on big VFX productions, or would it work for a small indie? Siggy Ferstl: It could be even more useful for indies. A production might not have time on the day to light the background properly. They might have to concentrate on the actors and the foreground, even if they'd like to treat the distance differently, and just don't have the resources. Every year, we can offer to do more of that in the grade. What should colorists be aware of before pushing this tool hard? Siggy Ferstl: Like every tool, there are limits to how far you can push it before it breaks. Depth Map is no different. It's a great way to sep- arate elements in the frame based on depth, but what you do once you've separated them is up to the artist. And like anything in color grading, it works well in the hands of someone who has the eye and the experience to know what they're doing. Without that, it can just as easily make the image look strange or artificial. On The Boys, how do you work with the director and cinema- tographer on each episode? Siggy Ferstl: I'll do a first pass on my own. Having worked on the show since the beginning, I know the look and the things to watch for. The cinematographer always has an opportunity to review, either with me or separately, depending on schedules. Then the full team comes in: showrunner, executive producers, director, and the VFX team. It's a full room. Are there other DaVinci Resolve Studio tools that were partic- ularly helpful this season? Siggy Ferstl: Magic Mask is one I've used quite a lot to quickly qual- ify parts of the frame that would previously have taken a long time. I also create a lot of haze, halation, and smoke effects by combining different OFX [OpenFX] plugins to build those kinds of looks in my own way. What do you always hope to bring to a project artistically? Siggy Ferstl: With the tools available now, I can do so much more than color correction. At times, it really is post FX, which straddles traditional color and VFX. I enjoy that space, and it really leverages my skillset. But ultimately, I always want to do everything I can to help realize the filmmakers' vision and bring the viewer into the story. Images © 2026 Prime Video