Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/69535
dear colorist Scripted and non-scripted TV Dear Colorist, Can you talk about the differences of working as a colorist for a scripted show versus a reality show? The differences between an episodic script- By ERIC BABINEC Colorist/CEO ColorTime Pictures Hollywood www.colortimepictures.com ed TV show colorist and a non-scripted color- ist are several. First, in a typical scripted TV show, the environment is controlled from the first frame shot to the last. Meaning, the set has been designed, the cameras have been cali- brated and the DPs are on set. They have set designers lighting crews and people to handle almost every imaginable scenario. All of this contributes to the final look of the show. When the colorist gets the project, they start with near perfect film/digital files. From there they can create the mood and drive the piece in one way or another depending on the script and the director. In the non-scripted world, things are a bit different. In "reality" programming, budgets are typi- cally way smaller. Kind of like the size of an episodic DP's Starbucks bill…just kidding, but you get my point! This means there are no set designers, lighting crews, or super high-end film cameras. Typically you will get a producer with a cam- era crew. So, the camera crew is responsible for all aspects of the shoot, from lighting to set design. In many cases there's no time for any of this. It's called "run-and-gun shooting." The schedules are tight and there's no time to plan. In most scenarios it's natural lighting and harsh conditions, to say the least. This is where the challenges come in for the colorist. One second the cameraman could be shoot- ing in decent light and the next he turns his camera slightly and everything is out of whack. As a colorist, this is one of the hardest obstacles. Balancing a shot that looks good, with one that is blown out and/or the color balance is off. Or the offline editor will cut from a decent looking set-up to a different camera that is of lesser quality and not white balanced. This is where the colorist makes all the difference in the world. If a colorist is good, he will be able to bring these two in balance as close as possible with minimal distraction to the viewer. Now multiply this by 1,000 edits in a typical one-hour show with only one day to complete it. In terms of overall look, each show pro- ducer wants that certain something to make their show stand out from the others. Each one has their own style, likes and dislikes. One may like warm tones and another may like cool blue tones. Because of the short amount of 42 Post • June 2012 editing time, colorists have to multi-task shows in order to stay busy the whole year. When you find yourself editing multiple shows at the same time with different companies, this can be a real challenge. This means balancing two or off by a frame you have QC failure. Most non- scripted shows take two to five days to com- plete, depending on the complexity of the show itself. One show may be cuts only and require minimal effects work and take only Unusual Suspects is just one of the shows that ColorTime works on. The before shot is inset. more projects at the same time across multiple networks and production companies. After weeks of this, things tend to blend together, but you must maintain each sepa- rately or the producer will let you know for sure. This can be quite challenging given the fact that no one can keep a schedule in this business. This means crazy hours and often having to change editing locations. In addition to the colorist duties, one must also be well versed in editing and visual effects work. So after all of the color work has been done, you need to also be responsible for the final delivery of the show. This means you must know network deliverables for multiple networks and their requirements. If you are www.postmagazine.com two days, while the other may have a heavy color treatment along with a special effect every two seconds and take five. But rest assured, at the end of the day the show needs to be on tape and at FedEx, and it's your job to get that done. And it's most important to remember, if there is a mistake, a lot of people don't get paid. Now that's pressure! In 2006, Eric Babinec founded ColorTime Pictures, a family owned and operated company based at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. A veteran colorist with over 15 years of experience, his credits include TLC's The Little Couple and Billy the Exterminator, OWN's Lost and Found, MSNBC's Locked Up, WeTV's Bridzillas and CBS's I Get That A Lot.