Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/825852
www.postmagazine.com 36 POST MAY 2017 DP/COLORIST echnology has changed ev- erything in post, and while we can certainly do more with the digital tools we now have, we've also lost a lot of face-to-face time that made for stronger collaborations and better workflows. Over my three decades in the industry, I've spent half of my career at New York City-based creative content company Alkemy X (www.alkemy-x.com), where I've had the good fortune to work extensively with director Scott Whitham. I used to work with Scott in the same room all of the time, creating and discussing the pros and cons of certain looks and styles. Unfortunately, that practice has gone by the wayside, and it's a shame because you get the best collaborations and the best work when you're next to someone, interacting with them. In the truly bygone days of post, every color session would be attended by some combination of the director, DP, agency creative and client. Communicating with them during the session regarding overall style, mood, film stock, color tempera- tures, lighting, skin quality and numerous on-set challenges brought the set to me. These days, content is being created and turned around so fast that most color sessions are unsupervised, and there's little time for these detailed conversa- tions to take place. Ideally, I would be able to be on-set at some point to begin to form an idea of what the final prod- uct should be; but oftentimes, I have to rely on a phone call from the director, or notes passed on by an editor. By the time the colorist gets to the job, the director and DP are already off working on the next project. Fortunately for me, having been in this industry for so long, I can be in the coloring suite and imagine all of those voices with an almost omniscient POV. As I work on a project, I mentally put myself in the position of the director, DP, agency creative and client. I try to create a finished product that addresses the concerns each may have. For new colorists, and those who are just coming into the industry, the lack of personal interaction can lead to working in a vacuum, as they try to figure out how an image should be colored. The best colorists ask the right questions and find a way to answer those ques- tions. Great directors like Scott make every effort to ensure I'm included in the process from the outset of the proj- ect. Sometimes, before the shoot, we'll do tests and look at numerous coloring options, which will influence how he shoots on-set. He says that our early conversations help color his thoughts. Further, I can use my experiences on other projects, with other filmmakers, to help him be a more technically-sound filmmaker. In this way, we both agree that a colorist's early input can be in- valuable to a project. While the reality is, you can't always be in the same room as your director or DP, what I've learned from the creative relationship Scott and I have forged through the years is that you begin to develop a shorthand — a sense of what your clients and creative partners like and want, and what their inclinations will be. Knowing this, you have to take ownership. You can no longer expect that the director or DP is going to be able to give you the background on every- thing, or even know what they're looking for. You have to care about the project and your collab- orators and be sure that you're ultimately serving the work. You have to ask the right questions and give the right insight, but both sides have to be open to new ways of doing things. I've even influenced Scott to buy a new camera, after I showed him how his old one was presenting issues in the footage in terms of noise, detail or workflow. More importantly, we're always look- ing out for each other, so that we can perform our roles better. Recently, Scott shot a big DSLR project with a lot of post effects and certain choices were made to streamline the edit. Due to time con- straints, I was not involved in this prepro- duction conversation, which ultimately affected the project's workflow based on a codec I would have recommended. In the end, the project was a huge success, thanks to our open communication and dedication to each other. Finally, as a new generation of col- orists enters filmmaking, Scott's "less is more" mantra will always ring true to me. While all this new technology is great to have, you can't get caught up in it. Just ask, "Does it serve what we are trying to communicate to the audience?" If it doesn't serve the greater purpose, or doesn't fit, then don't do it. For more on the DP/Colorist relation- ship, see Christine Bunish's feature on page 22. WHY EVERY COLORIST NEEDS A DIRECTOR/DP LIKE SCOTT WHITHAM T By JANET FALCON SENIOR COLORIST ALKEMY X NEW YORK CITY ALKEMY-X.COM REFLECTING ON THE COLLABORATIVE LANDSCAPE OF POST Whitham