The Colorist Society Podcast

Michael Mintz joins me on this episode of the podcast.  For over 28 years, Michael has worked as a colorist at notable post facilities like Post Group, Tunnel Post, New Hat, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Currently, he is a Senior Colorist at Margarita Mix in Hollywood.  The focus of this episode is decidedly “tech free.” We discuss the ins and outs of working with clients, what it takes to run a supervised session, and how to land new work. There are tons of articles and tutorials covering workflow, software, and color science, but we rarely talk about our relationship to clients.

In this episode, I talk with Senior Colorist, Mark Todd Osborne. Mark is known for coloring feature films like Need for Speed, Silk Road, and It Follows. But, in addition to those movies, Mark has graded a wide range of documentary subjects from Phil Spector to Sesame Street. Documentaries can have specific challenges for a colorist. Recreations and stock footage need to fit into the story, and some docs even use a look to set the time and mood. And there can be a debate over whether to restore footage, versus keeping it as authentic as possible.

On this episode of the Colorist Society Podcast, I chat with Sheri Eisenberg, Senior Colorist at Warner Brothers. Sheri's focus is on restoration, and has helped bring some of the biggest classic films into the 21st century. Her work includes restorations of Rosemary's Baby, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Taxi Driver, and Casablanca. As she explains, there's a lot that goes into a restoration from dealing with multiple unmatched sources, how older films fit into an UHD/HDR world, and understanding the viewer's and filmmaker's original expectations of a film.

Billy Hobson, Senior Colorist at Harbor, joins me on this episode of the Colorist Society Podcast. His most recent color work includes Randall Park's “Shortcomings” which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, CBS's FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International, as well as the critically acclaimed Peanut Butter Falcon and Disney's Lady and the Tramp. I first met Billy at a Filmlight event where he explained his workflow with printer lights in Baselight. His mentor, Yvan Lucas, helped guide him towards this technique. I always thought it would make a fantastic subject for a podcast, so we caught up via zoom to record it.

In this episode of the Colorist Society Podcast, I talk with Senior Colorist of Picture Shop, Doug Delaney. Doug is known for his impressive list of film credits like Captain Marvel, Jumanji (2017), Concussion, and The Equalizer. With the quality of streaming becoming more demanding, his talents are now utilized on the Netflix series Dahmer and Love, Death, and Robots. We discuss how the lines between TV and movies are becoming blurred, the challenges of VFX heavy series, and how to know when you've pushed a grade too far.

Host Josh Petok talks with Lynette Duensing CSI about the Colorist Society Hollywood and its mission to promote education and serve as an advocate for the craft of color. She also discusses building a community and gaining proper screen credits for colorists.