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Film Colourist

Introduction

In Motion pictures, TV shows, live-action commercials, etc. the footage is usually shot on a digital camera which is captured in a Raw format. This means the information about the color is captured in the data but can’t be seen until the color is applied to the footage. When the movie is shot on Film, the rushes are taken to the lab where they are processed before they can be scanned into a digital workflow. This complete process is called Color grading, and it is the job of the colourist to perfect the way in which the color is put into the picture. 

Do you wish to build a career as a Colorist?

To become a Colorist you must first know and understand the Job profile and responsibility of the job

This blog gives you an absolutely detailed idea of what it is to become a colorist in the TV and movie Industry.

Job Description

The Colourists are the people who contribute to the mood and look of a film by defining its colors. The Colorist works closely with the director and the director of photography to decide the color palette of the movie. They together decide whether it’s restrained or hyper-colored, palettes are to be used or whether it uses milky colors or primary ones. The colorists are essential people who contribute to these looks by brightness levels of these images or colors, etc.

When the colorists receive the editing file, they stylize the color in line with the vision and request of the director and the Director of photography. They work to balance the color saturation and luminance and match the color pallets of the shots so no one shot stands out in the sequence. Also sometimes they might give creative solutions to the directors to picture related problems.

Jobs Duties and responsibilities

Eligibility

Certification

ICA – International Colorist Academy

The ICA is the genuine international academy for all things color grading. They transfer industry knowledge of hard and soft skills across the art, science, and business of color grading for anybody with a passion for learning from beginners to film pros.

Lowepost

With numerous outstanding lessons and articles about the art and craft of color grading, Lowepost is good to a learning platform for expert colorists. You can have a look or read an exclusive collection of in-depth articles written by senior colorists among others and get unique knowledge into their existence of professional color grading.

Mixing Light

The platform provides training in the craft of color correction for many years with books, seminars, videos, trade displays, and one-on-one. They have assisted thousands to find their way through color correction.

To get a successful career in any profession, opt for courses with a government certificate from https://nsdcindia.org/

Skills Required

If you wish to be a Colourist, these are the skills you need to have. 

IT Skills

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Non-IT Skills

Understanding Color Theory

The role of a Colorist is very important in the Film Industry. To become a Colorist, you need to understand the impact that a color can have on the audience. And to know this you must first know everything about Color Theory. The Colors a movie-goer will see will have some kind of mental effect on the Individual.

Communication Skills

Great communication skills are required by a Colorist for collaborating with directors and cinematographers of the Movie. As you need approval from the Directors to ultimately decide the color scheme, being able to communicate efficiently will make you better at your job.

Attention to Detail

A Colorist needs to be patient and notice every tiny change in color and tone of the Film even while working under pressure.

Time Management Skills

It is important for a colourist to and has Time Management Skills. As they are required to work well in strict deadlines and should be able to complete work within the schedule.

Work Environment

The Colorist work in a Movie production Studio where they work in solitary, as much of the detailing work is done alone by them. Most of them work as Freelance Colorists while there are some who work for the studio.

They mostly have a Fixed schedule however this can change depending on the client and the importance of the task at hand. They have a very tight schedule throughout the week and Only interact with directors, editors, or Dop.

Salary Package

The Average Salary for a Colourist in India Ranges from 30,000 INR to 50,000 INR per Month. The range of salary for colourists also depends on the skills and working experience in the profession. 

Conclusion

Being a colorist is a tough job, as you need to be detail-oriented and have a keen sense of color theory. As a colorist, you must have a balance between knowledge and experience. To get jobs as a colorist you would require to build networks of directors and Cinematographers

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