Steven Rodriguez and the Constant Evolution of Colour Grading

A colourist with over 25 years of industry experience, Steven Rodriguez’s relationships with advertising agencies, editorial and individuals has allowed him to be part of countless award-winning commercials, music videos and feature films.

Working worldwide with the greatest filmmakers and advertising professionals, he speaks, writes and inspires Apache's next generation of colour and design artists.

With Steven’s help, three highly successful post production companies on two continents have opened. He also became the first foreign colourist to relocate and work for a startup in Asia.

Now with Apache, Steven sees this is a culmination of extreme effort and creative talent, the most ambitious and rewarding of his career.

LBB> What was your first experience with the world of colour grading – and when did you decide that being a colourist was a role that you wanted to pursue?

Steven> My first experience as a colourist was at a boutique shop in Hollywood called Action Video. The company had great leadership that believed in promoting from within so when a senior colourist went ill, my boss trusted me to service the clients and meet their deadline. A lovely Clorox Bleach commercial. It was a nerve-racking experience but the clients were very happy with the results. I felt as though I was where I was supposed to be.

LBB> What was the project that you felt really changed your career?

Steven> There are two distinct times in my early career that definitely changed my career course. The 1990 Nissan 300ZX commercial directed by Ridley Scott and edited by Stuart Wax was the first Super Bowl spot I ever coloured for Chiat Day. The room was filled with clients but they all deferred to Ridley for final colour approval. Ridley was on the phone with his mum while I set some initial looks and when he was happy with a few shots, he let me fly. Stuart kinda ran the session, as editors did back then and we got a standing ovation at the end. Still one of my favourites.

The other is when I was introduced to a prolific music video director named Marty Callner. Our first job together was a video for the band The Cult. Ciao Baby was the clip. Amazing filmmaking. They shut down Times Square NYC to shoot the orchestra pieces on a 100-foot crane lit by three enormous Musco Lights. Marty and I became lifelong friends and up until his death this year, we were still talking almost every week. Marty was extremely generous and brought me countless videos. Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks, Heart, Poison, Bon Jovi to name a very few. Love that man.

LBB> How/where did you hone your craft and did you have any particular mentors?

Steven> Action Video. Started as an assistant in 1984. Moved to colourist in ’87. Sam Holtz, one of the owners, had great trust in my abilities and loved my work ethic. Collaborating with directors Michael Bay, David Fincher, Bruce Logan, Sean Thonson, Joe Pytka and so many others gave me the opportunity to find a diverse palette and try new things. Also working closely with a tight visual effects team gave me insight to communicate with filmmakers on shooting techniques and make bold on set decisions. My filmmaking IQ rose immensely.

LBB> Tell us more about your creative process.

Steven> I guess my process is… I have no process. Every job is unique. Every job brings a new set of parameters. Each job has a different temperament. Clients, cameras, lenses, lighting, lack of lighting. It’s always something new.

One thing though, I never watch a rough cut with sound before I grade.

Never have, never will.

I like to guess the spot scenario in my head. Make up the dialogue and the soundtrack. Weird.

LBB> From experience, we’ve found that colourists often love art and photography - when you’re out of the studio, what inspires you?

Steven> I love all art forms. Music sets my life tempo. I love photography and filmmaking. I collect art. Mostly pop art and lowbrow art. I have an art wall in my grading suite with stuff I’ve collected over many years. Some are gifts from clients that know my passions well. I also love to travel and my times in Africa, photographing animals and indigenous people are by far my most cherished.

LBB> Colour grading is largely a digital affair, but there’s also been a resurgence of film over the past few years in commercials and music videos. What are your thoughts about working on film versus digital formats like 4K? And what are your favourite techniques for capturing a vintage or tactile feel?

Steven> I grew up on film. The first 20 years of my career were spent grading from OCN. Filmmakers that shoot on film today employ the latest tech in the process. Film scanning and digital intermediate colour grading is the norm for celluloid capture. Trusting the process and collaborating with a colourist that understands film emulsions and Look Up Tables is more important than ever. Sometimes three or four or more film stocks will be used for a single 60 second spot.

Colourists that have never graded from film are more inclined to rely on a LUT (Look Up Tables) than actually looking deeper into what lies beneath the sensor on a digital capture medium. The right cinematographer, correct film stock and a superior film scan will walk past the best digital image regardless of the era.

A vintage or tactile feel comes from, in my opinion, collaboration in the pre-production. Lighting is paramount. Using era specific lights, PAR (parabolic aluminised reflector) are focused lights with a more narrow photon beam than say an LED panel creating a superior dramatic look in post production.

HMI (hydrargyrum medium-arc Iodide) lamps are a great tool for achieving a more vintage look in production, mimicking daylight colour balance, these lights were and still are the workhorse of filmmaking replacing carbon arc lighting pre 1960.

The use of gels, scrims and cucoloris can add a more dramatic, vintage look in post. All these techniques come together in the grade and basically force the look to the final product. I know, some of these ‘in camera, practical effects’ can be achieved in post but as a colourist, I love looking at real, indelible cinematography.

LBB> When working in commercials, what role can colour and a grade play in enhancing a brand’s assets and what sort of conversations do you have with creatives and clients about that?

Steven> Colour is crucial for accurate product depiction in advertising. Brands rely on great production teams to deliver their vision.

Once the post process starts, colourists are chosen usually by what is on their demo reel. A good colourist will work with the creative teams to ensure their product is displayed with integrity.

Sometimes clients can be a bit overzealous and mash the pedal on products that rely on a scalpel rather than a hammer to get their point across. It’s a fine line that needs a keen eye and a sense of reason to rein in the knock on effect that could possibly ruin an otherwise perfect product placement.

Most filmmakers in advertising agree to let the professionals do what they do and bring a sense of style to the project after the grade is roughed in.

LBB> How do you ensure that each colourist-director partnership is a success?

Steven> Ha. There is no insurance in our business. Luckily for most great colourists, their longterm relationships with successful commercial directors are indelible.

LBB> What advice would you give to budding colourists?

Steven> Writers write. Actors act. Musicians play. Keep testing yourself. Try new workflows. Learn all there is in whatever software you’re using. Hone your communication skills and pay homage to the men and women you’re standing on the shoulders of. Use the correct filmmaking vernacular and never compromise. Oh, and have fun.

LBB> Do you feel that colour grading differs at all between TV commercials and cinema?

Steven> I wrote an entire page on the stark differences between colour for cinema and advertising. I’m sure you can dig it up.

LBB> In your opinion, what's the difference between a good grade and a great grade?

Steven> Loaded question. It’s completely subjective. Therefore, there are no differences at all. There are complete failures in colour grading but that’s a story for another time.

LBB> How is the craft and trade of colour grading changing?

Steven> The craft and trade are constantly in flux. With VFX tools now available in grade and AI accelerators now at our fingertip, the sky’s the limit.

Soon we will be pre-building elements in grade and future proofing workflows to completely bypass a major sector of post production as we know it now. Even sound mix and design can be achieved in the grading suite with precision. Grading, mixing and VFX all in one stop.

Of course the professionals working in these sectors are still in demand but working alongside our colleagues in one, grand space is music to my ears.