Female Colourists Showcase: “How Light and Shadow Shape the World”

From the moment I first entered the world of post-production as a runner, I was captivated by the transformative power of colour. The ability to manipulate the viewer's experience by enhancing moods and evoking emotions through subtle tonal shifts fascinated me. 

Creatively, I draw inspiration from the endless possibilities that colour grading offers - each project presents a unique canvas where I can experiment, push boundaries, and deliver a compelling story visually. Colour grading is not merely a technical process, but an artistic expression of the narrative's soul. 

Being a colorist grants me the privilege to collaborate with directors, DPs, and creative teams and elevate their visions to new heights. The ability to enhance visual storytelling and evoke visceral reactions in the audience is both empowering and satisfying. Witnessing the transformation of raw footage into a mesmerising and emotionally resonant experience reaffirms my love for the craft. In the realm of colour grading, every project is an opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the visual narrative, making it a creatively meaningful and fulfilling journey that constantly re-fuels my passion for storytelling through colour.

I first discovered grading whilst specialising in editing on my film degree. At the time, I was playing around as a freelance photographer on the side, but soon noticed that I enjoyed the retouching process even more than the shooting itself, so naturally, when someone introduced me to colour grading, I was hooked (and have been ever since).

For me, the grading process is an addictive blend of creative expression, technical intricacies, and teamwork. As a recovering perfectionist, I get a lot of satisfaction from refining and polishing up that final 10%, and getting to celebrate the film with the team along the way is a really lovely thing.

I draw inspiration from everything - from films, to the people I work with, to a good photography book, to mother nature herself (especially the light show she puts on whenever the sun goes down).

Regardless of whether I’m working on an ad or a feature, I often think of myself as the first audience member, a fresh pair of eyes, which comes in really handy. In the suite, you have a lot of power to shape how people experience the final film, by guiding the audience’s gaze towards certain details and away from others, and by using colour and contrast to support the mood and help evoke emotional reactions.

It’s a space to finesse and tie together all the hard work, careful consideration and love that the team have already poured into the project, which is always a privilege (and a super fun time).

What really excites me about colour grading is the endless journey of creativity and learning required to extract the best from each project - it never gets boring! The ability to transform a scene’s mood and enhance the storytelling through colour is fascinating, and has sparked a curiosity in me to explore its every intricacy.

I find inspiration primarily in the world around me: urban landscapes, art in its various forms - from painting to photography, to editorials I see in lifestyle and fashion magazines. As a colourist, I believe it's essential to stay attuned to the ever-changing preferences of the audience, in order to effectively enhance visual appeal and complement the narrative. Being constantly observant in my life aids me in this process. I’m also inspired by the immensely talented people I am lucky enough to collaborate with. I am fortunate to engage with beautiful projects that numerous individuals have dedicated extensive effort and skill towards, and have the opportunity to incorporate my creative vision that complements the hard work that has preceded mine.

The meaningfulness in colour grading comes from its transformative power. It's not just about making images aesthetically pleasing, it's also about taking visuals to the next level, highlighting emotions, and adding further depth to the storytelling. The combination of technical precision and artistic intuition is what makes colour grading an exciting journey, where every project presents a chance to uncover new challenges and contribute uniquely to the final piece.

I was drawn to grading because I've always loved art; I enjoyed painting and sketching for as long as I can remember and in that I really love colour. I find the ability that colour has to evoke an emotional response amazing, whether it's subtle and nuanced or big dramatic and bold. If it hits you right, hopefully it will resonate with you on a subconscious level.

A lot of my creative inspiration comes from life experiences. I'm lucky - living in London, there is always so much to see and take inspiration from, if not the varying architecture, history and culture of the city itself, it's also packed with museums, galleries, theatres and cinemas which, whether consciously or not, have an influence.

Grading allows me to tie together my artistic side with a problem-solving side. Also, it's pretty fun to be let loose on the blackboard with all its flashing lights and the wheels of steel! As a colourist your role can be quite varied - some projects are very collaborative where you have a taste deal of input, and others have a very specific look which has already been decided, and these all have their own set of challenges, so no day in the suite is the same.

I like to think of the grade as the icing on the cake. It gives that final extra polish to a piece of work and hopefully ties everything in together, and I find that very satisfying.

Getting into colour was a bit of a happy accident for me. I nonchalantly chose Radio & TV as an elective in high school and became absolutely entranced with the craft of filmmaking. I went to film school at NYU and found my way to colour when offering help to a friend on a project - next thing I knew, I was working as a colorist on a student pilot, learning Resolve on the job. While I came from an editing background, I fell in the love with the craft of colour rather quickly. It is a beautiful blend of both my artistic and technical inclinations. Bringing together colour theory, colour science, art and technology really allows me to stretch both sides of my brain, which is why I’ve continued to be more and more drawn to the art of colour.

Colour is a more subtle form of storytelling than editing, but can still make a pivotal impact in the final visual ‘rewrite’ of a given project. As a colorist, you are able to play with the tone of a scene, what the audience’s eye is drawn towards, and so much more. When I’m doing my job well, the impact is subtle enough that the audience doesn’t notice it, but they feel something is happening.

I have always been mesmerised and inspired by the way light and shadow shape the world: giving dimension to architecture, peoples’ facial expressions, texture, landscapes. Add colour to that and you create an atmosphere - something alive and emotional that viscerally communicates with the viewer, rendering words unnecessary. 

Since childhood, I have been entranced by light playing through clouds, faceted gems, and iridescent fish scales. Seeing and analysing how these things work, how they appear as they do, is a meditative and spiritual experience to me in a fast paced world. While I started these studies as a traditional artist, then photographer and editor, I was naturally drawn to colour grading because the way I intrinsically admire the world lends itself to giving shape and atmosphere to footage and the stories it tells. I love making my clients’ vision a reality, often communicating with them on an intuitive level about how something should ‘feel’ rather than only technical ‘contrast’, ‘saturation’, etc.

Ultimately, I love my role - getting to fine tune the final emotional output of a story and make something aesthetically beautiful. Not only is it a privilege to work with the best creatives to finalise their visions ,but also, the possibilities are so endless and there are so many ‘right’ directions pieces can go. It’s a joyous collaboration to help films that so many people have touched achieve their final, most perfect impact. 

For me, colour correction is the most brilliant of careers. At one point I worked as a printer for still photographs, and when I found the world of grading, I discovered that I could take that craft and apply it to my other passion - cinema. I saw that I suddenly had the opportunity to translate emotion into colour and contrast. I love the technical side of colour correction because it provides rules that I have to respect in order to help finish a truly beautiful image, and hence, it makes my job that much more fascinating and intricate. And each project allows me the luxury of seeing the world through its filmmakers’ eyes, and that, for me, is priceless. 

No two filmmakers interpret the aesthetic of cinema the same, and a single filmmaker tends to experiment and create different visual styles over the course of their own career. This means that I can never lose my love for the art of grading, as each project offers me a different palette through which I can experience the world.