High Five: A Colourful Reaction
I twiddle knobs for a living to experiment in the science and art of colour. I’ve been working in the industry for over 15 years, with three of the biggest colour houses in the U.S. on my resume. I’ve chosen these commercials because I responded to them quite quickly in a colour sense. They all share a uniqueness that causes them to stand apart from other grades. Beyond all the technical and philosophical discussions regarding grading, a colourist mostly responds to what he / she / they see and then reacts to it. I reacted to these ads in a positive way and am excited to see if you do too...
INSTACART - 'The World Is in Your Cart'
This was a fun ad to look at. It’s always a treat when someone can grade different looks in one commercial and still make it seem cohesive. What a great project to balance a nice use of bright and vibrant colours without being over the top or garish.
BMW - 'Zeus & Hera'
This ad has a well done contemporary filmic look. That style and feel make it a bit more epic. There is a great play of contrast between the yellows and the cyans, so it creates a nice airy feel without being flat. Overall, a great execution without feeling overly done, and some bonus points should be awarded for the Governator and Peggie, the pet Pegasus.
Ladbrokes - 'Rocky'
What amazing creative, right? Adrian! This ad manages to capture the feel of the original film, colour-wise, but still feels fresh and not overly vintage. I can imagine this resides at the top of someone’s reel. I certainly love it.
HP - 'Plant a Tree'
Sharing this may feel a bit like cheating, but what a great opportunity to showcase up and coming talent. Ashley Woods is our NY colourist with heaps of potential and brilliant career ahead of her. Her work has proven she is ready to take on a tough market and make some waves amongst a lot of established colourists. Kudos, Ashley.
Apple - 'Data Auction'
It’s always tricky when you finish a grade someone else has started, but in this case, I thought the colourist who worked with the director and DoP did such a nice job. I decided to simply match some new shots that appeared in the edit, creating a cohesive and clean look. It created a unique and quite cool overall effect, and it definitely stands apart on air.
