The Color Code

Cinematographer Steven Poster, ASC has spent five decades behind the camera, and helped lead the industry from film into digital along the way. He's shot for Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and John Carpenter, and served as president of both the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Cinematographers Guild. He also oversaw one of the first digital intermediates ever finished, lensed the cult classic Donnie Darko, and shot the iconic "Like a Prayer" video for Madonna.We explore his origins learning his craft from a Chicago newsreel shooter, his career-long drive to innovate new technologies and techniques, his approach to daylight and diffusion, and why he thinks DPs shouldn't operate their own cameras.Grab Sweet Spot, my free exposure tool that gives you simple, scene-accurate metering in stops, for every camera: https://cullenkellycolor.com/toolkit/sweet-spot. Steven called it a “game-changer” after using it on his most recent project.Chapters 0:00 — Welcome0:24 — Chicago beginnings and union politics5:55 — Seeing digital coming: NHK, Sony, and the HD experiments9:51 — Stuart Little 2 and one of the first digital intermediates14:00 — Three weeks on the soccer field: working blind20:22 — Donnie Darko: 22 days, anamorphic, and an untested film stock27:35 — Shooting daylight: polarizers and diffusion30:34 — Coming up with Vilmos Zsigmond33:42 — Blade Runner: the tunnel shot44:00 — Collaborating with Richard Kelly on Donnie Darko50:28 — Why a DP shouldn't operate their own camera51:55 — Working with Sophia Loren56:09 — Lessons from Ridley Scott59:51 — Core principles: don't be afraid1:02:30 — Next-generation display technology

Today you get a chance to learn with a 2x Oscar-winning film chemist who spent nearly 30 years working at Kodak. He's the co-creator of Genesis, the man behind the Joker LUT, and the person who built the Kodak Look Management System - basically the first film emulation out there (so good, Kodak's "jaws dropped").It's a very special treat to further introduce you to Dr. Mitch Bogdanowicz, who's about to share some important grading and filmmaking lessons from his 50 year career in the business. We'll also be revealing the process behind how we built our film emulation plugin Genesis.Also, Mitch's knowledge goes far beyond just film chemistry. After working in the film business for nearly 50 years (and nabbing two Academy Awards along the way), he’s an incredible problem-solver and collaborator – skills he's passed along to his three kids, who all have done major work in Hollywood and film.Mitch also covers:Why finding the perfect LUT won't make your job easier — and what you need to do insteadThe thing most colorists try to do that works against getting great filmic imagesWhy only focusing on color is "career suicide"How to be a stand-out collaborator instead of an order-takerThe right process for problem-solving in a gradeWhy recording out to film for "the film look" is mostly a waste of moneyWant to understand what makes film the gold standard in high-end grading — and get those aesthetics in your own work using tools you already have? Grab a seat for this free webinar (limited spots): https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5417725689482/WN_IF6s_rdYQTu4yizr7zNWRg

I'm speaking with Siggy Ferstl, Senior Colorist at Company 3 and colorist of Wednesday, The Boys, Narcos, Lost in Space and more. Hear about Siggy's long journey in the industry and how he continues to innovate.This episode is brought to you by Portrait Displays http://www.portrait.com

Cullen talks to renown colorist, Jill Bogdanowicz about her work on movies like Joker, John Wick, Umbrella Academy and more. She gives us insight on how best to collaborate with DPs and directors and how she builds a well rounded color practice.--Get on the waitlist for this year's final round of my color gradingcourse, the Colorist Career Accelerator (happening mid-October):https://bit.ly/cca-waitlist-autumn-2023

In this episode, Cullen sits down with Harbor Picture Company supervising colorist Andrea Chlebak to discuss her journey to becoming one of the industry's most in-demand artists, working on projects including Mandy, Elysium, and The Girl from Plainville. Their conversation touches on look design, tool selection, creative inspiration, effective client collaboration, and much more.This episode is brought to you by Portrait Displays.