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Tim Gatena is enjoying the off-season at a high-powered post-production facility serving the Hollywood film and television industry.

"From July to March, when most films are in production, I'll easily work a 10-hour day," says Gatena, a telecine colorist in Los Angeles at a lab which has defined the color of films like Titanic and Fight Club.

Gatena started out in the color correction business after working his way up from a gopher role. He admits he's not yet an expert at the painstaking work, which takes several years to master. But his skills are good enough to put him in high demand.

With top shows like Law and Order under his belt, Gatena says his relationship with clients (who pay up to $900 per hour for his trouble) keeps him as busy talking as tweaking.

"With the series shot in New York, I'm constantly on the phone," he says. "If something is happening with the lighting or weather on set, I have to know about it here. They have to keep me informed of their problems, and I have to keep them informed of mine."

Telecine coloring is a hidden part of the post-production process of any film, TV show, commercial or music video. But it's also the first, and perhaps the most important, link in a long chain.

"There's a lot of pressure to work fast and make smart judgment calls," says colorist Kathryn Plousos. "Because the booking times are so tight for everything else that has to be done to a film, if something holds up coloring, there's a huge domino effect all the way down the line."

Plousos says the chance to paint on a television screen attracted her to the field.

"Working with color gives you great artistic license," she says. "You get to manipulate all the colors in an image and create the look the client wants."

Pluosos admits it can also be very boring work, depending on what the client wants done.

"Obviously with, for example, a commercial for McDonald's, you can't go too wild," she says. "There are certain colors that you don't want to fool around with, like the logo. But if you have a good relationship with the director of photography or whoever the client is, that's when your ideas can really come into play."

Client pleasing is crucial to a colorist's professional reputation and success. This requires polished people skills and diplomacy, says Plousos.

"You've got to make them feel secure," she says. "If the client is nervous and doesn't feel you know your job, they won't be happy. Or if they want something that you know isn't a good idea, you have to find a diplomatic way of suggesting better alternatives and making them agree."

It also takes talent to impress a client, says Marina Skopinich of a post-production lab in Atlanta.

"Having a good eye for color is essential," says Skopinich. "If you don't have an eye, you won't get the clients. But if clients really like what you see, if they respect you, they'll keep coming back. So if coloring isn't for you, you'll be finding out pretty fast."

An eye for color isn't necessarily something you're born with, says Plousos. "It helps if you have some natural talent, but it also takes time and practice to develop. Ten years ago I barely knew what to look for, but now I can pick out the flaws in an image right away."

Learning to use the million-dollar coloring equipment can take just as long as developing an eye, says Plousos.

"Depending on the individual and how sophisticated the equipment is, it can take a while to get comfortable and familiar with the process," she says. "Some could take a year, others could take forever."

Skopinich got involved with coloring because it combined her biggest interests.

"When I first got involved in the [film and TV production] industry, I didn't even know telecine coloring existed," she says. "I got excited about it pretty quickly because my interests were already there -- working with film and working with color. So I loved it even before I knew it."

"Anyone can learn it if they're interested enough," says Plousos. "It's just any skill that way."