What does a Colorist do?

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After the editor locks the picture, the post-production supervisor has the picture's files sent to the colorist. The colorist then works closely with the director and director of photography to establish the film's look, style, and feel. They are primarily responsible for the color scheme of the motion picture. The colorist job usually falls into two categories: color correction and color grading. 

• Color grading is usually used for artistic purposes, such as creating a mood or style. This involves adjusting the color, contrast, black level, white balance, luminance, and saturation. 

• Color correction focuses on correcting mistakes to make the picture look as natural as possible.

• The colorist may also offer solutions to problems related to the picture. They might know what to do with under or overexposed images, adding more light to an actor's face, or provide day for night corrections, just to name a few.

Although the colorist's duties are mostly completed during post-production, there are a couple of times where they may contribute during pre-production-- to provide a predetermined look for the film and provide color to the dailies during principal photography.

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Important note: Colorists are responsible for the film complying with the law around luminance levels and chroma. During delivery of the film, your project may get kick backed during quality control checks if the film doesn't comply. Additional charges may apply to have someone go back and fix the error. Save time and money by getting it done right the first time.