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."