For me, it is the marriage of two clear colour related environments, with one area concentrating primarily on VFX through OCIO (Open Colour IO) and ACES (Academy Colour Encoding System) with colour programming skills being one side where VFX and related pipelines require a level of Python knowledge to implement the desired workflows.
I have been working as Lead Color Scientist and Colour related consultant and teacher for varying VFX and DI/Post Studios recently in Vancouver and also recently taught as a Senior Lecturer for Grading and Colour Science at a UK University setting up, at that time, the first such courses (abstracts are written) for a UK University outside of a Film School environment. While also creating a Colour Science Lab and Grading departments.
Before this was 3 years as Technicolor DFE (Digital Front End) Supervisor managing all-new digital shoots, including Captain Phillips and The Man from UNCLE plus many more. Building DIT carts, location workflows, DI/Post LUTs, training newly hired DITs for location work and building a brand new department from the ground up.
During the earlier part of my career, I was a film photographer (stills), film processing technician, camera assistant (film loader and focus puller, camera operator, Cinematographer, working on BBC Drama Series, 2nd Unit on Features and Formula 1 as main Cinematographer for official FOM Digital Channel shooting all races and advertising.
This continued into DI Grading, Dailies Grading, camera sensor development, Colour Science and a lot more. My overall Cinematography and colour experience is fairly vast and represents almost every facet of Film & TV Production, and do feel I would not only be a valuable team player and team builder (film production is collaborative naturally) but also would bring an industry-wide wealth of colour knowledge and experience to all roles.
Recent work includes :
OCIO V2.0 Working Group (Doug Walker)
ACES VWG with new ACES Metadata File (AMF)
Implementation Virtual Production - Virtual Colour Science and Virtual Cinematography, Unreal Engine (with Colour) and LED walls and calibration.
Prep and research for possible Film School lectures, Previs/Techvis,
Vancouver based consultancy (HDR, calibration, workflows and more) Colour consultancy for Colour Science for VFX and DI/Post Vancouver
Lead Color Scientist for VFX Studios - OCIO, VFX Workflows, LUTs, Nuke, Python scripting, Colour API.
University of Portsmouth - Senior Lecturer (Colour Science & DI Grading & Cinematography, Undergraduate, Masters, PhD)
Cinematography for Live Action
Cinematography for Virtual Production & Virtual Reality Lens development and sensor development virtual Productions, VR/AR, Unity, Unreal Engine 4HDRI, VFX, Color Grading, LIDAR Modelling
2. What is Color Science?
For me, it is the marriage of two clear colour related environments, with one area concentrating primarily on VFX through OCIO (Open Colour IO) and ACES (Academy Colour Encoding System) with colour programming skills being one side where VFX and related pipelines require a level of Python knowledge to implement the desired workflows.
Colour API, Python scripting, C++ and other languages, Python Bindings and an understanding go VFX pipelines and how they are created and developed. Nuke, Maya and related software aligned to VFX departments such as RPM (Roto, Paint and Matchmove), DMP (Digital Matte Painting) all have their own particular development requirements.
The other environment being DI/Post and grading, LUTs and other more colour related to looks and mood and feel. Correctly implementing the correct colour space and gamut to ensure full development of the recorded Master file (OCDN, Original Camera Digital Negative) This side is more full colour development for the purpose of look, mood, style and is implemented via grading toolsets, such as Filmlight Baselight and the popular DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic.
For both arenas, a good understanding of what underpins an image is helpful, knowing file formats such as DPX, Open EXR and more.
Also an understanding Log (Logarithmic) v Linear and Gamma for VFX are also important elements to grasp.
The other environment being DI/Post and grading, LUTs and other more colour related to looks and mood and feel. Correctly implementing the correct colour space and gamut to ensure full development of the recorded Master file (OCDN, Original Camera Digital Negative) This side is more full colour development for the purpose of look, mood, style and is implemented via grading toolsets, such as Filmlight Baselight and the popular DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic.
For both arenas, a good understanding of what underpins an image is helpful, knowing file formats such as DPX, Open EXR and more.
Also an understanding Log (Logarithmic) v Linear and Gamma for VFX are also important elements to grasp.
3. What are different colour developing tools and where are they used?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are now looking at developing more colour toolsets. AI, Machine Learning, LED walls and volumes for Virtual Production, colour balancing LED walls (RGB) and future hybrid colour workflows.
Nuke for colour is becoming more integrated and interesting relating to VFX colour development.
Mistika has some nice new tools for DI/Grading with a firm new approach to colour science and Resolve 17 beta has introduced new colour related applications and advanced integration. Filmlight constantly developing with a Lot going on in colour as it continues to mature.
Open Source is becoming increasingly important to color tools, such as DisplayCAL for monitor calibration and ACES/OCIO,.
ACES also has continuing development tools and VWG (Virtual Working Groups) looking at CLF (Common LUT Format), Gamut Mapping, AMF (ACES Metadata File Format) and newly for November 2020 Output Transforms VWG.
OCIO is Open Source and is continuing to develop and grows alongside ACES especially through the now fully developed new CLF (Common LUT Format) that finished full dev recently and is now a release.
4. What led you to take up this career path?
I had an early interest in photography, and through this found work as a film processing technician and camera assistant for film production (loading film and focus puller).
Mistika has some nice new tools for DI/Grading with a firm new approach to colour science and Resolve 17 beta has introduced new colour related applications and advanced integration. Filmlight constantly developing with a Lot going on in colour as it continues to mature.
Open Source is becoming increasingly important to color tools, such as DisplayCAL for monitor calibration and ACES/OCIO,.
ACES also has continuing development tools and VWG (Virtual Working Groups) looking at CLF (Common LUT Format), Gamut Mapping, AMF (ACES Metadata File Format) and newly for November 2020 Output Transforms VWG.
OCIO is Open Source and is continuing to develop and grows alongside ACES especially through the now fully developed new CLF (Common LUT Format) that finished full dev recently and is now a release.
4. What led you to take up this career path?
I had an early interest in photography, and through this found work as a film processing technician and camera assistant for film production (loading film and focus puller).
This developed into Camera Operating and then Cinematography where the segue into digital from film began to take shape from 2003 onwards, utilizing Viper Filmstream cameras, Panavision Genesis, ARRI D20.
I then developed a keen interest in digital sensors, setting up Companies to develop workflows and rent equipment and this was successful as the new then ARRI Alexa was launched. Developing colour workflows and designing LUTS and creating live onset grading from 2003-2011 and onwards.
During my career, I have been a Camera Operator and Cinematographer, DI Grading, Dailies Grading, camera sensor development, Colour Science and a lot more.
I then developed a keen interest in digital sensors, setting up Companies to develop workflows and rent equipment and this was successful as the new then ARRI Alexa was launched. Developing colour workflows and designing LUTS and creating live onset grading from 2003-2011 and onwards.
During my career, I have been a Camera Operator and Cinematographer, DI Grading, Dailies Grading, camera sensor development, Colour Science and a lot more.
My overall Cinematography and color experience is fairly vast and represents almost every facet of Film & TV Production, being a valuable team player and team builder (film production is collaborative naturally) but also utilizing an industry-wide wealth of colour knowledge and experience.
5. Can you through some light on opportunities one gets as a Color Scientist?
Being involved in colour can lead to many career pathways, maybe some being more obvious than others. Certainly, VFX and DI/Post have plenty of options, so does location workflows with digital dailies, dailies grading and colour based workflows.
Dailies Grading, where the Masters are processed with a look/LUT and can be quite an involved daily process if the Production requires shot matching and more. I was a manager for this at Technicolor.
5. Can you through some light on opportunities one gets as a Color Scientist?
Being involved in colour can lead to many career pathways, maybe some being more obvious than others. Certainly, VFX and DI/Post have plenty of options, so does location workflows with digital dailies, dailies grading and colour based workflows.
Dailies Grading, where the Masters are processed with a look/LUT and can be quite an involved daily process if the Production requires shot matching and more. I was a manager for this at Technicolor.
LUT development, for dailies and DI/Post, DIT onset/location, Live onset grading, Video Village playback operating, VFX related colour workflows, VFX plate, development, VFX Neutral Grading or Match Grading, DI/Post colour workflows, Grading, Calibration for VFX, Calibration for DI and Grading, Calibration for Projection.
6. What piece of advice would you like to give to those who want to pursue a career in this field?
Colour is becoming an increasingly complicated environment with the continuing development of new camera imaging sensors, processing improvements, colour space and gamut improvements and much much more.
One way to develop a keen interest, then perhaps a career in colour is, to begin with, the file formats to understand how the Masters are wrapped, .r3d for RED, .ari for ARRIRAW into Open EXR Plates or DPXs for Post, these two journeys will begin each process.
Processing - learn DeBayer/Demsaicing procedures, this processes those RAW encoded formats
Log v Lin - Logarithmic Images v Linear Gamma 0.0-1.0 Open EXR
RGB colour looks and look development with LUTs (Look-Up Tables)
Development colour related workflows and pipelines for both VFX and DI/Post.
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
Count of Monte Cristo - Just a great read and extremely well written, for me, and a vivid portrait painted of the time and the place. Such a classic story.
Every Frame a Rembrandt - Great book on the highs and lows of Cinematography for Film Production, some extremely funny stories.
- Daniel Mulligan (Lead Color Scientist)
Started early in Photography (stills) and during the early part of my career I was also a film processing technician, camera assistant (film loader and focus puller), camera operator, Cinematographer. This lead to DI Grading, Dailies Grading, camera sensor development, Colour Science and Colour Science Consultancy, covering everything from workflow and pipelines, to DI/Post. My overall Cinematography and color experience is fairly vast and represents almost every facet of Film & TV Production and an industry-wide wealth of colour knowledge and experience.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colour_dpm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColorQ5
Interviewed by Tuhina Rana
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