Discover shows related to Color Mentor, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
In this episode I chat to Charles Poynton. Many of you may know him as one of the foremost educators in our industry and he has had a formidable career.
He is an independent contractor specializing in the physics, mathematics, engineering, and programming of digital colour imaging systems, including digital video, VFX/CGI, Digital Intermediate and digital cinema systems. He is involved in engineering wide colour gamut and high dynamic range systems. He does technology forecasting, systems modelling, algorithm development, video signal processing architecture, colour characterization and calibration and image quality assessment work.
It was about 25 years ago that he decided that HD should have 1080 image rows, and square pixels. He has been involved in developing many of the industry standards that we use today.
He wrote one of the most commonly used books for our industry titled: Digital Video and HD, Algorithms and Interfaces.
In December 2024 he hosted a Metamerism Experts Day, which was attended by a wide range of industry experts to discuss the various ways that metamerism is successful and how it fails more regularly with technological advancements.
We discuss the many complex topics presented at this event, and also his illustrious career. Hope you enjoy it.
This is the second of a two-part discussion I had with Richard Muller. He is a DIT based in Germany now, but like me started out in South Africa. He has a wealth of experience from working on shows like: Chappie, Avengers, Dark, Tribes of Europa, 1899, and more recently The Phoenician Scheme, where he was a virtual production supervisor. We continue to discuss the testing and calibration of various film stocks for use on virtual studios. Also metadata and maintaining consistency and the challenges to doing good work when the D.I.T. role is not acknowledged. He has lots of great advice for people wanting to become D.I.T.s.
(27:52) - Characterizing lenses for virtual production.
(28:29) - La Comandante.
(31:46) - Big virtual studios vs small custom builds.
(35:54) - Developing the role of the D.I.T.
(38:59) - Learning paperwork structures.
(39:33) - Space for trainees.
(40:28) - Recce's and tests.
(41:29) - Perceived temporary nature of D.I.T’s.
(42:46) - Segmentation of roles and unions.
(44:33) - The need for flat dailies scans.
(47:11) - Spectral sensitivity and Ektachrome.
(50:45) - Profiling film stocks.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
Interview with Richard Muller - Part 1
Episode 11
Sunday, September 28, 2025 • Duration 01:31:06
This is the first of a two-part discussion I had with Richard Muller. He is a DIT based in Germany now, but like me started out in South Africa. He has a wealth of experience from working on shows like: Chappie, Avengers, Dark, Tribes of Europa , 1899, and more recently The Phoenician Scheme, where he was a virtual production supervisor.
We discuss the role of the Digital Imaging Technician and what in involves and also some testing he is doing with film and video acquisition combined with virtual studios. We discuss the quirks of various markets regarding the DIT.
(17:25) - LED walls, a complex color management task.
(22:26) - LED wall calibration.
(23:49) - Shooting tests on film.
(29:03) - Film scanners.
(32:33) - Color management and approaches to HDR.
(37:54) - Watching exposure.
(42:22) - Onset dailies grading.
(46:20) - Effect of a show LUT on production.
(52:32) - The many tasks of a DIT.
(56:47) - Backups and data security.
(01:02:58) - Q-take operator rather than DIT in Germany.
(01:08:17) - Cost saving of a DIT.
(01:09:50) - Reality shows and concerts.
(01:12:33) - Misconceptions about DIT’s.
(01:15:23) - Is the DIT part of the camera department?
(01:16:56) - Confidence booster.
(01:17:44) - Color pipeline collaboration.
(01:19:02) - Makeup artists.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
Interview with Menno Dreischor
Episode 10
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 • Duration 02:00:27
In this episode I interview Menno Dreischor, a chemical engineer based in Amsterdam.
His company TIPb offers engineering solutions for a wide range of industries. Menno’s interest in film led him to develop an algorithm to help with restoring the faded color on old film scans. It analyses the pixel distribution of a supplied source and target image and generates a matching LUT. It is currently in a beta testing phase and has many potential applications from restoration, shot matching and creative look design. He also has a second algorithm that tries to predict the aspects of an image that will induce visual cognition effects such as simultaneous contrast, assimilation and others effects. In the interview we discuss both projects and their potential applications.
Menno’s Color matching examples:
https://www.youtube.com/@colormatchinghub
We discuss:
(00:00) - Intro.
(00:53) - Menno introduction.
(02:51) - Interview starts.
(04:08) - Background in chemistry.
(05:29) - Connection to film.
(06:09) - Unofficial Star Wars restoration.
(08:46) - Matlab.
(10:25) - Drug analyzer.
(13:49) - Color Matching Project.
(15:30) - The matching process.
(16:45) - Histogram matching.
(21:12) - Theoretical basis.
(27:38) - Link to look design parameters.
(31:15) - Does it use machine learning?
(32:52) - Parameterization.
(40:54) - Entropy.
(48:26) - Open-source vs closed source.
(56:29) - Integration into current workflows.
(01:07:01) - Will this tool help or hinder creativity?
(01:13:34) - Over emphasis on matching.
(01:15:14) - Need for test footage.
(01:19:51) - Matching examples.
(01:31:39) - Visual cognition introduction.
(01:32:25) - The significance of cognition.
(01:33:47) - Does it affect the matching project?
(01:37:10) - How was it implemented?
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training and mentoring.
Interview with Akiyoshi Kitaoka
Episode 9
Monday, March 3, 2025 • Duration 01:12:46
In this episode I relate a written interview I had with Dr. Akiyoshi Kitaoka, a Professor of Psychology based in Japan. He does research on visual perception and makes visual illusions. His work embodies a fascinating combination of creative and technical aspects. I’d recommend viewing this episode on YouTube rather than as an audio podcast as there are many visual demonstrations.
Color Mentor is on YouTube or your favorite podcast provider.
In this second part of the interview with Kevin Shaw I talk to him about the Colorist Society, and around the drive for our industry to organize itself in general. We talk about local and global issues, trade unions, recognition and awards, development and training and much more. I’m keen to hear your experiences with industry organization attempts in the past, let me know in the comments.
Here is the IMDB petition if you would like to add your comment:
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training.
Interview with Kevin Shaw - Part 1
Episode 7
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 • Duration 02:43:13
In this episode I chat to Kevin Shaw. He is a well know colorist and educator in our industry. He has also been a key figure in setting up and promoting the Colorist Society, which is the topic of our following episode. In this episode however we discuss telecines. Kevin started grading 10 years before I did, at a time when color grading was either telecine or film lab based. We discuss various stages that the industry has gone through since then, all the way up to the present.
We discuss:
(00:00) - Intro.
(00:48) - Introduction to Kevin and telecines.
(02:39) - Interview starts.
(04:37) - Telecine engineers.
(06:30) - Music videos.
(07:34) - Study.
(11:11) - Telecine Limited.
(12:15) - Analog Davinci.
(13:13) - One new feature per year.
(13:43) - Davinci product demos.
(14:08) - No freelancers.
(14:53) - What is a telecine?
(17:24) - Blue Moon.
(17:45) - Tape playouts.
(18:44) - Facility life.
(21:00) - Abekus and frame store.
(23:12) - Long hours.
(24:21) - Tools.
(27:55) - Picture encoding.
(29:12) - God monitor.
(33:21) - Titles and finishing.
(35:01) - Low contrast prints.
(36:45) - Telecine as loss leader.
(42:55) - Show it on the wall.
(44:02) - Quality vs convenience tradeoff.
(48:21) - Taller gamut volumes.
(52:12) - Film restoration.
(57:07) - Software color correction systems.
(01:01:02) - Film lab profiles.
(01:05:01) - S curve and other tools.
(01:06:08) - Introduction of log spaces.
(01:10:38) - ACES archives.
(01:17:01) - Rocket science.
(01:20:45) - Art need limitations.
(01:23:10) - Bezier envy.
(01:23:38) - Tastes and trends.
(01:32:06) - User manuals.
(01:34:19) - Telecine calibration.
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training.
Interview with Troy Sobotka - Part 2
Episode 6
Monday, October 14, 2024 • Duration 02:41:53
This episode is the second part of my conversation with Troy Sobotka who is a Vancouver based lighting, rendering and all-round image creation person. You may know him as the designer of the Agx render transform. We dive further into the mechanisms of visual cognition and picture formation. He shares a vast knowledge and collection of reference material on this topic. See download link below for additional material.
In past years he has written an online blog called the Hitchhikers Guide to Digital Color. I would highly recommend people to read it.
We discuss:
(00:00) - Intro.
(01:11) - Episode summary.
(01:43) - Visual examples of phenomena.
(01:59) - Light and shade.
(03:57) - Gilchrest’s gamut compression.
(05:51) - Simultaneous contrast.
(06:21) - Shimmer / luster.
(07:26) - Induced contrast.
(08:06) - Glare halo.
(08:31) - Hermann grid.
(08:57) - Watercolor effect.
(10:31) - “Chevreul Effect”.
(10:57) - Crispening.
(11:46) - Neon Color Spreading.
(12:18) - Chromatic induction.
(12:46) - Gamut Compression/Expansion.
(13:18) - Chromostereopsis.
(14:11) - Face vase, Rabbit duck, Necker Cube.
(15:39) - Kanizsa triangle.
(15:57) - Dr. Tse cognition examples.
(17:54) - Not the pixel you thought you saw.
(18:45) - Pictorial exposure.
(20:37) - Gain and offset dimensions.
(21:47) - Image examples.
(24:47) - Decomposition framework.
(26:54) - Newtonian physics metaphor.
(29:20) - Interview starts, stimuli are not color.
(34:43) - It’s all constructed. Dr. Hoffman interface.
(36:56) - What is pictorial exposure?
(42:12) - Correlated signals “luminance” and “chrominance”.
(47:28) - Colorimetry’s limitations.
(56:38) - The domain of Metrics.
Interview with Troy Sobotka - Part 1
Episode 5
Thursday, September 26, 2024 • Duration 01:57:26
In this episode, I chat to Troy Sobotka who is a Vancouver based lighting, rendering and all-round image creation person. You may know him as the designer of the Agx render transform. We discuss the topic of Visual Cognition as it relates to how we make pictures. He shares a vast knowledge and collection of reference material on this topic.
In past years he has written an online blog called the Hitchhikers Guide to Digital Color. I would highly recommend people to read it.
We discuss:
Download link for additional images and pre interview discussions:
On this episode I must apologize in advance for having way too much fun. My guest is Jason Iversen he is a Visual Effects Technical Supervisor who has worked at Digital Domain, Rythm and Hues and now is at Weta in New Zealand. We have known each other since high school and worked together many years ago in South Africa. He was the co-founder of the Odforce.net chat forum. And he has worked on more block buster films than I’ve had blocked noses. We talk about visual effects, color pipelines and rendering techniques through the ages and discuss where things are heading with the merging of Weta with Unity games.
We discuss:
(00:00) - Intro
(01:32) - Interview starts
(01:39) - Let's talk about the
(03:06) - Lord of the Rings
(03:48) - New
(04:31) - Starting
(05:23) - Early virtual reality
(10:05) - Cybershark
(12:24) - Odforce.net origins
(17:23) - Digital Domain
(19:16) - DD company culture
(21:49) - Titanic water simulations
(25:19) - Specialization
(27:31) - Pipeline development
(30:12) - What color management?
(30:46) - Film outs
(32:01) - Look mom, no LUT!
(32:18) - sRGB / Linear mashup
(33:20) - Compositors bearing the brunt
(35:03) - Isn't it always just painting?
(36:59) - WYSI not WYG
(38:33) - Jackass landlord
(40:13) - Rythm and Hues
(40:51) - South African attractor
(42:05) - Effects and Lighting supervisor
(42:50) - Software development
(43:45) - Developing into a product
(46:13) - Color management arrives
(50:00) - SDR to HDR rendering
(50:18) - RGBE
(51:34) - Open EXR
(52:28) - OCIO
(54:00) - Life of Pi bankruptcy
(56:11) - Polishing the car
(57:22) - Pressure to go international
Check out www.patreon.com/ColorMentor/ for colorist training.
(51:30) - Initial Ektachrome tests.
(53:45) - Processing and scanning Ektachrome.
(55:57) - Shooting bracketed test charts.
(56:53) - IDT maker.
(59:03) - Comparing film scanners.
(01:00:44) - Open VPcal.
(01:01:55) - Choosing test steps.
(01:02:50) - Repeatability and who’s responsibility?
(01:05:59) - Creative play on top of wall calibration.
(01:08:54) - Moiré artifacts of film vs digital.
(01:11:14) - Spill light.
(01:13:59) - Automation and need for tests.
(01:17:36) - Expanding the role of the D.I.T.
(01:19:52) - Advice on how to become a D.I.T.
(01:29:08) - D.I.T and Cinematographers relationship.
