In film, a colourist is responsible for colour-grading – or adjusting – a movie or image in order to control the quality of the work. This used to be done using photo chemicals, but today it’s more common to make colour corrections digitally. This job is ideal for detail-oriented, focused people who want to make sure every frame is perfect.
Some colourists attend film school but might also have art degrees, specifically in photography. Modern software has, in many ways, made the task of colour-correction and enhancement simpler, but it has also increased expectations for perfection. Having a background in computers and keeping up with the appropriate software are therefore necessary for success in this field.
WHERE TO STUDY
Algonquin College (Ottawa) Colour-correction and colour-management: $449/course. algonquincollege.com
Durham College (Oshawa) VFX and digital cinema (graduate certificate): $9,050/year. durhamcollege.ca
Fanshawe College (London) Visual effects and editing for contemporary media: $2,973/year. fanshawec.ca
OCAD (Toronto) Photography: $5,650/year. ocadu.ca
Sheridan College (Toronto): Digital visual effects: $12,328/year. sheridancollege.ca
Toronto Image Works (Toronto) Adobe Lightroom: $100/hr. tiwi.ca
