The Color Code

Latest Episodes:

Ian Vertovec on Building Looks That Survive the Whole Pipeline Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Ian Vertovec has been shaping images you'd recognize instantly for nearly two decades. He co-founded Light Iron in 2009 and has graded The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Palm Royale, Gone Girl, Devotion, GLOW, and much more.

We talk look development, why the grade should be fine-tuning rather than invention, and what story-first finishing really looks like. ______________________________________________

Wanna go all-in on your grading with pro-level tools, private workshops, and AMAs with top-tier colorists — including Obsession colorist Jake White? Check out my membership program: https://colorist.inc

Grab Referent, my free viewing LUT. It’s the foundation I use on almost every project for clean, filmic contrast and color right from the start: https://cullenkellycolor.com/toolkit/referent

Spielberg threw him into the deep end. It launched a 50-year career. May 28, 2026

Show notes

Cinematographer Steven Poster, ASC has spent five decades behind the camera, and helped lead the industry from film into digital along the way. He's shot for Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and John Carpenter, and served as president of both the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Cinematographers Guild. He also oversaw one of the first digital intermediates ever finished, lensed the cult classic Donnie Darko, and shot the iconic "Like a Prayer" video for Madonna.

We explore his origins learning his craft from a Chicago newsreel shooter, his career-long drive to innovate new technologies and techniques, his approach to daylight and diffusion, and why he thinks DPs shouldn't operate their own cameras.

Grab Sweet Spot, my free exposure tool that gives you simple, scene-accurate metering in stops, for every camera: https://cullenkellycolor.com/toolkit/sweet-spot. Steven called it a “game-changer” after using it on his most recent project.

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome

0:24 — Chicago beginnings and union politics

5:55 — Seeing digital coming: NHK, Sony, and the HD experiments

9:51 — Stuart Little 2 and one of the first digital intermediates

14:00 — Three weeks on the soccer field: working blind

20:22 — Donnie Darko: 22 days, anamorphic, and an untested film stock

27:35 — Shooting daylight: polarizers and diffusion

30:34 — Coming up with Vilmos Zsigmond

33:42 — Blade Runner: the tunnel shot

44:00 — Collaborating with Richard Kelly on Donnie Darko

50:28 — Why a DP shouldn't operate their own camera

51:55 — Working with Sophia Loren

56:09 — Lessons from Ridley Scott

59:51 — Core principles: don't be afraid

1:02:30 — Next-generation display technology

5 Rules for Starting Your Own Color Grading Company ft. David Tomiak Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

David Tomiak went from breaking both his arms in a bicycle accident and leaving behind cinematography to grading A24 features with A-list talent. In this episode, David shares with us the 5 rules that took him from freelancing in a 100 square foot room to being founder of Elemental Post.

From how he almost quit the industry entirely after starting his first color business, to building one of Vancouver's most respected post houses, David opens up about the real cost of starting your own color grading company — the loneliness, the ignorance tax, and why compromising your standards means you should "just go work for someone else".

Check out my look dev plugin Contour (which David used to build the look for the A24 film "Eternity"): http://cullenkellycolor.com/contour

Download Referent, my free viewing transform: https://cullenkellycolor.com/toolkit/referent

The color science process behind the Genesis plugin Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Today you get a chance to learn with a 2x Oscar-winning film chemist who spent nearly 30 years working at Kodak. He's the co-creator of Genesis, the man behind the Joker LUT, and the person who built the Kodak Look Management System - basically the first film emulation out there (so good, Kodak's "jaws dropped").

It's a very special treat to further introduce you to Dr. Mitch Bogdanowicz, who's about to share some important grading and filmmaking lessons from his 50 year career in the business. We'll also be revealing the process behind how we built our film emulation plugin Genesis.

Also, Mitch's knowledge goes far beyond just film chemistry. After working in the film business for nearly 50 years (and nabbing two Academy Awards along the way), he’s an incredible problem-solver and collaborator – skills he's passed along to his three kids, who all have done major work in Hollywood and film.

Mitch also covers:

Why finding the perfect LUT won't make your job easier — and what you need to do instead
The thing most colorists try to do that works against getting great filmic images
Why only focusing on color is "career suicide"
How to be a stand-out collaborator instead of an order-taker
The right process for problem-solving in a grade
Why recording out to film for "the film look" is mostly a waste of money

Want to understand what makes film the gold standard in high-end grading — and get those aesthetics in your own work using tools you already have? Grab a seat for this free webinar (limited spots): https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5417725689482/WN_IF6s_rdYQTu4yizr7zNWRg

Corinne Bogdanowicz Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

I'm speaking with Corinne Bogdanowicz, Hollywood colorist for projects

like Our Flag Means Death, Reservation Dogs and more. Hear about

Corinne's start in the industry "dust busting" and how she grew her

client skills and coloring skills into a professional practice.

Siggy Ferstl Apr 05, 2024

Show notes

I'm speaking with Siggy Ferstl, Senior Colorist at Company 3 and

colorist of Wednesday, The Boys, Narcos, Lost in Space and more. Hear

about Siggy's long journey in the industry and how he continues to

innovate.

This episode is brought to you by Portrait Displays http://www.portrait.com

Joe Slomka Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Our guest Joseph Slomka, principle color scientists for movies like

Batman, Dune, Oppenheimer and more talks with me about workflows and

deep dives into color science.

Jill Bogdanowicz Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Cullen talks to renown colorist, Jill Bogdanowicz about her work on movies like Joker, John Wick, Umbrella Academy and more. She gives us insight on how best to collaborate with DPs and directors and how she builds a well rounded color practice.

Get on the waitlist for this year's final round of my color grading

course, the Colorist Career Accelerator (happening mid-October):

https://bit.ly/cca-waitlist-autumn-2023

Maxine Gervais Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

I speak with Maxine Gervais, colorist for The Continental, American

Sniper, Jonah Hex, Book of Eli, Speed Racer and many more. She talks all

about her challenges and triumphs on these high profile projects.

Grab my Voyager LUT Pack. 17 LUTs to provide beautiful looks for any

type of project so you can grade faster, take every image further, and

attract better and better jobs.

http://procolor.ist/voyager-lut-pack

Andrea Chlebak Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Cullen sits down with Harbor Picture Company supervising colorist Andrea Chlebak to discuss her journey to becoming one of the industry's most in-demand artists, working on projects including Mandy, Elysium, and The Girl from Plainville. Their conversation touches on look design, tool selection, creative inspiration, effective client collaboration, and much more.

This episode is brought to you by Portrait Displays.

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