Peer Review: Marty McMullan

Who are three contemporaries that you admire, and why? 

Tom Poole - He has an incredible body of work that showcases how adept he is applying his skills to any genre. Everything he grades is so considered and appropriate to the nature of the film.

Loren White - I love how White is unapologetic with his use of strong colour, contrast and sharpening. Everything is quite in your face and thus very memorable which is especially effective in his commercial and music video grades.

I thought the grade of Fallout was refreshing in that it was a post apocalyptic world that steered away from the traditional murky and dirty grade.

Jill Bogdanowicz - It's very easy for a grade to be too heavy handed and thus detrimental to a film but Bogdanowicz is a master of being able to navigate that line perfectly. There are few films in which the grade gets talked about as much as the story, cinematography, or performances, as was achieved by Bogdanowicz in the Joker.

Above: Official trailer for Joker, colour graded by Jill Bogdanowicz 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great colouring. 

West Side Story - I recently watched the Spielberg West Side Story and was blown away by the grade. To be honest, the art direction, the costumes, every single prop or decoration was so well executed, so stylised and striking in its use of colour palettes, it laid the foundations for something epic and must have been a joy to grade. The grade evoked the era but in a modern way, heightening the beauty of the aesthetics as well as the actors. Every shot was carefully considered in its colour composition.

Above: Official trailer for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story

The Penguin - I loved The Penguin, it felt very much like a feature grade as opposed to a TV series. It has a nod to the likes of Casino and Goodfellas, whilst honouring The Batman film with its comic book edge. Most of the scenes are pretty low in luminance, be they internal or external shots, but the grade manages to define this darkness with separate underlying colour tones for characters and locations and take you on a journey through colour, and that, along with the fantastic lighting, makes you admire actually just how inky the series is. 

I love the process of grading a project from beginning to end. From initial calls about cameras and workflows, through to the actual process of helping the director and DOP achieve their vision.

Fallout - I thought the grade of Fallout was refreshing in that it was a post apocalyptic world that steered away from the traditional murky and dirty grade. Instead there was a lush palette of poppy, saturated colours that felt stimulating and different and stayed true to its video game roots. The world felt hyper real but believable and visually stunning. 

Above: Official trailer for The Penguin

What was your journey to becoming a Senior Colourist?  

It was a pretty traditional route for post production - I started as a runner in a facility with a neg bath. This allowed me to learn the full process of development through to final grading. I then moved to a grading assistant role in the now defunct Rushes. After a few years I was promoted to senior colourist there and a few years later was very fortunate to be offered the position at Freefolk.

There’s a great vibe when a project is coming to an end in a grading suite and everyone is proud of what we have achieved. 

What do you like most about the work that you do? 

I love the process of grading a project from beginning to end. From initial calls about cameras and workflows, through to the actual process of helping the director and DOP achieve their vision. There’s a great vibe when a project is coming to an end in a grading suite and everyone is proud of what we have achieved. 

Above: Official trailer for Amazon Prime film Fallout

What is the most valuable skill you’ve learned in your career, and why?  

I feel that whilst you are ultimately trying to achieve the directors and DOPs vision for their project it can be beneficial to show them some different approaches, and of course, it’s exciting if you can bring an entirely new vision for the grade to the table and it elevates the final film.

The next few years will be fascinating to see what AI will mean to the traditional role of the colourist. 

What is one thing every Senior Colourist needs?  

Patience, an ability to react to the job, and a sense of humour.