CC VALENTINA

This is my friend Nat. This is also VALENTINA’s colorist. Color correction is a bit of an unsung art form. It’s one that cinematographers and directors rely on, but one that (at its best) is invisible to the audience. A colorist’s job is to make sure that the light and color from shot to shot matches; that skin tones are flattering, realistic, and consistent; and to make any enhancements that help tell the story. I’m very proud to say that my friend Nat is very good at his job.

Nat and I met about 15 years ago at a place called Post Factory. Back then Post Factory was run and operated by Alex, Jim, and Frankie (Jim’s French bulldog). Will answered the phones, Alexis took care of scheduling, and Jamey made sure everyone was happy. It was there that I met people who are like family to me now: Sarah, Tricia, Jennifer. At that time, I was Deborah’s assistant on a big documentary cutting out of Post Factory, and Nat was responsible for all of Post Factory’s tech related tasks. He oversaw the Unity server, built Media Composer systems, put edit rooms together, and fixed and patched tape decks amongst many other tasks. I’ve always been curious about knobs and cables so I frequently found myself following Nat around and asking lots of questions: What’s that do? Where does this go? He would answer all of them.

Some nights, when Nat and I were both working late (which was often the case), we would play chess. We’d order dinner from Lupe’s, crack open some beers, and pour over the chess board. This memory is the most cinematic: Nat and I under an over-hanging light at the kitchen counter, just the two of us in the big, empty office space, thinking. And then, the job I was working on ended, and I moved to LA. Nat went on to become an on-line editor, a VFX artist, and even a title designer for various notable filmmakers.

It was very fitting, perfectly circular, to finish VALENTINA with Nat; to sit in a dark room at Goldcrest Post watching, tweaking, and perfecting each shot. We talked about color theory, film color space vs. video color space, and the various hues of white. Me asking questions, and Nat answering all of them. We also talked about love, our families, and the challenges of working in an industry peppered with people that can sometimes make you feel like you don’t matter at all. This time, instead of beers, we drank a bottle of something fancy.

So thank you, Nat, for your discerning eye, your subtle hand, and most of all your friendship. And thank you to our amazing cinematographer, Adam Uhl, who laid the foundation, set the look, and made it a breeze. Thank you also to Nat’s assistant Jordan Stein, and his producer Devan Maura Saber. And thank you to Amy and Wilder for allowing us the time. xx

Onwards. Up next? My favorite part: {{{{{ SOUND }}}}}