Color-what?

EXT. BACKYARD. DAY.

Christmas day. There are tables and chairs set up in the wide yard. People are scattered around: Some, in the buffet table getting food. Others, eating and chatting away in the tables. Meanwhile, the kids are running around followed by their nannies.

TONI is eating, seated among aunts and uncles she hasn’t seen since last Christmas.

AUNT
So, Toni dear, how are you?
Are you working already?

Now, here starts a long explanation on what I do. I start with, “I work in advertising”. Then, eventually working my way to “Colourist”. After which they will look at me with confused smiles, and awkwardly but curiously ask, “What’s that?”

Today, I stumbled upon an article from skillset.org that actually explains my occupation. I must say, the description is spot on!

Here is an excerpt:

What is the job?
Colourists must ensure that all shots within each scene match one another, by balancing colour saturation and luminance from shot to shot, so that no one shot stands out in the sequence.  They should be able to distinguish and correct colour differences within scenes, and ensure consistency throughout the production.  They must also offer original and creative solutions to any picture related problems, e.g., under or over exposure, day for night corrections, etc.