Growing up in remote parts of India, I often found myself wondering why films from the West looked so visually distinct compared to those made locally. I didn’t have the vocabulary for it then, but I sensed it was something about the color, the texture, the way the images felt. By the time I gained a deeper understanding of colors in film and the underlying color systems, film itself had largely faded from the Indian film industry. Around a decade ago, I found myself advocating the continued use of film, convinced that movies in the West were still shot on film, while those around me believed that digital had taken over.
Since then, my journey—one often from the outside looking in—has been filled with the complexity of navigating color systems online. I've been fortunate enough to witness post-production processes in my area, which gave me glimpses into the craft, but it always felt like there was so much more to learn, especially from those who had been closer to the evolving debate of film vs. digital.
Colorist Foundry is my personal journey towards unraveling the intricate world of color and color systems: how they are shaped, how the past informs our current tools, and what the future holds for both creatives and the technical principles we rely on. It’s an attempt to bridge the gap between what I saw as a distant world and what I now understand as a constantly evolving field.
Connect with me at - jai@filmblade.com