Colorist Matt McFarland: The Career Of A Filmic Time Traveller And ‘Forensic Colorist’

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Full episode notes and additional links: https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/matt-mcfarland-mastering-colorist-interview-color_timer_podcast/

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Matt McFarland is a Digital Intermediate & Mastering Colorist at ColorTime based in Los Angeles.

In this episode of The Color Timer Podcast, we have a wonderful conversation that delves into the world of remastering classic films from days gone by, cult films, and those that turned into classics almost right after they were released.

I had briefly considered listing Todd’s films, but honestly, the list is so massive that the following shortlist misses out on so many amazing films that he has worked on. So definitely check out his IMDB, and you’ll see exactly the films that Matt has been involved with. Here are a few highlights to whet your appetite:

- Mad Max: Fury Road – Mastering Colorist: Special Edition
- Pacific Rim – DI Color Assist
- Flight – Colorist
- Up In The Air – Colorist
- Revolutionary Road – Colorist
- Hustle & Flow – Colorist
- Matchstick Men – Remastering Colorist

You’ll soon see that there are more variables to manage than you might have imagined when bringing these films back to life. It’s inspiring to hear Matt’s combination of grading and analytical skills to achieve a result that not only pleases the filmmakers but also delights the fans! You’ll quickly see why Matt’s unofficial job description is that of a ‘forensic colorist’.
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Editor: Rich Roddman
Executive Producer: https://mixinglight.com
Podcast Home: https://colortimerpodcast.mixinglight.com

• (00:00) - - Introduction
• (01:55) - - Matt's Career Journey
• (03:28) - - How the Re-mastering process begins
• (04:41) - - Being a Forensic Colorist
• (06:02) - - Does Matt reference the original prints?
• (06:52) - - Fixing mistakes vs original intent
• (09:32) - - Directors, when remastering to HDR
• (11:00) - - Studio motivations for remastering
• (12:09) - - Remastering Wayne's World
• (12:50) - - Remastering King Creole
• (14:22) - - What is actually being Archived?
• (16:35) - - ACES and the future of remastering
• (20:40) - - Matt's top three favorite films
• (21:30) - - Conclusion