Greg Dildine, the senior colorist who joined Finish Editorial in November 98 to oversee the console design and operation of the companys new URSA Diamond Suite, fills a unique role in that he is Bostons only resource for high end, film to tape and color correction in a telecine environment.
Dildine has a colorful background, having started his career in 90 as an apprentice colorist with Skyview Studios (formerly Skyview Film & Video) in Chicago, doing film to tape work. The philosophy of to be the best, learn from the best is apparent, as Dildine learned his colorist craft from Skyview senior colorist Pete Jannotta.
Dildine honed his artistry, going from apprentice to assistant and then colorist in 94. He began building a base of commercial clients that included a mix of directors, DPs, and agency creative teams. Among Dildines client list at Skyview were Leo Burnett Co., DDB Needham, EURO RSCG Tatham, Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy & Mather, Foote, Cone & Belding, and J. Walter Thompson, all in Chicago. Dildines experience also included many smaller Chicago shops, such as J. Brown Associates.
Credit Dildine with the colorist work on last summers Coors Lite Beer Guy campaign. The vividness gave soul and presence to the six spots he worked on, and, according to Dildine, it established exactly the tone the Foote, Cone & Belding, Chicago, creative team was after.
His color work for Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, on assorted Pillsbury Dough Boy spots, involved high end film to tape work that combined live action with compositing and CGI. He made sure the Doughboy color was precise. Dildine was also the colorist on about half a dozen Mr. Clean spots for EURO RSCG Tatham.
Toughest challenge? says Dildine. Id say it had to be a series of spots called ACandid Camera for Nintendo Game Boy [via Leo Burnett, Co. Chicago]. Not the game itself, but a camera accessory. Dildine went on to explain that the agency team and editor wanted a very stylized lookaa retro idea of the 50s Candid Camera era. They were looking to appeal to, and grab, the hip camera audience and tie them into what Candid Camera of the 50s was like.
The specific look and feel that the agency team wanted was achieved by stylizing them to look like Kodachrome and high contrast prints from the 50s. By emphasizing the primary colors of the product, and allowing them to be absolutely eye-catching, Dildine achieved his aim: to give the contrast print a true retro-look and feel. Dildine was able to accomplish this by giving the spot a texture through contrast manipulation, enhancement of film grain and tone.
