Colorist Cullen Kelly has joined the roster of artists at Apache, a boutique color and postproduction studio that launched in the summer of 2014. In addition to Kelly’s hire, the studio has also promoted colorist Quinn Alvarez from an assistant’s role to that of a full color artist.
Kelly joins from Labrador Post, a color grading studio he founded in Austin, Texas. The move represents not just a new career chapter for him, but a geographic relocation to Southern California as well.
Alvarez has been with Apache since 2015, joining from the production company Prettybird, where he handled all postproduction duties and worked closely with its directors and producers.
LaRue Anderson, Apache’s managing partner, said the addition of Kelly and the promotion of Alvarez reflect Apache’s continued evolution as a color and finishing house. “We’re currently working on several scripted and documentary shows for Hulu, Netflix and Amazon, in addition to our commercial work for agencies,” she explained. “We needed additional artists that come with a unique perspective to color grading to handle these assignments, not just helping hands.”
Anderson noted that Kelly worked with Apache earlier this year as a freelancer, doing finishing for the debut season of Netflix’s “American Vandal” series. “My partners and I immediately knew we had to keep him,” she says. “He’s an innovative colorist with a techie’s brain and a quick smile, which is what made him attractive to us.”
Alvarez, she added, “brought a list of dedicated, high-end directors and a thirst for collaborating with other creative people when he joined us. He’s requested by our commercial clientele so often now that I knew it was time to get him out of the assistant role so he could grade full time.”
Kelly, who studied film at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena before launching his career, worked in several postproduction jobs before realizing his passion lay in color grading. In addition to his work on the Netflix series, his reel includes short films and promos for The History Channel, FX Networks and SXSW.
What drew him to specialize in color grading? “I’m a very visual person, and I love the amount of detail and energy that goes into color work. And it’s so collaborative; you’re working with people and helping bring their vision to life,” he notes. As for the appeal of Apache, Kelly said “they offer an exciting window to the future of our industry. I love their model and the scale on which they work, built around a small group of really excellent role players.”
A graduate of UC Berkeley, Alvarez said that while working at Prettybird he learned the craft of color grading from a director’s point of view, stressing the importance of story and substance. His reel includes work for such brands as Nike, Absolut, Jack Daniels, Tumi, Toyota, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, as well as music videos shot by such directors as Paul Hunter, Eric Wareheim and Andy Hines.
Apache’s branching out from just color to handling finishing is also driving its need to add more creative talent, Anderson pointed out: “Keeping the color and finish under the same roof, particularly for long form projects, allows us to swiftly complete a show. That adds valuable time to our clients’ often-constrained post schedules, without compromising the look and feel of the film. And we’re finding that cinematographers and directors are moving to original series work, because it can offer more creative freedom. With the addition of Cullen and the promotion of Quinn, we now have five colorists to help transform their digital visions into reality.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More