Colorist Mikey Pehanich has joined New York-based visual effects studio Blacksmith. The move marks Blacksmith’s expansion of its capabilities to now offer color grading in addition to VFX.
Pehanich has colored across high-profile brands including Amazon, Samsung, Prada, Nike, New Balance, Marriott, and Carhartt. Most recently, Pehanich worked on Smirnoff’s global “Infamous Since 1864” campaign directed by Rupert Sanders, Volkswagen’s “Look Down in Awe” spot from Garth Davis, Fisher-Price’s “Let’s Be Kids” campaign and Miller Lite’s newly launched “Followers” spot, both directed by Ringan Ledwidge.
Prior to joining Blacksmith, Pehanich was a colorist at The Mill, Chicago, where he spent six years honing his craft. Pehanich was the first local hire when The Mill opened its Chicago studio in 2013. Initially cutting his teeth as color assistant, he quickly worked his way up to becoming a full-fledged colorist, contributing to campaigns including Michelob’s 2019 Super Bowl spot featuring Zoe Kravitz and directed by Emma Westenberg, and music videos including Regina Spektor’s “Black and White.”
Pehanich’s recent longer form work includes Shabier Kirchner’s short film Dadli about an Antiguan boy and his community, and Andre Muir’s short film 4 Corners which tackles Chicago’s gun violence issue. (Muir earned a slot in SHOOT’s 2019 New Directors Showcase on the strength of 4 Corners.)
