SOL designfx, a division of Chicago-based post facility Cutters, has added colorist Peter Simpson. He joins SOL designfx, Chicago, after spending five years as head of telecine/colorist at Sydney, Australia-based post house Frame, Set and Match. SOL designfx also has a base of operation in Santa Monica.
Earlier this year, Chicago-based Cutters revamped in order to provide a more distinct identity for its post-related services. It expanded its Santa Monica design/effects sister shop SOL designfx, opening a Chicago operation to house what had been Cutters’ Chicago-based design, effects and finishing artists; the shop’s audio division was split off into Another Country (SHOOT, 2/18). Cutters had been without a colorist since last year, when colorist Oscar Oboza departed to join Minneapolis-based Hi-Wire.
John McGrath, general manager of SOL designfx, Chicago, said that they embarked on a global talent search. Simpson’s reel impressed him with the variety of looks evident in the commercials, related McGrath. "When the images needed to be pretty, they were pretty; when they needed to be edgy, they were edgy," said McGrath.
Among Simpson’s credits are spots for McDonald’s, adidas, American Express, Kodak, Nike, Mazda, Hyundai, Texaco, Panasonic, Singapore Power and Bank of Melbourne. He has regularly worked with such directors as David Denneen (who is preparing to leave his longtime U.S. roost, bicoastal Cylo), Graeme Burfoot (repped stateside by Cylo) and Phil Meatchem, all of Film Graphics, Sydney. Simpson has also worked with director Anton Beebe of Pod Films, Sydney (Beebe is repped in the U.S. by bicoastal Chelsea Pictures). Simpson has also colorized episodes of such Australian-produced TV series as The Adventures of Skippy and Firestarter (the latter can be seen on the Sci-Fi channel in the U.S.).
In addition, he worked with Australian feature director Jane Campion on the film Holy Smoke. Simpson related that he did the preliminary pan-scanning and color grading of the movie, which was then used as a guide when the film was sent to Los Angeles, where it was transferred in HD.
Simpson, who will be working on a daVinci 8:8:8, said he was interested in joining SOL for the opportunity to access more resources, including its technological tools and artists as well as Cutters’ ensemble of creative editors.
Simpson said he is looking forward to working in the HD environment (there is only one Australia-based HD telecine, in Brisbane, according to Simpson). Currently, SOL is investigating its telecine options and-with Simpson’s input-plans to upgrade in the very near future. "With high definition telecine," said Simpson, "the actual machines are capable of doing a lot more things which means you can expand your creativeness. As the technology gets better, it gives you more opportunities when you color correct."
Besides HD, McGrath observed that an increasing number of tools that have been traditionally used in the effects realm are now becoming available for telecine. "There’s a lot of plug-ins for Discreet Logic and AfterEffects [for instance] and there’s a company called Primal that is making a colorist toolbox," said McGrath. "There’s a lot of design-type tools that go beyond color correction into the effects realm and Peter and I have talked extensively about bringing those tools, and an effects/design group mentality, into the telecine."
Simpson’s has had brief stints as a colorist at Custom Video (the in-house post division of a local Sydney television station) and Video Film Company, Sydney. He then moved to Bobdog, a Sydney-based post shop. After Simpson had worked there for four years, Bobdog was merged into Omnicon, a large Sydney post house; six months after the merger, Simpson was named head of telecine. After four years at Omnicon, he came aboard Frame, Set and Match.
Simpson has been booked on a job for an undisclosed client, related McGrath. Sales for SOL designfx are handled in-house by visual effects producer Neal Cohen and McGrath. The shop is currently in discussions with sales reps, according to McGrath.
