“These Birds Walk,” a documentary directed by Bassam Tariq and Omar Mullick, recently premiered at SXSW in Austin, after the filmmakers completed the film with Nice Shoes colorist Chris Ryan. The film is an inspirational story of resilience, documenting the struggles of street children in Karachi, Pakistan, as well as those who try to help them.nnBBDO Creative Director Don Schneider, who has worked with Ryan on many GE campaigns over the years, introduced the duo to Nice Shoes. Ryan instantly connected with Tariq and Mullick. “The first night they came in we spent three hours discussing the film and potential color treatments,” said Ryan. “They’re really nice guys. This is their first feature film, but they each have a ton of experience and had an understanding of the tools we have at Nice Shoes to make the film look its best.” nnUltimately they decided to take the color in a natural direction, focusing on bringing out the beautiful moments of the film. “We pushed things a little too far in our first approach, and it may have made the film a bit depressing. The final look of the film really accentuates the theme of hopefulness,” added Ryan.nn
nn”We learned about nuances in the film given certain choices, and Chris’s experience proved invaluable in providing insights, but more specifically balance, as to how far to push certain decisions for the ultimate feel of the movie,” said Mullick. “In particular, the treatment of night time shots that alternated between rescuing information from the shadows and then also punching certain colors in the bustle of the city brought Karachi to life. Equally, the emphasis on a warm but subtle realism in the children’s skin tones and daytime interactions helped make the characters both accessible and human. Chris’s work helped realize a vision of people and a place that was, up to then, just an idea. His work was crucial in bringing the film to completion.”nnWhile Ryan enjoys the variety of working on both commercials and feature films, he often feels a stronger sense of ownership in his long form work. “With a feature, you really have time to live and breathe a project. When I’m working on a film, I get to work with creatives like Bassam and Omar for a long period of time, really getting to know them and the project well. I’m really proud to have been a part of These Birds Walk. It’s a wonderful film, and I can’t wait to work with these guys again.” nnMullick concluded, “Chris brought a rigor and varied skill set to our sessions on These Birds Walk that both expanded on the visual possibilities of the film, and also helped us hone the final choice for how it should look. The process was one the most rewarding collaborations we’ve had.”nnProduction CreditsnTitle: “These Birds Walk”nnDirectors: Omar Mullick, Bassam TariqnExecutive Producers: Daniel Berger, David LaubnProducers: Omar Mullick, Bassam Tariq, Valentina CanvesionCinematographer: Omar MullicknEditor: Sonejuhi SinhannColor Grading: Nice ShoesnLead Colorist: Chris RyannColorists: Gene Curley, Ron SudulnData Wranglers: Tom Tomlinson, Glenn WeidlichnAssistants: Max Hadson, Andrew PandolfinonProducer: Rebecca MitchellnnAbout Nice ShoesnNYC-based Nice Shoes is a full service, artist-driven design, animation, visual effects and color grading studio specializing in high-end commercials, web content, film, TV and music videos. Since its inception in 1996, the studio has prided itself on consistently reinvesting in its talent, technical backbone, and client experience to set the
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Goldcrest Post Speeds Delivery of “Severance” Season Two
The New York Times recently wrote that the just-released Season Two of Severance will “blow your mind”—and we couldn’t agree more. Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, the Apple TV+ drama is smart, spellbinding, distinctly original and packed with surprises. For those who aren’t already devoted fans, the show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), leader of a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of the show, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing. Editorial for Season One began in 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Goldcrest supplied both onsite production offices and edit suites, and remote editing systems for individual editors, with everything linked to a central server. "Mixing at Goldcrest with our team has been a great experience,” says Stiller. “Bob and Jacob are in sync with our creative process and so good at what they do that the experience is always one where it's about how we can enhance the creative vision, with a baseline of knowing everyone is totally committed to making something as good as it can be." Diana Dekajlo, the show’s co-producer, says that the arrangement worked so well, they chose to continue the hybrid approach for Season Two. “We’re a remote friendly show,” she explains. “Whether we’re at Goldcrest, our studio in the Bronx or at home, our workflow is seamless. I conduct remote daily meetings with my immediate staff, and weekly meetings with editorial and VFX, and we talk to each other as if we were just down the hall. It makes for great staff... Read More