What I do

I work as a colourist in post-production, helping cinematographers and directors create the visual look for their films. It’s a mix of arts and technical work.

How I became a technician

I have been in the film industry for a long time. I was a trainee in the film industry for three years, trying different roles, and now I am a colourist.

Trainees in the film industry either work on set or in production houses. I worked on set - helping technicians with their work and learning what they do. My focus was mostly within the camera department, but you could become a trainee in sound, editing or direction. Some people do jump from one department to another until they find what they want to do.

A typical day in my
working life

Every day is different. I start by meeting with the Director and identifying what software and hardware we need for that day. As a colourist, this can often involve using high-end calibrated monitors or a colour panel to tweak and change how an image looks. A full day on set can be 14 – 16 hours, but in post-production, it is usually nine to five.

The most exciting thing I've achieved
so far in my job

I enjoyed doing specialised technician work with high-speed cameras. These cameras can be used for slow-motion and high-speed scenes and capture around 2000-3000 frames per second. One of the most memorable experiences was shooting a multi-camera day with a big explosion for an advert. Although it was very technical, as you had to ensure all the cameras were running at the same time, it was a lot of fun!

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

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Meet other technicians

Read more real life technicians stories, see what they do every day, and how they got started.