
The FilmLight Colour Awards 2024 jury recently gathered ahead of casting their final votes for this year's nominees. During the discussion, George Miller, 2024 Jury Guest of Honour, talked to Jury President, Mandy Walker, and other jurors, about his evolving relationship with colour.
Telling stories
Cinema is always changing, says Miller. I think the big advance in cinema, after its language was defined by the silent filmmakers, was when sound came along. And then, one could argue, the next big shift was the digital revolution.
Miller said the biggest attraction to the cinema for him was to be able to help to tell stories, followed by two other interests.
Two things I've always been interested in. First, the shift in the syntax of cinema and, second, the tools and technology available to us, says Miller. I feel very fortunate that I'm still curious about filmmaking, while working in this digital age. I remember, during the celluloid era, going to labs and engaging with the colourists who, at the time, worked with very limited tools. Back then I was astonished by what they could do. But we never imagined we'd have the plasticity' of the image available to us today.
Discovering the power of the colourist
During the discussion, Miller recalled meeting up with cinematographer Andrew Lesnie during the making of Lord of the Rings, where he truly realised the significance of the role of the colourist in the filmmaking process.
I remember a moment when it really struck me how significant the colourist's role is. I was with Andrew Lesnie, who was shooting Lord of the Rings. We were in Wellington and he took me to the DI suite, which was just a room with a few computers, and he said, what's happening here is that we're not only grading the movie, but Peter is using it as his final pass of the film in terms of VFX.' I remember the shot included horses riding along a river and they all had red eyes, which he did in the DI. He was not only colouring the film, he was also doing digital effects. It was a huge thing.
Fury Road
I've been very lucky to travel along with the technology, doing animations like Happy Feet and then on to Fury Road over a decade ago, adds Miller. The Fury Road cinematographer, John Seale, who came out of retirement for the film, was a pioneer in terms of using gels and all sorts of filters in camera. He is a great operator, he loved the practical element and here he was, shooting his first digital film, on a digital camera. What really struck me, despite his age and experience, was how well he adapted. It really blew me away.
As he went through the process, getting involved intimately with the colourist, he was so excited. He said, you know, I think the day will come, when people will recognise the colourist hand-in-hand with the cinematographer'.
Cinematography, visual effects, colour
And now, a decade later, I am having the same experience with visual effects, adds Miller. The overlap between cinematography, visual effects and colour is much more effective today than it was. And it's a lovely moment because it's so holistic. If we can break down the silos, we will see it evolving even more. It's happening so quickly and it's such a wonderful thing.
Colourist as the nexus
The other person who really turned me on to the potential of colour was Jean-Pierre Jeunet, adds Miller. I remember he said one of his favourite moments making movies was at the end, sitting in a theatre with the colourist in Paris for two weeks - I think it was on Amelie - and it was the most joyous two weeks of his film making. I have come to experience this, too.
For the films I work on, we tend to get the colourist involved early, really forging the path for the visual effects. The biggest problem, I think, with visual effects, is that it can be so widespread - people from all over the planet are working on it - usually spending a lot of time on a specific series of shots. With this, there's a risk of losing cohesion and the colourist is the nexus of all these interactions.
This is why I am so excited to be doing this and seeing all the wonderful work that is being done across so many different platforms and media - it is a very significant moment and one that will develop even more.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
16/06/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
16/06/2025
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is officially underway for...
16/06/2025
On Spotify, francophone content continues to cross borders at an unprecedented rate. In 2024 alone, more than 123 million listeners worldwide streamed audio con...
16/06/2025
TYSONS, Va. Tegna Inc. is embarking on a notable expansion of their already substantial local news programming by launching live and on-demand, local newscasts ...
16/06/2025
Netflix has announced that it is expanding its global programmatic ad offerings by partnering with Yahoo DSP. This will enable brands to buy Netflix advertising...
16/06/2025
Instrument now boasts full NKS support
Sub51 and Soundtrax have just announced the launch of an updated and improved version of their innovative sample-base...
16/06/2025
NEW YORK In a landmark agreement to overtake the burgeoning connected TV (CTV) advertising market, Amazon Ads and Roku today announced a new integration that gi...
16/06/2025
ATLANTA, BALTIMORE, CINCINNATI and IRVING, Texas The four major broadcast groups behind the ATSC 3.0-based EdgeBeam Wireless datacasting joint venture today nam...
16/06/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid today announced an extended agreement with Amazon MGM Studios to integrate Avid's Media Composer and Avid NEXIS on Amazon Web Service...
16/06/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming and more, today announced the ...
16/06/2025
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED displays, announces the launch of SKYPIX RGBW & IM, a new series of ceiling-mounted LED panels designed specifi...
16/06/2025
Two new compact 4HP modules introduced
ALM/Busy Circuits have just announced the launch of two new Eurorack modules, the Pip Filter and Pip LFO, both of whi...
16/06/2025
16 Jun 2025
VEON Announces USD 35 Million Share Buyback Announcement marks the third phase of USD 100 million share buyback program
Dubai, June 16, 2025: VEON...
16/06/2025
Save 40% or More on All Ivory II Collections!From now through June 30th, enjoy huge savings on all Ivory II Piano Collections. Our biggest discounts ever are be...
16/06/2025
Behind The Broadcast Booth, Ep. 3: Golf. My Future. My Game. Founder and CEO Cra...
16/06/2025
The REMI Revolution Is Here: How Remote Production Technology in Esports Pioneer...
16/06/2025
From Super Bowl to Indy 500, New Orleans Artist Frenchy' Captures Energy of...
16/06/2025
NFL Films Enhances Post Studio With Dolby Atmos Audio Forty-three channels of audio enable the facility to migrate to immersive By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Mo...
16/06/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Storj's David Colantuoni on Expanding Cloud-Based...
16/06/2025
Grass Valley 4K Cameras Head to Greece for View Master Events' New OB Truck By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Monday, June 16, 2025 - 2:33 pm
Pri...
16/06/2025
Monday 16 June 2025
Sky Arts' Access All Arts Week, a free nationwide arts ...
16/06/2025
Monday 16 June 2025
Families and children are invited to dress up, have fun and raise money to protect nature
WWF UK and Sky Kids are teaming up to launch Wea...
16/06/2025
The Rohde & Schwarz R&S M3AR radio family reaches 10,000 unit milestone, demonst...
16/06/2025
FOX Advertising Launches Enhanced Brand Storytelling Program with Strategic Inve...
16/06/2025
Run with Ray is back! RT Radio 1's The Ray D'Arcy Show hits the road th...
15/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
15/06/2025
Composer/producer launches free virtual instruments
Sulcata Sound is the latest venture of Jason Graves, a two-time British Academy Award-winnning composer,...
14/06/2025
NEW YORK Pluto TV and the All Womens Sports Network have launched a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) AWSN channel in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Nor...
14/06/2025
NEW YORK and CINCINNATI E.W. Scripps has announced a new, multiyear agreement with the WNBA that will continue Ions regular-season coverage of the league on Fri...
14/06/2025
WASHINGTON The National Association of Broadcasters highlighted the hidden importance of spectrum in the production of major sporting events and described wha...
14/06/2025
WASHINGTON Sunsetting ATSC 1.0, expanding business opportunities for NextGen Broadcast and increasing international adoption of the ATSC 3.0 standard were top o...
14/06/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Samba TV and Acxiom have announced that they will dramatically expand their longstanding relationship....
14/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
14/06/2025
San Francisco State University's School of Cinema Uses Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton June 13, 2025
0 Comments
More than 40 Blackmagic Design came...
14/06/2025
Boris FX Mocha Pro Adds New AI Tools To Tackle VFX Tasks Fast
Jessie Electa Petrov June 13, 2025
0 Comments
The 2025.5 release helps artists work more...
14/06/2025
AJA Debuts DRM2-Plus Mini-Converter Frame at InfoComm 2025
Brie Clayton June 13, 2025
0 Comments
Next-gen frame addresses diverse rackmount needs wit...
13/06/2025
(L-R) Lindsay Utz, Michelle Walshe, and The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Prime Minister at Eccles T...
13/06/2025
Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima
If you're a true lover of rom-coms, chances...
13/06/2025
Pure Drama and Fierce Rivalries set to dominate the world's most iconic spor...
13/06/2025
Johannesburg, 12 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
13/06/2025
ABILENE. Texas A severe storm knocked down the tower and severely damaged the news studio and main facility of Sinclair-owned KTXS here on Sunday, June 8....
13/06/2025
Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...
13/06/2025
WASHINGTON The ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, honored veteran technologist Aldo Cugnini and Clarence Hau, Senior Vice President of Standards, Policy...
13/06/2025
(Editor's note: The 2025 UFL Championship Game between the D.C. Defenders and Michigan Panthers kicks off Saturday, June 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The game wil...
13/06/2025
New iPad/iPhone synth App announced
Following on from last year's release of Gradient Synth - which reached #6 on the App Store's Paid Music charts ...
13/06/2025
LONDON Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that HBO Max will launch direct-to-consumer in multiple new countries this July as the streamer becomes available in...
13/06/2025
AI voice transcription and captioning platform Verbit has added a new feature to its Captivate ASR solution the ability to identify specific features in automat...
13/06/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission member Anna Gomez has wrapped up two weeks in California visiting broadcasters, television studio executives, enter...