Lily Henry - Colourist
Colourist - Alter Ego Post
Experience 7+ years
“For any film industry job I feel like you need to be good, and you need to be lucky. So much of my early career was about being in the right place at the right time, but had I not been working hard in the background to be better and better at colour, I wouldn’t have had the chops to seize the opportunities that were presented to me. ”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I'm a colourist primarily working on commercials, but I'm also taking on some long form feature films at the moment. I've worked on features, tv, commercials, music videos, and more.
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
It varies every day! When I'm doing commercial work, I usually have the project prepared for me the day before the session, and hopefully before any clients come in I've had time to set a few looks on key shots based off of references sent by the clients. It's great to work with repeat clients, as you often don't even need references once you know your client's style, as well as the style of the brand you're working on the spot for. My typical commercial day starts about an hour before clients arrive (around 8am, with clients in at 9am), where I set looks, tidy my colour suite, and have a coffee (or two).
Once clients come in we hit the ground running. We start by discussing the references, the looks, the expectations for the day, and any concerns they may have. Oftentimes once we set a few looks together, I turn on the music and spend the next hour or two grading the rest of the commercial, periodically checking in for feedback and approval. Once colour's been applied to everything, we watch the spot back a few times to see how things are flowing, and make any necessary changes. We often start with the longest version of the commercial (a 30 or 60 second spot), then later in the day work on the shorter versions, usually 15 or 6 second spots. By 5 or 6pm, we get approval on the grade, and clients head out the door. At this point, I start working on my "timeline sort", which encompasses extending out the handles of all the shots, tracking all my shapes, and double checking my grades to make sure everything's looking perfect. Once I'm happy with everything, it's rendered out and sent off to online artists.
How did your career in post production begin?
I was always interested in photography - I got hand-me-down film cameras from my grandpa, my mom, and my uncle all throughout my life, and fell in love with film photography and working in a darkroom. I worked in the darkroom all throughout high school and college, and realized how much I loved working in photoshop. I was out to dinner with a friend once, and I was talking about how much I loved editing photos, but that I wanted something even more engaging - and he said "have you heard of colour grading"? I hadn't ever heard of it. I went home that night and researched what colour grading was - I was immediately obsessed. I downloaded the free version of Davinci Resolve, and made any and all filmmaker friends I had send me their reels, short films, music videos, self-tapes, etc, so that I could start learning how to grade on a myriad of different footage. Once I felt comfortable enough with my skills in resolve, I went to a post house and pitched myself to them. They didn't have any jobs at that time, but I was able to leave enough of an impression that when a colour assistant job opened up, they called me.
What has been your career highlight?
One of the first movies that made me really think about colour as a career was Mad Max: Fury Road. I've seen this movie more times than I can count, and I've always marvelled at the colour, and I'd read countless interviews about the post process, and how it pushed the boundaries of what you can do in the colour suite. Almost 10 years later, I started as a Colourist at Alter Ego Post, where I was working directly with Eric Whipp, the colourist for that movie. Over the last few months, I was one of the Colourists on the newest instalment of the Mad Max franchise - the prequel "Furiosa". The movie came out just a few days ago, and being able to watch my name roll through the credits felt so incredibly full circle for me. Looking back, I'm sure this will continue to be a highlight of my career.
Who are your role models in post?
Too many to count! I'm constantly inspired by the other female colourists I see in post, as it is a largely male dominated profession. At my first assistant job I worked with Andrea Chlebak, and she was a fantastic mentor. She was one of the first colourists I worked with who talked openly with me about the importance of a work life balance, while still fiercely caring about your work. When I worked on the in house colour team at Marvel Studios, I worked with Matt Watson, who taught me so much about colour and how to run a room. He invested a ton of time into helping me learn, and it's really inspired me and informed how I want to treat colour assistants.
The other colourists at Alter Ego have been incredible role models for me as well - I've never been somewhere that works as collaboratively and (ironically) without egos, and it's really changed my view on what working in post can be. One colourist here told me something that I've never forgotten - "you never want to be the best at your job; always be second best" - and I think this really sums up the attitude here. We all want to be great, but we love to learn from each other. I think that this should be the attitude for everyone working in post.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
For any film industry job I feel like you need to be good, and you need to be lucky. So much of my early career was about being in the right place at the right time, but had I not been working hard in the background to be better and better at colour, I wouldn't have had the chops to seize the opportunities that were presented to me.
Connect with Lily on Instagram.