Twain Richardson, a post production professional, has had an impressive journey. Starting from his own company in Jamaica, he climbed the ladder to working for Goldcrest in New York. His path to post production wasn’t always straightforward. Initially, he had dreams of becoming a civil engineer but couldn’t afford university fees. So, he took a job doing data entry for a media company, where he learned the intricacies of camera operation.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
One evening, while watching TV, Twain saw an advertisement on the Hype TV channel in Jamaica for a competition to host a live event in their studio. To his surprise, he won the competition. When he met the owner, he shared that he had applied to work for them as a camera person. However, the owner revealed that they no longer needed that role but did need an editor, a position that Twain was now qualified for. He started working for them that very Monday.
Twain’s passion for color grading soon blossomed. He was asked to shoot some footage that had a blue tinge. Using Adobe Premiere Pro, he learned how to correct the color by his then supervisor and was amazed by the results. From that moment on, he was hooked on color grading. He began freelancing and later set up his own post production company in Jamaica, Frame of Reference. Recently, he was invited by Goldcrest to work in their offices in New York when they needed someone to do finishing work. While he loves the vibrant energy of New York, he’s not a fan of the cold weather.
His Jamaican roots remain strong as he’s a key figure in Go-Jamaica Film Rush, a one-day event organized with CARIMAC to educate Caribbean students about filmmaking and animation. As a prominent figure in the industry, Twain shares his expertise in post-production, providing valuable insights to aspiring filmmakers and animators. He also offers networking opportunities and cash prizes.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT COLOUR GRADING?
Twain’s passion for color grading stems from the fact that it’s like solving a puzzle. He enjoys the challenge of problem-solving, thinking about the problem and coming up with a solution that evokes specific emotions through color. He finds the intersection between technology and creativity exhilarating, likening it to a game that he’s constantly figuring out. Despite the technical aspects, color grading remains incredibly expressive and creative.
For those aspiring to become colorists, Twain emphasizes the importance of having not only the technical skills to understand color but also being a people person. He’s been fortunate enough to advance his career simply by being a good communicator and building relationships. He often gets projects through referrals from clients who have worked with him before. “Spending time in a room with someone while editing or grading can be challenging, and it’s crucial to have a friendly and easygoing personality. Developing good communication skills is another essential aspect of this role.”
Twain shares an example of a project where he faced a challenge with a colleague who wasn’t pulling their weight. His business partner at the time advised against telling the client that they couldn’t meet the deadline. Instead, Twain communicated with the client about the need for more time, which upset them but was appreciated. This client has since become a valuable friend of his.
Crucially, this advice emphasizes the importance of giving clients ample notice before deadlines or the day before. Clients are likely working for multiple clients, so providing sufficient time for preparation is essential.
Twain’s final piece of wisdom is to take regular, short breaks and go for a walk to combat the negative effects of staring at a screen for extended periods. He finds inspiration in New York City, stating, “there’s so much to see there.”
WHY TWAIN ADVOCATES FOR USING DVO PIXEL FOR EVERY PROJECT
Twain encountered a project with numerous dead pixels several years ago. After discussing the issue with Gustavo Mendes, he discovered that DVO Pixel could swiftly resolve this problem, unlike Resolve, which required significant manual effort. Twain has been highly satisfied with DVO Pixel, particularly since it automatically identifies and fixes dead pixels. Despite tight deadlines, DVO Pixel’s ability to quickly locate and rectify these issues has been invaluable. Twain considers DVO Pixel an indispensable tool for his work, stating, “I couldn’t complete any documentary project without it.”
As a result, numerous documentaries from prominent streaming services like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime have been processed through this plugin. For instance, as the Finishing Editor on Idina Menzel: Which Way To The Stage? (2022), Twain discovered approximately 80 dead pixels. However, with DVO Pixel, he was able to fix all of them, emphasizing, “I genuinely can’t complete a documentary project without that plugin.”
A PASSION FOR DOCUMENTARIES
A significant portion of Twain’s filmography consists of documentaries, which he explains that he stumbled upon but has since grown to love. He explains, “I enjoy the storytelling aspect of documentaries; I learn so much from them.”
“When I create music videos or commercials, I have a lot of fun because those projects often involve creative visual effects. On the other hand, documentaries can be more challenging. While they can still be enjoyable, they often involve footage that was collected years ago. For instance, a project might start with an ARRI camera, but then the DP might no longer be available, and they’ll hire a new DP who uses RED. This process can continue, with different directors and cameras being used over time. Additionally, they might want to incorporate footage from GoPros or capture shots on iPhones while shooting in the field. All these different cameras can pose a challenge, but I find it exciting.
Over the years, Twain has worked on various projects, including Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (2024), Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (2024), and Breathe (2023) and Britney Vs Spears (2021).
One project that Twain is particularly proud of is All In: The Fight For Democracy (2020), directed by Liz Garbus. In this project, Twain worked as a supervising online editor for the Prime Video documentary. The offline portion of the project presented some challenges that we had to overcome to meet a very tight deadline. Despite these difficulties, Twain is proud of his work on the project and it was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination!