Matt McFarland: The Career Of A Filmic Time Traveller And ‘Forensic Colorist’

August 2, 2024

Learn how veteran colorist Matt McFarland restores old print masters to modern formats - with his deep mix of grading skills and experience.

Tutorials  /  Color Timer Podcast  /  Matt McFarland: The Career Of A Filmic Time Traveller And ‘Forensic Colorist’
Series

The Art, Craft, and Business of Remastering Cult & Feature Films

Matt McFarland is a Digital Intermediate & Mastering Colorist at ColorTime based in Los Angeles.

In this episode of The Color Timer Podcast, we have a wonderful conversation that delves into the world of remastering classic films from days gone by, cult films, and those that turned into classics almost right after they were released.

I had briefly considered listing Todd’s films, but honestly, the list is so massive that the following shortlist misses out on so many amazing films that he has worked on. So definitely check out his IMDB, and you’ll see exactly the films that Matt has been involved with. Here are a few highlights to whet your appetite:

  • Mad Max: Fury Road – Mastering Colorist: Special Edition
  • Pacific Rim – DI Color Assist
  • Flight – Colorist
  • Up In The Air – Colorist
  • Revolutionary Road – Colorist
  • Hustle & Flow – Colorist
  • Matchstick Men – Remastering Colorist

Remastering: Stay true to the original film, or is that no longer the plan?

You’ll soon see that there are more variables to manage than you might have imagined when bringing these films back to life. It’s inspiring to hear Matt’s combination of grading and analytical skills to achieve a result that not only pleases the filmmakers but also delights the fans! You’ll quickly see why Matt’s unofficial job description is that of a ‘forensic colorist’.

I’ve had a director get kind of emotional because the HD version of his film had a bad master and though it had a cult following he was always afraid to see it on the screen because people would have fan screenings of it and he just despised it.

[As part of the process] We even re-did some visual effects and created some things that he had always wanted and he was really moved and it was really nice to do. It’s very satisfying.veryone.”

Colorist Matt McFarland, ColorTime
Colorist Matt McFarland, ColorTime LA

Jargon Explained

  • ‘IP’ = Interpositive – An interpositive is usually a negative made from another negative film stock, producing a positive image. This ‘interpositive’ is then used to make more negatives.
  • ‘O-Neg’ = Original Negative – Usually, this is a negative that was printed during the film’s initial release. In the best scenario, the O-neg made the first of the interpositives and was only used to print a limited number of times.
  • YCM Film = Yellow, Cyan, Magenta Filmout – Also known as a ‘separation master’ where each of a film negative’s three color channels (yellow, cyan, magenta) are printed onto three separate monochromatic negatives, each optimized for the color channel being archived. From this high-quality archive, a high-quality mastering negative can be recreated.

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Chapters

  • 00:00 – Introduction to the Color Timer podcast
  • 01:55 – Matt’s background in film and journey to becoming a colorist
  • 03:28 – How the Re-mastering process begins
  • 04:42 – Being a forensic colorist 🙂
  • 06:03 – Does Matt reference the original prints?
  • 06:52 – Fixing mistakes vs original intent
  • 09:44 – Director’s excitement about HDR versions of older films
  • 11:02 – The Multiple motivations for Studios to remaster films
  • 12:12 – Remastering Wayne’s World
  • 14:34 – Archiving remastered films for future preservation
  • 16:36 – ACES, Dolby Vision, the future of remastering, and the problem with LOG-recorded archives
  • 20:26 – Matt’s top three favorite films

Questions or comments? Leave a comment!

I’m so happy about the feedback I’m getting about the podcast. Please keep it coming!
If there is someone you would like me to chat with, please let me know.

– Vincent

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Vincent Taylor
Insight # ML 1320
Type Video
Duration 23:16
Skill Level Beginner
Skills DaVinci Resolve
Categories ACES Deliverables Finishing HDR
Series Color Timer Podcast

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