Session etiquette

Session etiquette is how a colorist runs a supervised grade so the creative conversation keeps flowing while they handle the technical. Three things matter. Drive fast and confidently — when a client says “warmer,” make the move, read whether it landed, and move on; don’t lecture on white-balance science. Speak their language — “warmer,” “denser,” “a couple of points of green out” (printer-light language) travels better than “I’ll adjust the offset in log.” And read the client type: some want to arrive to three prepared look options from the brief and pick; others want to build live and dig into parameters with you. Diagnose which early and run the session their way. That social read is as billable as any technical skill — it’s a large part of what makes a colorist re-hired.

First used in: 3.10 · The working colorist