The best example of a Colourist's work?
 

Just struggled through Mondovino - a documentary that pits French and US wine producers (with a cameo from Italy). The docco is good, but what smacks you around the face is the camerawork and sound recording.

At first glance it's as if someone's given a Panaflex to a kid. Gorgeous images, rich in colour and tonality, but sheesh. Didn't know a Panaflex had autofocus and a motorized zoom.

No, it's filmed on DV. But a colourist has done a magical laying on of hands, and it shows.

Looking at the footage (and listening to the sound) one can imagine the quality of the images, yet the colourist has made it all look like 35mm. Wobblecam built-in-mic available light 35mm, but correctly exposed and rich, sumptuous vibrant 35mm.

Suddenly, I can point to this rather than Se7en as the ultimate example of what a colourst can do. :)

You should check out the bonus discs on the extended versions of the LOTR fellowship of the ring, there is a section about the digital grading process they went through. It shows you the origional plate with bluescreen and then it fades in the minature work and then the finnished article with the grading, its incredible.

Andy.