Today we’d like to introduce you to Rutuj Acharya.
Hi Rutuj, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a 2023 film and TV graduate from SCAD- the Savannah College of Art and Design. I was introduced to American movies earlier in my childhood. My parents bought a VCD/DVD player that came with nearly 50 movies from the 1980-2000s. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Commando, Jingle All the Way, Robin Williams’s Mrs. Doubtfire, Dunston Checks-in, and Baby’s Day Out are some of the films I saw repeatedly as a kid. And I started doodling page after page of movie scenes, which I later learned is called – Storyboarding. My passion for movies shaped me to enact scenes from movies. My mom used to take me to watch children’s theatre plays, and one summer, I was enrolled in a children’s theatre workshop. Along with my parents, I want to thank my theatre teacher, Arundhati Bhalerao, who taught me acting, writing, and direction. I was acting and making short films with my friends during my school years, but in 2008, I got interested in Computer Animation when I saw Andrew Stanton’s interview with his successful and one of my favorite Disney Pixar films – Wall.E. I was stunned to see how intriguing an almost no dialogue film could be. I witnessed the direct relationship between acting and animation and applied to universities in India that offered Animation Film Design programs.
During my years at my undergrad at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, I made many friends who were film majors, but I focused on 2D animation as it gave me the space I wanted to explore my voice. I met Satyajit Roy, an amazing professor, mentor, and now a friend who introduced me to core animation concepts in 3D animation and storyboarding. Siddharth Mandavgane was another professor who introduced me to Visual Effects. All the hard work I put into making animated films as part of my undergrad program led me to my first job in Advertising as a Creative Designer. I cannot thank enough my first boss, Ajay Bothra, from whom I learned everything, including directing and producing commercial videos. After working for two years in advertising, doing both video and animation work, I decided I wanted to focus more on live-action film instead of Animation, and I came to SCAD as a film and TV major. With a focus on post-production, film editing, and color-grading, I graduated with an MFA. I developed a passion for experimental films made with stock footage.
In fact, I made an experimental film with stock footage. as my thesis film with the guidance and mentorship of Prof. Alex Newton, Prof. Chris Brannan, and Prof. Michael Chaney. I learned so much from these three film educators and am forever grateful to them. I decided to focus on film editing and color grading because I not only enjoy cutting and coloring movies, but I also experienced that I can quickly improve these skills. Especially being an international student, I had no communication issues with student film directors in terms of communicating with them as a colorist and editor. Chris Mays and Erin Carrie were the first Director and producer duo I worked with as a colorist. Their film, RAKE, was the first short I color-graded. Rake was screened at multiple film festivals, including the legendary TCL Chinese theatre in Hollywood, CA, for Hollyshorts monthly screenings. Rake won the best student film award at the Beyond Hollywood Film Festival.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is definitely a path full of challenges. I was never good at the things I wanted to do. In regards to animation, I had to work on sketching/figure drawing. I kept practicing sketching daily with only one intention in mind – if I could draw better, I could tell my stories. And I eventually did. The challenge is communication when it comes to editing and color grading, especially with the producers and directors you are newly collaborating with. Because both editing and color are those grey areas where nothing is neither right or wrong, you have to keep working on it, shaping it to make it better. As a newly enrolled grad student, it was also challenging to get projects to cut as most of the student directors already had editors. I started my collaboration by assisting the editors and did networking to get projects under my belt. In fact, I would say the bigger challenge for me was networking, and I am working on my interpersonal skills simultaneously to improve.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a video editor and colorist. Even though I love both of these equally, I get hired as a colorist more often. Basically, a colorist is one who works closely with the director of photography, the director, the editor, and the VFX team in developing the look for the film. In layman’s terms, I would say as a colorist, I am responsible for making the tone and temperature of the film match the vibe of the story beats and the director’s vision. I do this by constantly playing with multiple elements such as shadows, contrast, highlights, mid-tones, under-tones, saturation, etc. It is like all the musical instruments in the orchestra need to be perfect for the melody or the song to work. I am proud of all the short films I have color-graded so far because I have learned A LOT in the process, not just about color grading but about various departments and how they make decisions.
One thing that has made me better at being a colorist is my tendency to ask questions. I don’t start color grading immediately, even after I have been given the picture-locked film. I read the script, and I ask questions. I ask questions such as, is this how you see the story or has the production process changed it for the better or otherwise? This question often leads to a nice deep conversation, which helps me deliver the exact colored film the filmmaker has imagined. Because if there is a gap between how the script is written and how it is performed, the film’s color should also be transformed from what a reference look was to the look that better aligns with the picture-locked film.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I am an actor! As I mentioned earlier, I started this journey by doing children’s theatre. And I also make TikToks or reels on Instagram at times. I adore method acting, and sometimes, I enact scenes from classic films in front of the mirror just for fun. Since I have been meeting most people in reference with work nowadays, even though I spend a lot of time with them daily, they would not necessarily know this. Also, I am a big nerd in Sci-fi and horror films. The idea of how time works and whether the time is the same on other planets, if not how life there would be, are some of my all-time favourite topics that I do not always discuss with most people. Also, that is why Interstellar and Dark is my favorite film and Web series, respectively.
Pricing:
- $300 1min-6min Film/Music video/Commerical
- $700 7min-14min Film/Music video/Commerical
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rutujacharya.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/espresso_parade/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rutujacharya
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHFPjQdyY00FSyKG55yNFGA
- Other: https://vimeo.com/rutujacharya/colorreel?share=copy
Image Credits
1. Locked In- (In Post-Production) 2. Daisies 3. Closed Casket 4. Daydream 5. Last Date 6. Daydream 7. In Five 8. Portrait of Meme
