Life & Work with Roy Sun

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roy Sun.

Hi Roy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a DI colorist.

When I was little, I was always amazed by the beautiful Hollywood movie scenes, from Middle Earth in The Lord Of The Rings to the digital world of Matrix. It would be my dream to ever work on any Hollywood Movies.

I would spend all my pocket money to buy the DVDs. And I was lucky enough to have one of my classmate – Wang Rong’s mother to work in the local theater, so I can literally watch every single movie for free. (still appreciated!)

My dad is a professor teaching TV and filmmaking in the local university, so there’s always some camera in my house, I started playing them from like seven years old, and often I will make some stop motion or some simple tricks like make things disappear. My dad often show my videos to the freshman in his class and the students always got tricked.

In my bachelor’s, I went to Beijing Film Academy learning Photography, I would spend all day in the darkroom playing with the little gadgets controlling dodge and burn. I think this builds up my foundation to understand how the tone of the image works. When I’m not in the darkroom, I will always sit in front of my computer and doing photoshop, the HDR, light painting, picture stitching… All kinds of cool tricks, and I had my first photography exhibition after just a year’s study.

But photoshop is never enough for me, so I came to LA and studied filmmaking. I wanted to combine my photoshop skill with filmmaking, so I decided I want to be a colorist. At the second year, I went to a color grading house and started interning for a whole year. I learned so much, and I started working with clients at night after school and intern. Slowly I built my client base, so I quit my job and started my own freelance life.

Since then, eight years has passed, I partnered with two very good friends, Mengle and Jeff. They are doing editing and sound design, and we started a full post house in Burbank. I worked on so many projects, and I am still passionate about all the new coming projects.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a struggle when I have to balance daytime jobs and freelance jobs. In my early years, I work in the color grading house from 9am to 7pm, and I always have a client session from 9pm to midnight.

Luckily my company is only 15 mins away from my apartment, so my daily routing is: 8:30am wake up, grab some food on the way and work till 7pm, drive through a KFC grab a famous bowl, after dinner I would lay down on my couch and take a 30 min nap until my client knocks my door wakes me up. Then we sit through the night.

It’s been like this for a couple of years until I quit my job and started my own studio, this is also the toughest choice I ever made.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a colorist, or in longer terms: post-production digital intermediate colorist.

My work covers all sorts of videos: feature, short film, TV show, Commercials, Music Videos, etc.

The job is very specific, after editor locked the picture, we would bring all the footages onto our timeline, balance everything shot to shot, frame by frame, make it look smooth. Some shots were taken in different days or lighting situations, then we would need to match them, makes them visually perfect. On top of that, we can manipulate the mood of the picture, like make audience feel intense, make them feel happy, feel sad by shifting the color of the picture. It’s like a high-end filter. Think about Amélie, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, etc., each of those films have very unique look and those looks actually ties audience’s emotions.

As a colorist, I don’t normally have a preference for specific looks, as every client have different visions, it’s my job to find out what pleases them, and with my own understanding. I would sit with the director and DP, chat and discuss, dig out what they visioned for the picture, then find out a best solution to make the picture stunning.

I made a short infomercial called “Color is Story”, and it became very well known in my field, if you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend go check it out on my website. It is just one and half minute long uses simplest visual language to tell you how color can change the emotion of the story.

For me, color grading is the only hobby I have, It’s like I’m born for it, after so many years I am still excited to work on it, and the best moment is always the client’s reaction when they see a beautiful picture.

Contact Info:

• Email: roy@reasonstudio.co
• Website: www.reasonstudio.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloristroy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Q5nfo2eeU

Image Credits:
Portrait by Maria Babosa Studio photos: Roy Sun