Color Assistant - Swing Shift

pictureshop; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

pictureshop seeks a skilled Color Assistant to support the finishing team on swing shifts, collaborating with colorists, editorial, and operations to ensure a smooth post-production workflow across multiple projects including theatrical releases.

The role is flexible-location, with days in Burbank or Hollywood based on project needs and requires strong color workflow knowledge, media management, and QC expertise to maintain high-quality deliverables.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a post-production color or editorial support role.
• Strong understanding of color workflows, video formats, and deliverables.
• Knowledge of color spaces, color-managed workflows, and LUT/CDL application.
• Knowledge of DCI specs and theatrical EDR mastering workflows.
• Experience shooting theaters with CR and/or PR probes for calibration/QC.
• Comfortable with high-end filmmaker clients in theatrical finishing.
• Experience with color grading software (e.g., DaVinci Resolve, Baselight, or similar).
• Familiarity with editorial workflows and conforming techniques.
• Basic knowledge of HDR and Dolby Vision workflows.
• Knowledge of digital capture cameras and camera files.
• Familiarity with mobile storage devices and formats.
• Avid and/or Final Cut Pro experience a plus.
• Experience with task-based or work-order systems.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with an ability to teach and support others.

Responsibilities

• Set up and organize projects for color sessions.
• Ingest, conform, and manage media for grading sessions.
• Track/editorial updates as they come in.
• Color trace across timelines and flag incorrect color space assets.
• Prepare color suites 15+ minutes before start and verify integrity.
• Render final graded content and check against timelines.
• Check for technical/visual errors and ensure quality.
• Set up fixes as coordinated by production/client.
• Label/organize rendered elements per naming conventions.
• Alert production if timelines or cutoffs are at risk.
• Route video signals and calibrate monitors for accurate color.
• Ensure technical systems function before color sessions.
• Log tickets in Freshdesk and liaise with engineering.
• Collaborate with engineering for troubleshooting.
• Support theatrical finishing sessions with DCI/EDR knowledge.
• Assist with shooting/calibrating theaters using CR/PR probes.
• Prepare QC theatrical deliverables including DCP checks.
• Maintain professionalism with high-end filmmaker clients.
• Collaborate on color pipelines and project requirements.
• Protect/archive final assets for long-term preservation.
• Work with online editors, operations, and producers for smooth workflow.
• Send streaming session invites and coordinate with clients.
• Monitor workflow efficiency and avoid bottlenecks.
• Log completed tasks for billing/project tracking.
• Capture and maintain hero stills across timelines.
• Provide clear handoff notes to incoming shift.
• Keep production informed of prep status and issues.
• Perform basic color correction for VFX drop-ins and QC fixes.
• Ensure VFX are integrated within final color timeline.

Skills

Color workflows

Video formats

Deliverables

HDL/EDR basics

Color grading software

Editorial workflows

Offline editing

Camera files knowledge

HDR/Dolby Vision

Mobile storage

Communication

Teaching others

Tools

DaVinci Resolve

Baselight

Avid Media Composer

Final Cut Pro

Job description

About the Role

We are looking for a skilled Color Assistant to support our finishing team on the swing shift. This role is critical to ensuring a seamless workflow between colorists, editorial, and operations during afternoon and evening hours, including theatrical finishing sessions. Unlike an apprentice role tied to a single colorist, this position serves the entire color team, assisting across multiple projects—including theatrical releases—and ensuring that work moves efficiently through the post-production pipeline.

This is a flexible-location role—some days will be spent in Burbank, others in Hollywood, based on project needs.

Key Responsibilities

Project preparation & media management

• Set up and organize projects for color sessions.
• Ingest, conform, and manage media, ensuring all assets are ready before grading sessions.
• Track and apply editorial updates as they come in.
• Perform color tracing across timelines and projects to verify accuracy, and flag any assets delivered in an incorrect color space for correction with production.
• Prepare color suites ahead of scheduled session start (typically 15+ minutes prior) and verify project integrity and playback performance before client arrival.

Rendering & quality control (QC/QA)

• Render final graded content and review outputs against the colorist’s timeline for accuracy and consistency.
• Check for technical or visual errors, ensuring deliverables meet quality standards.
• Set up fixes for any issues flagged in QC, as coordinated by production or the client.
• Label and organize all rendered elements according to project naming conventions.
• Alert production immediately if delivery timelines or cutoffs are at risk.

Technical setup & support

• Route video signals and set up calibrated monitors for accurate color reproduction.
• Ensure all technical systems are functioning properly before color sessions.
• Report machine downtime or technical issues to production and engineering immediately, logging tickets through Freshdesk as needed.
• Liaise with engineering when technical troubleshooting is needed.

Theatrical finishing support

• Support theatrical finishing sessions with working knowledge of DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) specifications and theatrical EDR (Extended Dynamic Range) workflows.
• Assist with shooting and calibrating theaters using CR (colorimeter) and/or PR (photometer/spectroradiometer) probes.
• Help prepare and QC theatrical deliverables, including DCP-related color and technical checks.
• Support sessions with high-end filmmaker and director clients, maintaining a professional, detail-oriented presence in the theater and on the client-facing side of the workflow.

Collaboration & workflow management

• Collaborate with the workflow department and imaging science team to determine proper color pipelines for each project.
• Work with clients as needed to ensure workflow paths align with final deliverable requirements.
• Protect and prepare final assets for studio archives to ensure long-term preservation.
• Work closely with online editors, operations, deliverables, and producers to ensure a smooth workflow from edit to color and back.
• Send out streaming session invites and coordinate with clients as needed.
• Monitor and maintain workflow efficiency to avoid bottlenecks.
• Log completed tasks accurately and submit them promptly to support billing and project tracking.

Session handoff & communication

• Capture and maintain hero stills across timelines.
• Provide clear handoff notes to the incoming shift and production team for any ongoing projects at the end of each shift.
• Keep production informed of prep status, session progress, and any issues that could impact sessions, schedules, or deliveries.

Light color work & VFX integration

• Perform basic color correction when checking VFX drop-ins, color tracing, and QC fixes.
• Ensure VFX elements are properly integrated within the final color timeline.

Qualifications & Experience

• 2+ years of experience in a post-production color or editorial support role.
• Strong understanding of color workflows, video formats, and deliverables.
• Knowledge of color spaces, color-managed workflows, and LUT/CDL application is a must.
• Knowledge of DCI specifications and theatrical EDR mastering workflows.
• Experience shooting theaters with CR and/or PR probes for theatrical calibration and QC.
• Comfortable working with high-end filmmaker clients in a theatrical finishing environment.
• Experience with color grading software (e.g., DaVinci Resolve, Baselight, or similar).
• Familiarity with editorial workflows and conforming techniques, including offline editing and file-based workflows.
• Basic knowledge of HDR and Dolby Vision workflows.
• Knowledge of digital capture cameras and camera files.
• Familiarity with mobile storage devices and formats.
• Avid and/or Final Cut Pro experience a plus.
• Experience with a task-based or work-order system.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with an ability to teach and support others.

Additional Details

• This role works a swing shift and requires onsite work at our Hollywood location (or Burbank location based on project needs).
• Must be flexible with scheduling based on production deadlines, including theatrical delivery timelines.
• Must be able to work occasional overtime, weekends, and variable shifts as needed.