Five minutes with colorist Phil Choe / Standard Art

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Five minutes with colorist Phil Choe / Standard Art | Sohonet

Standard Art is a new boutique color grading studio set up by veteran colorist Phil Choe and dedicated to elevating visual storytelling. The Boston based facility only launched at the turn of the year and is already crafting stunning, cinematic looks for creative agencies and music artists.

Choe has an impressive 18-year track record of excellence, having collaborated with renowned brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Chopard, Ivy Park, Jaguar, Nike, Pantene, Progressive and Puma at houses including Nice Shoes and Assembly. 

“Whether you're working on an indie film, a commercial, or a feature production, my passion is help you achieve a look that not only captivates but resonates,” Choe says. “Together, we create stories that linger long after the credits roll.”

‍What is your experience so far of running your own business?

It's tough but satisfying! As a business owner there are a lot of things you’ve got to do aside from the artistry. First, I had to set up this space in Boston with my Baselight, monitors and fast internet. The last thing I wanted to be concerned about was the streaming side of things. Having used ClearView since the pandemic I was very comfortable making it an essential part of Standard Art. I knew how it works. I know there is zero latency and, most importantly, I know clients are confident using it too. 

‍How do your clients like to work with you to set color and collaborate?

In the old days, pre-Covid, clients would come in and we’d set the look and then they would just wait while I did the first pass. Maybe they’d go out and get lunch or go to another meeting and return a few hours later. Now, they don't have to wait around. People are just more comfortable working remotely. 

Creatives, especially, are so busy now because they're being asked to oversee and juggle a lot of projects at once. Streaming sessions saves them time when they don’t have to commute. It’s simply more convenient for them to be able to join in wherever they are. ClearView gives them the flexibility to tackle color and meet the deadlines for everything they have going on.

‍How do you use ClearView?

I have three monitors: My main OLED in front of me, the client monitor and I’ll often stream a ClearView as well. I'll check all three because at the end of the day although my mastering format is going to be for my OLED, I like to see how the campaign looks when it’s streamed on YouTube or Instagram on whichever device people will view it on in the real world.

In the days before the pandemic clients were so adamant about coming in and insistent on seeing a calibrated monitor with you in person. They felt they had to see what the artist was seeing, to verify that the mastering was going to be perfect. Now, remote sessions have become an accepted standard and ClearView has done a lot to calm people’s minds.

Even when clients do come in, they request a ClearView for someone who couldn't intend. Lately, what I’ve have found particularly useful is the ability for clients to mark-up the stream using the annotation tool. You can set the notes to disappear after a few seconds or be marked up more permanently. It’s all in the browser. 

‍What gives you confidence that your remote clients are seeing what you're seeing?

Prior to our streaming session, there's a list of things I’ll ask them to do. I prefer for them to be on Google Chrome and then I go through the Mac displays with them to tweak the color temperatures and brightness and so on. If their room is particularly bright I’ll ask them to lower the blinds. It’s also about their confidence that they are seeing the same picture I am. ClearView gives them that confidence. It's great to have a product that works like it's supposed to.

I’d say the majority of my clients now choose streaming. They're so comfortable with streaming sessions for review and approval and even to set up the look that they don't need to be physically present. I have clients on the West Coast, in London and all over the world. If it wasn't for having ClearView we wouldn't be able to do this.

‍What's the next step for your business Phil? 

I’ve thought about this a lot because I definitely feel we could expand with an assistant or producer or maybe a junior artist to take on the extra work. That's a discussion that I’m going to have to have but again, I’m only a few months in and I don't want to expand too quickly too fast. I want to grow the business organically and see how it goes.