LOS ANGELES — Gregory Reese has joined the recently-established, stand-alone grading and finishing studio a52 Color (www.a52.com/color). Reese established a name for himself over the course of eight years as a colorist at The Mill. He has colored a spectrum of commercials for athletic brands, including Nike and Reebok, as well as campaigns for Audi, Apple, CoverGirl, GMC, Progressive and Samsung.
Led by executive producer Thatcher Peterson, a52 Color’s roster of colorists includes Paul Yacono and Daniel de Vue. The all-new facility was one perk that helped sealed the deal for Reese.
“One of the biggest barriers for entry to color is not having access to theatres,” says Reese. “A52 Color solves that problem with having the ability to grade both broadcast and theatrical formats, as well as giving us a high level of creative freedom. It left me immediately impressed by how invested they are in making it the absolute best place to go for color grading.”
Reese doesn’t beieve in pigeonholing himself into any specific look. Instead, he prefers to let the project brief dictate his visual approach.
“Color is at the center of how audiences engage with a picture in motion,” says the colorist. “Some of its technical components may not always be instantly recognized by the audience, but when it’s done right, it can make for an emotional experience.”
Thatcher Peterson and Reese previously worked together at The Mill in LA.
“Having had the fortunate experience of working with Gregory at The Mill, I knew he was the real deal when it came to a seasoned colorist,” says Peterson. “It’s a great advantage to be working with him again as he heightens a52 Color’s growing talent pool of top-notch colorists.”
“The addition of Greg beautifully rounds out our talent in the DI division,” adds managing director Jennifer Sofio Hall. “Similarly to the VFX team at a52, he’s got a rich history of working with some of the best commercial directors in the industry. Having that offering for our clients is paramount to creating a complete post experience.”