LONDON — Veteran colorist Walter Volpatto has been elevated to fellow at the Colorist Society International (coloristsociety.com). A senior colorist at Efilm in Hollywood, Volpatto was nominated for a 2019 HPA Award for his work on the Oscar-winning film Green Book. His more than 100 credits also include the features
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,
Dunkirk,
Midway and
Independence Day: Resurgence, as well as the television series
Homecoming and
Queen Sugar.
The title of CSI Fellow is a distinguished honor that is extended to colorists with a history of significant accomplishment and contributions to the field. He joins Dale Grahn, Lou Levinson, Charles Poynton and Kevin Shaw as CSI fellows.
“Walter Volpatto is among the most talented colorists working today, and, more importantly, a longtime advocate for the craft of color correction and grading,” says CSI president Kevin Shaw. “We are very excited to have him as a CSI fellow and look forward to his insights as we work to continue growing and strengthening the organization.”
As a CSI fellow, Volpatto will act as a spokesperson for the organization at industry events and in reaching out to other segments of the industry. He will also work to build the organization through recruitment and the establishment of new local chapters.
“Before CSI was formed, colorists had no way to come together and make their voices heard,” he says. “CSI is playing an important role in ensuring that colorists are represented in awards competitions and properly credited in film and television listings, and in establishing standards for our craft.”
Volpatto adds that one of his objectives is to push the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to recognize “colorist” as a distinct artist discipline.
“I’m a member of the Academy and I would like to see more colorists become members,” he notes. “When the number of colorists reaches a certain critical mass, we may be able to leverage our numbers to establish our own branch within the Academy.”
Volpatto grew up on a farm near Turin, Italy, and began his career as an engineer and visual effects artist. He got his start in color in 2002 with Cinecitta in Rome before relocating to the US a year later, where he joined Fotokem. He has been with Efilm since 2018.