Authenticity in cinema is often defined as something captured in the moment. Something found in location, performance and lived experience. But what audiences perceive as "real" is not just crafted during the filming process, but refined and enhanced in the post-production phase. 

Operating almost invisibly, one of the most subtle and vital roles in the storytelling process is held by the Colourist. The master of guiding emotional tone, enhancing atmosphere and reinforcing narrative intention, the Colourist is responsible for way more than just colour and technical correction. 

For Colourist Abdul-Ghakeem Samaai, the process of colour grading is less about correction and more about interpretation. When working on a film that prioritises realism, such as his latest collaborative project, Variations on a Theme, his approach reveals how post-production has become an extension of narrative, guiding the audience not just in what they see, but in what they feel.

 

Where does a Colourist sit within the storytelling process for you? Are you interpreting what’s already there, or actively shaping how the story is experienced?

As a Colourist, your job is always to accentuate what was trying to be achieved on set from a cinematography, production design and storytelling point of view. Different films require different approaches. With Variations, one of the most important themes was realism — showing off those beautiful landscapes and the harsh environment.

Before doing the grade, we spoke a lot about textures and making things feel and look real, but at the same time, not losing any artistic approach. My job is to emphasise that and to make the film aesthetically pleasing, so when an audience watches the film, it keeps them engaged in that visual side of that storytelling.

 

There's often an assumption that authenticity comes from what's captured on camera, but so much is shaped in post. How do you approach defining what feels "real" in a film that prioritises authentic storytelling?

Realism was the overarching theme of the film and formed the basis for everyone to start off of, and then we enhanced from that base point. People often associate realism with keeping things natural and allowing things to be.

 

But it's not about leaving things untouched — it's about enhancing what already exists in a way that still feels truthful.

 

The colour in Variations blew the highlights and crushed the shadows, trying to emphasise a gritty, textured feel — and that all stems from the realism theme.

 

In the grading suite, do you see your role as supporting the Director's vision, or also pushing and expanding it in new directions?

I always try to encourage collaboration. The grade session usually consists of the Director, the Cinematographer, sometimes a Post Supervisor or Producer. And, it's not just the Director dictating how the film should look — it's everyone's input that moulds the film visually.

The Director is often more narrative-driven, the DOP is more visual, and I'm the guy in between trying to keep everyone happy. The Variations crew has become very familiar and no one's afraid to say anything — opinions go unfiltered — and through all of that we land on an image that everyone can be really proud of. So it's very much an open, collaborative process.

 

Variations on a Theme deals heavily with memory and repetition. How did those ideas influence your approach to colour and texture?

Every single shot was intended to be shot at the exact same time of every single day, so one of the major things was to differentiate the days from one another. From a visual point of view, it was really important to make it feel like five different days, as opposed to a repetition of the same day. Sometimes interiors could easily look exactly the same — so elements like costume, lighting, and then the grade all played a huge role.

We were also fortunate that the weather wasn't exactly the same across the five days and instead of fighting that, we allowed it, which supported the realism and helped differentiate the days. My role was always to emphasise what was already achieved on set.

 

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Curious about delving deeper into the world of cinema and colours role in it? Check out Marketing Lessons from Classic Movie Villains.

*Image courtesy of contributor and Canva.