The Difference Between Good and Great Grading with Sharon Chung
Sharon Chung brings with her a unique style and finesse. She is an award winning colourist – awarded a Young Arrow in 2025. Her work has been featured in music videos, short films, documentaries and commercials. She has collaborated on global campaigns for brands such as Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Hugo Boss and Nike.
Sharon’s obsession with the interplay of light, tone and texture on screen started at a young age in Hong Kong; family trips to the neighbourhood film rental shop inspired Sharon to pursue a career in filmmaking, such was the allure of these endless worlds of colour and tone to escape into.
As a colourist Sharon's intention with every project is to create an atmospheric realm that will evoke a deeply emotive experience for the viewer.
Sharon sat down with LBB to look back on discovering her passion for colour grading, her work with Steve Mackey improving her craft, and how she fell in love with cinema.
LBB> What was your first experience with the world of colour grading and when did you decide that being a colourist was a role you wanted to pursue?
Sharon> My first experience with colour grading was during a short filmmaking course I took in London. I was in my mid twenties, going through a bit of a quarter life crisis and looking for a career change. I had moved from Hong Kong to London hoping for new experiences, and at film school one of the modules introduced us to DaVinci Resolve.
Before that I didn’t even know the role of a colourist existed. I thought the look of a film was entirely created by the DOP. But as soon as I started grading, something clicked. It felt intuitive and fun. After the course, I tried different roles on set and in post, but grading was the one that truly stuck with me. It felt natural, creative and deeply satisfying. That was when I knew I wanted to pursue it seriously.
LBB> What was the project that you felt really changed your career?
Sharon> A project that really changed things for me was a director’s cut of a Marc Jacobs ‘Daisy’ perfume campaign a few years back, directed by the late Steve Mackey. He was a wonderful and kind person to work with. The film was beautifully shot with amazing locations. I remember having to complete and deliver the grade on the same day, which felt like a big challenge at the time.
When I finished, I had this strong sense that I had levelled up. It gave me confidence and a real feeling of control over my craft. That was the first time I felt like I truly knew what I was doing.
LBB> How or where did you hone your craft and did you have any particular mentors?
Sharon> I am mostly self taught, but I have been very lucky to receive guidance from generous people along the way. My first industry job was as a runner at Technicolor where I got to observe incredible colourists like Peter Doyle, Alex Gascoigne and Jean-Clément Soret. They gave me my first glimpse of what the life of a colourist could be and what high end grading looked like up close.
When I joined Cheat as a colour assistant, the colourists there including Toby Tomkins, Tim Smith, Karol Cybulski, Vlad Barin and Jack McGinty, were all generous in sharing their knowledge and advice. Later at Avenues, where I was doing both editing and grading, I honed my skills by working on a wide range of projects and learning through practice. I was also lucky enough to sit in on a few grading sessions with the amazing colourist Francis Qureshi whose style I really admire. Those experiences were invaluable to me.
Now at Wash, I am lucky to have two amazing senior colourists, Jon Dobson and Chris Bell, who are always there when I need advice or a second pair of eyes. I have also learned a lot from all the directors, DOPs, VFX artists, and creatives I have had the pleasure to work with.
Every project teaches me something new about light, storytelling and the emotional possibilities of colour.
LBB> Tell us more about your creative process. When you get a project, how do you go about developing a look?
Sharon> I usually start by watching the edit before touching any footage. I like to get a sense of the story, tone and rhythm first. Then I go through the creative or grade brief to understand the direction we are heading in, often with reference stills for tone, texture and contrast.
Sometimes I find my own references from films or photography that I feel fit the project. My technical process is quite simple. I transform the footage into Rec709, pick a hero shot from each setup, balance it and then start building looks from there.
I love experimenting with texture because it can add so much character to an image. I always try to find a balance between something tactile and cinematic, but still clean and modern.
LBB> From experience, we’ve found that colourists often love art and photography. When you’re out of the studio, what inspires you?
Sharon> I grew up in Hong Kong and my mum used to take me and my sisters to the local video rental shop all the time, so cinema was definitely my first love. Even before I became a colourist I collected film stills as an extremely nerdy hobby. Now I also love collecting art and photography books, equally nerdy. I have always been drawn to the visual language of storytelling.
Outside of work I find inspiration in art, photography and just being out in the world. I love going to the cinema and museums. They always recharge my creative energy. I also love being in nature. After spending hours in a dark suite, being outdoors feels grounding. When I see a beautiful sunset or the way light hits a tree, it reminds me of why I fell in love with colour in the first place.
LBB>Colour grading is largely a digital affair, but there’s been a resurgence of film in recent years. What are your thoughts about working on film versus digital formats, and what are your favourite techniques for creating a vintage or tactile feel?
Sharon> I love working with both film and digital because they each have their own kind of magic. Film has that natural texture and emotion that makes everything look timeless, while digital gives us so much flexibility to explore creative ideas in the grade.
I still get excited whenever a brief comes in and it’s shot on film. In London we are lucky to have great labs and facilities that make film relatively accessible compared to Hong Kong where it’s often too expensive to shoot.
When I am working digitally but want a more tactile or vintage feeling, I build texture through subtle grain and mixing in a bit of film emulation. I like shaping contrast in a way that feels photographic rather than technical. It’s about chasing that emotional depth that film gives you naturally.
LBB> When working in commercials, what role can colour and a grade play in enhancing a brand’s assets, and what sort of conversations do you have with creatives and clients about that?
Sharon> Colour plays such an important role in shaping how a brand feels. A good grade can bring out the emotion of a story while also strengthening brand identity in a subtle way. Sometimes we work with a very specific brand palette or product colours, and sometimes we create a world that just feels right for the tone of the campaign.
The conversations I have with directors, DOPs and clients are often about balance. How do we bring out the personality of the brand without making it feel forced or overly stylised? It’s about keeping things cohesive across campaigns while still allowing space for each piece to have its own creative identity. I think when a grade feels emotionally true to the story, it automatically enhances the brand.
LBB> How do you ensure that each colourist–director partnership is a success?
Sharon> For me it starts with listening. I try to understand how a director communicates, what they care about and what their vision feels like beneath the words. Some like to be very technical and detailed, others are more intuitive, and I adapt to that.
Trust is also a big part of it. When a director feels they can explore freely in the suite and that I am there to support rather than steer, that’s when the best collaboration happens. I think of grading as a conversation. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you respond – the goal is always to arrive at something that feels right to both of us.
LBB> What advice would you give to budding colourists?
Sharon> Get as much hands-on experience as you can. Grade everything and train your eyes. Keep reviewing your own work and stay curious. Focus on your technical skills but also your communication. Learn to interpret feedback and work well with producers, directors and everyone on your team. Stay open and don’t be afraid to ask for mentorship or to sit in with someone more experienced. Books and tutorials are helpful, but learning directly from others gives you real context and insight into the craft.
Find inspiration everywhere, in films, photography, painting or nature. Meet people in your field, build genuine relationships and be kind. This industry is small and collaborative and people will always remember how you make them feel.
LBB> In your opinion, what’s the difference between a good grade and a great grade?
Sharon> A good grade is technically correct and does what the job requires. A great grade builds a world you want to live in.
I remember writing in my old blogging days about how I wished the real world looked like the movies. Maybe that’s what I chase in my work, a slightly heightened version of reality that draws you in and makes you feel something.
LBB> How is the craft and trade of colour grading changing?
Sharon> The tools are changing fast, especially with AI becoming more advanced in things like keying and tracking. It’s exciting because it can make us more efficient, but I still think grading will remain a very human process. It’s collaborative and emotional, and that can’t be replicated by a machine just yet.
The line between colour and VFX is also becoming softer as grading tools include more cleanup and light compositing features. And because the software is becoming more affordable, more people, like me, can get into it. It opens the door for new voices and fresh ideas.
