Episode 09: Joe Gawler

Joe and Lee go back a very long time. When Lee first started mastering movies in New York City, there weren’t a lot of colorists who could work on feature films outside Hollywood. Most colorists in the city were only doing commercials or music videos and the emphasis was on the 30 second spot or the 3 minute MTV special. Joe could do these of course, but Lee quickly learned that Joe could handle the long form movie re-master very well. With the advent of high definition and the needed content to supply broadcasters with HD versions of classic films, Lee and Joe spent a lot of time together moving through dozens of films including Bergman, Fellini, Tarkovsky and countless others. Cut to 2022 and Joe is one of the leading feature film Digital Intermediate colorists in the world.

In this episode, Ryan and Lee go back to Joe’s humble beginnings, share some great stories, and talk about the evolution of the telecine transfer up to the digital camera and the changes in technology. It’s a fun and fast paced conversation.

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Over the years, Joe has built long- standing collaborations with respected cinematographers including Ellen Kuras, Harris Savides, Ed Lachman, Bradford Young, and Florian Ballhaus. Gawler’s recent work includes Disney’s "Hamilton," Kelly Reichardt’s "First Cow," Ron Howard’s "Solo: A Star Wars Story," Greta Gerwig’s "Little Women," Robert Eggers’ "The Lighthouse," and FX’s "Fosse/Verdon." In 2020, "The Lighthouse and" "Little Women" earned nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards for ‘Best Cinematography’ and ‘Best Picture’, respectively.

“Finding the bespoke look for a project drives my process,” says Gawler. He finds that the art of color grading is “a balancing act to push the most compelling images while staying true to the creative intent for all filmmakers involved.” His subtle art of ensuring that every filmmaker in the room is happy with the final image, and delivering a signature look, is what has given him the reputation of a trusted collaborator.