When Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim sought out a facility for the digital intermediate work on his powerful documentary Waiting for Superman he took his project to Company 3 and colorist Stephen Nakamura. Nakamura who has brought his sensitivity and technical savvy to blockbuster features including James Bond action thriller Quantum of Solace and the upcoming Russell Crowe adventure Robin Hood was thrilled with the opportunity to apply his talents to this decidedly smaller independent film made up primarily of video-shot interviews and a very diverse array of archival material. While not the type of job that might require Nakamura to create an otherworldly look during his sessions the colorist says there was a special satisfaction working on this emotional in-depth look at America's educational system. Nakamura's work on the DaVinci Resolve helped provide unique looks to particular storylines to help subliminally orient the audience when the film rapidly cross-cuts locations as three families in different cities participate in tense lotteries to determine whether their children will get into the best schools. Davis is so passionate about everything he does and that shows through in this really special film he says. I love working on huge studio films but this is why I got into the business. The filmmakers were acutely aware of the benefits Nakamura could bring not just to an effects-heavy studio feature but also to an independent documentary. Sometimes the documentaries that mix footage from many different sources can be the most challenging to even out Nakamura says. The interviews they shot with the HD cameras looked very good but when you go from one camera to the other or from HD to something you downloaded from the internet it's very important to finesse each image very carefully. Any mismatch or technical imperfection is going to be magnified enormously especially when you put the movie up on the big screen. For Nakamura this was as rewarding as any project that's gone through his DI bay. It can be great to participate in a gigantic film that goes on to make hundreds of millions of dollars he says but it's also incredibly rewarding to work on material that can really make a difference in the world. Company 3 www.company3.com
