Technicolor Puts the Final Sheen on Manchester by the Sea

• Technicolor’s editorial conform and color grading keeps the focus on story and character.
• Colorist Jack Lewars collaborated for a second time with director Lonergan on his film’s final look.

With Hollywood in the midst of another hotly-contested awards season, one film on everyone’s lips this year is Manchester by the Sea.

With its powerful story and cast, writer/director Kenneth Lonergan wanted to keep the characters and the emotion front and center. Teaming up with Technicolor PostWorks New York – who provided DI, editorial finishing, and final color grading – Lonergan could realize the overall look and feel he envisioned for the finalized film.

Discussing the results, Lonergan said, “We did the color correction with Jack Lewars at Technicolor Postworks. He did the final grade on Autodesk Flame. We shot digitally but I think the film looks very filmic. They did a great job.”

This was Technicolor Colorist Jack Lewars second project with Lonergan, whose films often deal with the traps of loneliness, grief, and pain – and the power of family to set us free. That’s why the film’s final grade runs counter to convention. As Lewars explains, “Kenneth didn’t want the drama to be in the cinematography or the color; he wanted the story to speak for itself.”

This meant that the performances by the actors were key. For example, says Lewars, “There are scenes set in a hospital that are very distressing, but we kept them bright. Kenneth didn’t want the characters to be able to hide from their emotions. The bright light and bright environments bring the emotions to the foreground. The sadness comes through.”

Already named “Best Film of the Year” by the National Board of Review, Manchester by the Sea is a major awards contender with five Golden Globe nominations.

Watch the emotionally-charged trailer from Amazon Studios.