COLOR MATTERS RETURNS FOR A THIRD SEASON
Company 3 and Portrait Displays’ Calman Present the Next Chapter of the Color Matters Series
Portrait Displays, the global leader in calibration solutions and creator of Calman® color calibration software, and Company 3, the world’s largest post-production studio, today announced the third season of Color Matters, an original documentary web series dedicated to celebrating colorists and color scientists who collaborate with directors and cinematographers to define the visual language of film and television. Season 3, titled “Masters of Color,” will premiere with an exclusive first look at Company 3’s Harlow location in Hollywood, California, on September 28th.
Produced in partnership with Company 3, Color Matters Season 3 features Senior Colorists Jill Bogdanowicz, ASC, and Stephen Nakamura, ASC, along with Dr. John Quartel, VP Imaging Science, offering the audience a broad look at how Company 3 shapes the future of color in film before narrowing into intimate profiles of its featured talent. Unfolding across eight episodes, each artist is introduced through their credentials and personal stories, while their craft, techniques, and influence are explored through iconic films in their portfolios. Together, they bring a distinct perspective on why color matters in defining the visual language of a film or series, how color influences the viewer’s experience, and why calibration tools like Calman play a crucial role in preserving creative intent from lens to the living room.
Color Matters, first introduced in 2022, is Portrait Displays’ original consumer edutainment format, presented by Calman. Its premise is to shine a light on the creative work of colorists and color scientists, the unsung heroes of all the films and shows audiences love and connect with. Defining the look, mood, and emotional tone of every scene, they rely heavily on the color accuracy of calibrated displays they use to make creative decisions that visually move an audience along the storyline. With Season 3, the series completes its trilogy targeted to a growing global audience united by a genuine appreciation for the craft of color grading.
While color and image manipulation strictly rely on image science, numbers, and technical diagrams, “Masters of Color” translates the science and artistry of color grading into human terms. Anchored in what the audience already loves — their favorite films and streaming programs — Color Matters uses those touchstones to illuminate the importance of color accuracy, both in the studio and home environments, to maintain the psychological impact of color in the storytelling process. Portrait Displays’ unique lens-to-living-room story describes the journey a director’s vision takes from set to the grading bay to the movie theaters, and eventually to any screen inside a home. Calman exists to protect that journey at every step along the way, and Color Matters exists to ensure audiences learn how much effort artists put into creating the visual language of a program, and why TV calibration and preservation of creative intent dramatically improve the viewing experience.
Founded in 1997 by Stefan Sonnenfeld, Company 3 has shaped the look of some of the most celebrated films and television series of the past three decades across genres, formats, and generations of filmmakers. Sonnenfeld himself was the first colorist inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Company 3’s roster of talent includes some of the most decorated color professionals in the industry. Company 3 is a longtime Calman user, and the shared values that connect Portrait Displays and Company 3 make this partnership a natural one.
“Color is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have, setting the visual tone and preserving the emotional core of a film,” said Stefan Sonnenfeld, CEO of Company 3. “Maintaining that creative intent from our grading suites to the viewer’s screen requires complete precision. Color Matters highlights the dedication and expertise behind this craft, and we are proud to support a project that showcases the vital role colorists play in modern cinema.”
“We collaborated on Color Matters to spotlight the artists who shape the visual language of the stories we love,” added Steph Leal, Vice President Marketing, Company 3. “Partnering with Portrait Displays and Calman for Season 3 was a natural alignment because we share a commitment to technical excellence and artistic integrity. This season offers audiences a rare look at how science and artistry come together to elevate the viewing experience.”
“Driven by Color, Backed by Science is not just a marketing slogan that Portrait Displays uses with its logo. Indeed, it is a statement of pride reflecting more than three decades of our engineering-driven business,” says Eric Brumm, CEO of Portrait Displays. “With Calman’s footprint covering both the entertainment and consumer electronics worlds, our mission of providing a true lens-to-living-room experience to preserve the artists’ intent has never been more exciting than today. Teaming up with Company 3 is a dream come true.”
“Color Matters is one of the most entertaining learning experiences around color for anyone interested in film and television,” says Marcel Gonska, VP of Marketing at Portrait Displays and creator of Color Matters. “The idea was born out of the desire to develop a format that allows any type of audience member—young or old, from content creators to consumers—to understand why color reproduction truly matters from lens to the living room.” Gonska continues: “Having the opportunity to work with Company 3’s amazing talent on Season 3 and to integrate educational elements with movies and TV shows audiences love fills us with pride and gratitude. So does the support of all the studios that provided us with their footage for the program.”
Season 3 is directed by Robert Gomez Hernandez, who returns to the Color Matters format for a third consecutive season. Hernandez and his team at Alumiere Productions have developed a distinctive approach to the subject matter over the course of the series, one that places artists at the center, lets their passion for the craft speak for itself, and finds the emotional stakes in a field that is too often discussed only in technical terms.
“Color Matters is a historically significant series on the importance of color in cinema. Our third season celebrates the breadth and richness of the careers of Stephen Nakamura, John Quartel, and Jill Bogdanowicz in ways that have never been seen before. It is truly an honor to partner with Company 3, Calman, and our crew to present their stories to cinephiles and professionals alike. Our audience is in for a thrilling and insightful experience,” said Hernandez.
Color Matters Season 3 will be released as an eight-episode miniseries, with Episode 1 premiering on September 29th. The series will be distributed globally via Portrait Displays’ YouTube channel and through extensive media collaborations with international editorial partners across Europe and the United States.
To learn more about Color Matters and make sure you don’t miss an episode, visit www.portrait.com/color-matters