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Film Color Grading Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Bowhead

Video Editor

Fort Belvoir, VA

$90K - $120K/yr

Perform color correction, color grading, audio leveling, background noise reduction, and voiceover ... Bachelor's degree in Film, Digital Media, Multimedia Production, or related field * 5-10 years ...

Bowhead

Video Editor

Fort Belvoir, VA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

Perform color correction, color grading, audio leveling, background noise reduction, and voiceover ... Bachelor's degree in Film, Digital Media, Multimedia Production, or related field * 5-10 years ...

Indian Rocks Church

Filmmaker

Largo, FL · On-site

... film, communications, or a related creative field preferred. Proven experience as a Videographer and Editor with a strong portfolio/reel demonstrating cinematography, lighting, editing, color grading ...

Premiermarketingus

Strong eye for visual storytelling, typography, color grading, and sound design. * Bachelor's degree in Film, Media Production, Marketing, Communications, or equivalent hands‑on experience. #J ...

Coma Coffee Roasters

Video Editor

Houston, TX · On-site

... film projects. You will work closely with directors, producers, and post-production teams to ... color grading into final edits. * Stay updated on industry trends, editing techniques, and post ...

Premiermarketingus

Social Media Editor

Charlotte, NC · On-site

Strong eye for visual storytelling, typography, color grading, and sound design. * Bachelor's degree in Film, Media Production, Marketing, Communications, or equivalent hands‑on experience. #J ...

Indian Rocks Church

Filmmaker

Largo, FL · On-site

... film, communications, or a related creative field preferred. Proven experience as a Videographer and Editor with a strong portfolio/reel demonstrating cinematography, lighting, editing, color grading ...

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Film Color Grading information

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$38K

$75.5K

$129K

How much do film color grading jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for film color grading in the United States is $75,498.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,000.00 and $87,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is film color grading?

Film color grading is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture or video during post-production. Colorists use specialized software to adjust contrast, brightness, saturation, and color tones to create a specific mood or visual style. This process helps ensure consistency between shots and can dramatically influence the overall look and feel of a film. Color grading is essential for storytelling, as it can evoke emotions and guide the audience's focus.

What are the typical collaboration points between a film colorist and other departments during post-production?

Film colorists work closely with directors, cinematographers, and editors throughout the post-production process to achieve the desired visual tone of a project. Regular communication is essential, as colorists must interpret creative briefs and adjust color palettes based on feedback from these stakeholders. They often participate in review sessions where adjustments are made in real time to ensure continuity and meet the project’s artistic vision. This collaborative environment requires strong interpersonal skills and flexibility, as priorities can shift rapidly as the film nears completion.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a film color grading specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Film Color Grading Specialist, you need a deep understanding of color theory, digital imaging, and post-production workflows, typically supported by experience with film or video editing. Mastery of color grading software such as DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro, along with knowledge of LUTs and color calibration tools, is essential. Strong attention to detail, creative vision, and excellent communication skills help you collaborate effectively with directors and cinematographers. These competencies ensure the final visual product achieves the desired mood, consistency, and professional quality, which are crucial for storytelling and audience impact.

What is the difference between Film Color Grading vs Film Post-Production Specialist?

AspectFilm Color GradingFilm Post-Production Specialist
CredentialsKnowledge of color theory, editing software, and color grading toolsProficiency in editing, sound, and visual effects software
Work EnvironmentPost-production studios, editing suitesPost-production facilities, editing suites
Industry UsagePrimarily in film, TV, and digital media for color correctionBroader role including editing, sound, and visual effects

Film Color Grading focuses specifically on adjusting the color and tone of footage to achieve the desired visual style. In contrast, a Film Post-Production Specialist handles a wider range of tasks, including editing, sound design, and visual effects. While both roles work in post-production environments, color grading is a specialized skill within the broader post-production process.

How to become a film colorist?

To become a film colorist, you typically need a strong understanding of color theory, proficiency in color grading software such as DaVinci Resolve or Baselight, and experience in post-production or film editing. Gaining relevant skills through formal education, online courses, or apprenticeships, along with building a portfolio of work, can help establish a career in this specialized role.

Is a film colorist a good career?

A film colorist is a specialized professional responsible for enhancing the visual tone and mood of films through color correction and grading using tools like DaVinci Resolve or Baselight. The career offers opportunities in the film and television industry, often requiring technical skills, creativity, and an understanding of color theory; it can be competitive but rewarding for those with a passion for visual storytelling.
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Film Color Grading jobs near you
Infographic showing various Film Color Grading job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 75% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,498 per year, or $36.3 per hour.

Visual Quality Expert (Film, VFX & Animation)

Remote

Weekday AI
See more jobs at Weekday AIexternal

$60 - $90/hr

Contractor

Posted 28 days ago

Job description

This role is for one of our clients
Compensation: $60-$90 per hour
Join a leading AI research organization at the forefront of generative AI and contribute your expertise in professional visual quality, image fidelity, and visual perception to the development and evaluation of advanced AI models.
We are seeking experienced visual quality specialists from film, VFX, animation, and professional photography who possess a highly trained eye for image fidelity, lighting, color, rendering, and pixel-level detail. In this role, you will evaluate enhanced and upscaled images and video frame by frame, identifying subtle defects that may be overlooked by the average viewer, including compression artifacts, noise, aliasing, banding, inconsistent grain, and excessive or insufficient sharpening.
This is a part-time engagement requiring approximately 20 hours per week, with working hours overlapping the PST-to-EST window.
Requirements
2. Key Responsibilities
  • Evaluate visual quality: Review high-resolution images and video at the pixel level, identifying compression artifacts, noise, aliasing, banding, grain inconsistencies, color issues, and sharpening-related defects.
  • Apply professional visual standards: Assess whether AI-generated, enhanced, or upscaled outputs meet professional standards for image fidelity, visual consistency, and production quality.
  • Develop evaluation guidelines: Create and refine visual-quality assessment frameworks, rating criteria, and review templates to ensure consistent evaluation across reviewers and challenging edge cases.
  • Identify subtle visual defects: Detect imperfections and inconsistencies that may not be immediately visible to an average viewer but would be noticeable to experienced film, VFX, animation, or photography professionals.
  • Document visual observations: Translate complex visual characteristics into precise, structured language suitable for evaluation datasets, captions, annotations, and quality-assessment frameworks.
  • Create testing samples: Generate or curate visual examples for targeted testing, benchmarking, and side-by-side comparison.
  • Collaborate with experts: Work with other visual-quality specialists and program teams to maintain consistent standards across images, video sequences, and evaluation workflows.
3. Core Qualifications
  • 5+ years of professional experience in high-end visual evaluation, production, or image-quality assessment within film, VFX, animation, cinematography, rendering, or professional photography.
  • Demonstrated professional expertise in at least one of the following areas:
    • VFX Supervisor: Strong responsibility for final image quality, artifact detection, compositing fidelity, and pixel-level review.
    • Rendering Supervisor: Experience reviewing dailies and maintaining high standards for rendering and final-image quality.
    • Lighting Supervisor, Lead, or Artist: Deep understanding of illumination, lighting consistency, and digital image formation.
    • Colorist: Expertise in color grading, visual consistency, color artifacts, and image fidelity.
    • Director of Photography / Cinematographer: Strong understanding of framing, exposure, lighting, focus, sharpness, and high-resolution image capture.
    • Effects or Surfacing Artist: Expertise in textures, materials, surfaces, simulations, and visual detail.
    • Professional Photographer: Advanced knowledge of lighting, depth of field, image sharpness, color reproduction, and photographic artifacts.
    • Director: Significant experience directing complex scenes, crowd activity, or background performances.
    • Digital Projectionist: Strong understanding of final-output quality, screen-level fidelity, and visual anomalies.
  • Formal training or education from a respected university or professional program in film, visual effects, animation, photography, or digital media is preferred.
  • Strong understanding of visual perception, lighting, image fidelity, rendering, and digital image quality.
  • Reliable access to a 4K-resolution monitor or professional display suitable for detailed, pixel-level evaluation.
  • Familiarity with AI-powered creative tools and workflows, including the ability to generate or curate visual samples for testing and comparison.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to identify subtle visual inconsistencies that may escape less experienced reviewers.
  • Excellent English communication skills, with the ability to describe complex visual observations clearly and precisely.
  • Ability to work reliably for approximately 20 hours per week, with availability overlapping the PST-to-EST working window.
4. Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate combines professional visual-production experience with an exceptionally discerning eye for image quality. You should be comfortable making detailed comparisons between visual outputs, identifying technical and perceptual differences, and explaining precisely why one image or sequence meets a professional standard while another does not.
Experience working with AI-generated imagery, image enhancement, upscaling, generative video, or visual evaluation workflows is a strong advantage.
5. Equal Opportunity
We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all qualified applicants. We do not discriminate based on legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals throughout the application and engagement process.
6. Engagement Details
  • Role: Visual Quality Expert (Film, VFX & Animation)
  • Engagement Type: Part-Time
  • Expected Commitment: Approximately 20 hours per week
  • Work Arrangement: Remote
  • Working Hours: Overlap with PST-to-EST window
  • Primary Focus: Visual quality evaluation, image fidelity, pixel-level review, AI-generated imagery, and benchmark development

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