Next Gen Talent | Agua Jiang discusses her journey as a Colourist

Talk to us about your role within The Mill.

I’m one of three colorists that make up our color team in The Mill Shanghai Office. Nikola Stefanovic and Nicola Gasparri are our other two colorists, both super passionate and inspiring. We’re fortunate to have the support of dedicated color producers and assistants. It’s a big, sweet family!

What type of projects get you excited and spark your interest?

It really depends, but any project that is well designed and creative are attractive to me. Being able to work with so many talented artists from all around the world is always exciting. I like when people come and tell me to ‘Do whatever you want’; I also like to work with directors and DPs who have a very clear understanding of the work and aesthetics on screen.

What projects are you most proud to have worked on and why?

My first full grade job ’Tmall White Shirt’. My experience might be slightly different than other people who start doing color grading. People might normally start from a few small projects and gradually gain experience then grow up; that was my plan as well. However, my very first jobs were with big directors and big budget productions. When I look back, it was not easy for me as I felt like I was still a beginner, and I questioned my ability and experience. But being so passionate about color grading, I put in 200% effort and tried my best. For sure there are some really cool stuff that I got to work on and I really like them.I really proud of myself for being brave enough to try and overcome those first big challenges.

How do you want to help shape the next generation of colour at The Mill and beyond?

I actually don’t need to ‘shape’ the next generation, all the younger people in my color department are really brilliant without me. They are super cool, determined; we actually learn a lot from them each other on a daily basis. I think they will be just as or even more successful than me. Of course when they do come to me with questions, I will do my best to help them grow.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I read. I really enjoy reading books, all kinds of subjects. Although I am a visual artist, some times I do prefer the words than images. It can be an easier way to gain knowledge and broaden my imaginations.