Cinema is more than just moving images on a screen. It is a medium that holds the power to change a perspective, heal a heart, or spark a movement.
Vijey Adithya Mohan Raj, our next pathbreaker, Digital Intermediate Colorist (Los Angeles), works across a diverse spectrum of projects from feature-length narratives and documentaries to high energy music videos and commercials.
Vijey talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about how his technical background in Production Engineering and lifelong love for art eventually converged, resulting in a detour towards finding his true voice in the world of Digital Intermediate Colour.
For students, there are times when you must trust your own instincts, as they are often your best guide.
Vijey, Your background?
Growing up in Chennai, my early life was dictated by academic achievement. I was, in every sense, a “bookworm,” trapped in a relentless race for top marks and class rankings which also included a state 3rd rank in the 10th grade in Tamil Nadu in 2013. In my household, extracurricular activities were viewed as a distraction. Playing cricket or volleyball was treated as a “sin,” often forcing me to lie just to enjoy a few moments of recreation. Despite this rigid focus on traditional academics, a quiet fascination with art specifically sketching and painting had lived within me since the third grade. Unlike my school subjects, art was the one thing I never had to “study” for, it was simply a part of who I was.
Initially, I succumbed to societal pressure and convinced myself I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. I enrolled in JEE coaching during the 11th grade, only to realize that this path was a forced belief rather than a passion I naturally connected with. After high school, I finally chose to follow my own path by preparing for NATA (an entrance exam for B.arch). For the first time, learning felt effortless and natural. I was calm and confident. Although I aced the exam and secured a spot at one of India’s premier colleges, external circumstances forced me to pivot, leading me to study Production Engineering at MIT, Anna University instead.
Even as late as my third year of college, a career in cinema wasn’t on my radar. I was just someone who loved watching movies. However, my technical background and lifelong love for art eventually converged. Now, working on films, music videos, and commercials in Los Angeles, I realize that every “bad decision” and detour was a necessary step toward finding my true voice in the world of Digital Intermediate Color.
What did you do for graduation / post-graduation?
My undergrad was in B.E Production Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University.
My post-graduation was an MFA in Film Production – Cinematography Emphasis from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, California, USA.
What led you to an offbeat, unconventional and unique career as Colorist?
While navigating the rigors of an engineering degree, I became a “hunter for creativity,” searching for a technical niche that allowed for design. While product design in engineering didn’t click, I found my outlet in designing festival posters and editing photos for friends, discovering a world of color and raw emotion. This curiosity eventually led me back to a legacy inherited from my father – Photography. After a design internship in Bangalore, I saved enough for my first DSLR camera and spent three years immersed in street photography, though I remained a self-taught artist drifting without a clear professional direction.
Two distinct experiences finally provided the clarity I lacked. The first was a compulsory Quality Control internship at Renault Nissan in 2017, where I saw engineers trapped in a 9–5 cycle for the sake of stability. Their lack of personal life was a wake-up call. I realized I couldn’t trade my life for a steady paycheck and needed work that provided genuine satisfaction. The second was the true catalyst – a friend asked me to shoot his short film since I had a camera. For four days, I stepped into the dual roles of Director of Photography and Colorist, discovering that while I loved watching movies, the joy of actually creating them was boundless.
That first short film was the vital seed for my career, giving me the confidence to abandon the safety of engineering and pivot entirely toward Cinematography. I decided to set my sights as high as possible, aiming for the heart of the industry in Hollywood. I wanted to be surrounded by the world’s peak film technology and most visionary filmmakers. Every detour, from the factory floor to those first four days on set, was a necessary step toward the professional vision I hold today.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
My career was built on a foundation of experimentation and a relentless curiosity for new forms of visual storytelling. During my undergraduate years at MIT (Madras Institute of Technology), I helped found The MIT Quill, a club dedicated exclusively to creative work, a first for our college at the time. Serving as both a videographer and graphic designer, I eventually led the team in my final year, overseeing the recruitment of new creatives to ensure the club’s legacy continued after our graduation.
Our work focused on creating unique promotional content for college festivals and symposiums, capturing student activities, and producing material for our YouTube channel and academic yearbooks. We were fortunate to have the freedom to explore these creative outlets, which played a pivotal role in my decision to pursue Cinema. This experience, combined with my dedicated street photography, fundamentally shifted how I perceived images and expanded my technical knowledge.
Ultimately, these extra-curricular years provided the necessary creative foundation for my next chapter. When applying to Dodge College, the primary admission criteria was a visual reel demonstrating my artistic eye for light, shadows, and my unique perspective on the world. The body of work I had built during those three to four years proved sufficient to secure my admission, proving that my early creative explorations were the building blocks of my professional career.
Transitioning from engineering to cinema at 21 was a leap into the unknown. With only three short films under my belt, I moved to a new country to begin my MFA, facing the double challenge of adapting to a new culture while learning the true craft of filmmaking. To move forward, I first had to unlearn much of what I knew about photography and rebuild my knowledge on a professional foundation.
However, just as I was finding my footing, the world stopped. Three semesters of my film school experience were eclipsed by COVID-19. Stuck in a dorm taking remote classes, I felt hopeless. You cannot make movies from a distance; you have to be on set. To stay productive, I began exploring “DaVinci Resolve”, a software used for post-processing video footage and Digital Intermediate (DI) work. This process, commonly known as color grading, fascinated me immediately. It felt like a natural, powerful extension of Cinematography. Luckily I had a course for color grading during that time which was really helpful. The professor who taught this course really encouraged me to giveit a shot at first.
I quickly realized that the stunning visuals we see on screen are a collaborative effort. While the Director of Photography (DP) handles lighting, angles, and movement on set, the final image is truly born in the DI suite. As a colorist, I take the “flat” footage from the camera and elevate it, creating a cinematic look that gives the image its final meaning and mood. This niche gave me an incredibly deep understanding of the technical side of cameras and Cinematography. I became obsessed, spending three years grading student films for free to hone my craft. The pivotal moment that sparked my transition from being a cinematographer to a colorist occurred when I had the opportunity to work on a project that required a dedicated colorist to finalize the grading. Intrigued by the extent of creative possibilities that could be achieved through software in the post-production phase, I decided to delve deeper into the craft. To expand my knowledge and refine my skills as a colorist, I participated in various online seminars and workshops.
However, it was a transformative experience attending a Masterclass conducted by esteemed Senior Colorist Walter Volpatto from Company 3 that truly revolutionized my perspective. This session emphasized the crucial collaboration between a cinematographer and a colorist in the intimate environment of the dark room where the magic of grading occurs. It was through this class that I came to appreciate the importance of comprehending and manifesting the director’s vision. Building this understanding requires not only technical expertise but also experience and the ability to connect with clients on a deep level. That period of isolation turned into a period of intense specialization.
I did not view this shift as a setback, despite originally moving to the U.S. to study Cinematography. True to my nature, I have always gravitated towards anything visually compelling, and I soon realized that color grading offered me ultimate control over the image. I came to understand that as a Colorist, I play a vital role in shaping the visuals captured by the Cinematographer. Furthermore, my background in Cinematography has allowed me to grow rapidly within the industry having a deep understanding of those technical fundamentals is a significant advantage when elevating an image in the DI suite. The goal was to “Stay hungry, Stay foolish” as Steve Jobs said which I still follow in my career. I am always looking for new things I haven’t explored before.
How did you get your first break?
My professional breakthrough came between 2022 and 2023 when I worked on two significant projects simultaneously, each offering a vastly different perspective on the craft. The first was the Ben Affleck directed feature, “AIR,” starring Matt Damon, which chronicles the origin of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers. In this role, I oversaw the color workflow and managed critical color metadata for the VFX department. Working with the cutting-edge Arri Alexa 35 camera and its LogC4 color science, I gained invaluable technical expertise that significantly broadened my professional skill set.
At the same time, I served as the on-set Dailies Colorist for the independent feature film “Isabel’s Garden,” which was released last year on Prime Video USA. This role required me to grade footage live during the shoot, demanding quick creative decisions and a deep understanding of the immediate visual narrative.
During this time, I was also engaged with a prominent studio in LA in the color department, where I was involved in remastering color grade of classic Hollywood films and TV shows originally shot on 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm film, as well as videotape. Working with esteemed clients such as CBS, NBC, Paramount, Shout Factory, and Sony Pictures, I have the privilege of enhancing the visual quality and preserving the organic feel of these historical pieces through meticulous color grading. This particular venture had significantly altered my perspective, as I have come to appreciate the unique visual qualities and tonalities achieved through film capture.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
In the world of professional filmmaking, the most persistent challenge isn’t software, it’s the human element. Success as a technician often hinges on the ability to get inside the minds of the Director, the DoP, or the team lead, translating their abstract creative desires into precise technical results.
Working on “AIR” and “Isabel’s Garden” immediately after graduation was a trial by fire. As a newcomer to the professional system, I was suddenly responsible for a humongous number of technical metadata. On a project like “AIR,” which relied heavily on VFX to recreate the 1984 aesthetic, the pressure was on to manage a complex look-workflow for the VFX team. My primary task was ensuring that every VFX clip, once returned from the artists, integrated seamlessly into the specific cinematic look we had established.
Looking back, the technical hurdles that felt monumental then seem like small issues today. I’ve realized that in this industry, there is no “syllabus” to follow. Every film arrives with its own unique set of problems, and the solution usually isn’t found in a textbook. Working in Hollywood has taught me that the most valuable tools in a Colorist’s arsenal are actually common sense and patience.
Where do you work now? What problems do you solve?
Today, I am based in Los Angeles, working as a Digital Intermediate Colorist across a diverse spectrum of projects from feature-length narratives and documentaries to high energy music videos and commercials.
Entering this field requires a deep technical marriage with software. While industry giants often use the prohibitively expensive Baselight, the gateway to the craft for most is DaVinci Resolve. But mastering the software is only the first step, the true skill lies in the ability to “read” an image. You must understand the delicate balance of highlights, midtones, and shadows, and recognize the profound aesthetic gap between a standard video-level grade and a true, immersive cinematic look. Thanks to AI, all these are easier to learn and understand today.
While the technical tools remain consistent from project to project, the creative soul of my work is driven entirely by the story. To me, the narrative is the compass. It dictates how the light should feel and what the shadows should whisper. Every film demands its own visual language, and my role is to ensure the color palette breathes life into that specific world.
What truly motivates me is the pursuit of the “untried.” I have a fundamental distaste for repetition because it’s boring. In every project, I strive to push the boundaries of what is possible, searching for a look or a feel that hasn’t been done before. I want to find that unique visual signature that sets a story apart, avoiding the safety of the status quo in favor of something bold, fresh, and unexpected.
For me, being a Colorist isn’t just about making an image “look good” it’s about finding a visual truth that is as unique as the story itself.
How does your work benefit society?
Ultimately, cinema is more than just moving images on a screen. It is a medium that holds the power to shape society on both an emotional and moral level. A great film can change a perspective, heal a heart, or spark a movement. My work is the final bridge between the creator’s vision and the audience’s subconscious mind. Every color hue I shift and every shadow I deepen is a deliberate act of service to the story. I am not just manipulating data, I am translating the creator’s intent into a visual language that the viewer feels before they even realize they are seeing it. If a scene is meant to feel nostalgic, cold, or chaotic, after the Cinematographer’s work is done, it is my hand that ensures that emotion lands with absolute precision.
We technicians are the stewards of the narrative. Whether I am working on a gritty documentary or a high-fashion music video, my contribution is an essential cog in a much larger machine. My journey from the rigid, mark chasing halls of my school in Chennai to the high-tech DI suites of Hollywood has taught me one vital lesson: “technical skill without understanding narrative and emotions is empty”. The “effortless” feeling I once sought during my engineering days has finally been found here. When I am in the flow of a project, pushing boundaries and avoiding the “boring” path of repetition, I am helping the director project their unique vision onto the world. I take pride in being an invisible architect, someone who works behind the scenes to ensure that the moral and emotional weight of a film is felt in every single frame. In this industry, we don’t just make movies. We build worlds. And in every world, I help create, I ensure the colors tell a story that truly matters. At the end of the day, we do it for a set of audience to give them that immersive experience.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
A personal highlight of this journey was grading the music video “Feel My Love” for Diljit Dosanjh. I have been a huge fan of his music since I was a teenager, so working on a project for him which was also shot here in Los Angeles was a deeply meaningful and emotionally rewarding experience for me. It was a moment where my professional skills and my personal passions truly came together.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
My journey from Chennai to the DI suites of Hollywood was never a “bed of roses.” In fact, I have encountered far more failures than successes. My growth didn’t come from smooth sailing, but from the wreckage of bad decisions and living a life dictated by external factors. Because my path was so jagged, my advice to anyone entering this industry isn’t about software, it’s about self-reflection. Before you start, ask yourself:
Are you doing this for yourself ? I wasted years in engineering to satisfy others. True satisfaction only came when I followed my own “melodic” interest in Cinema.
Can you handle “unlearning”? To become a professional, I had to strip away my self-taught habits and rebuild my fundamentals from scratch. You must be willing to be a beginner.
In any field, staying current with technology, especially the evolving capabilities of AI is essential. However, it is equally important not to rely on AI for everything. There are times when you must trust your own instincts, as they are often your best guide. Beyond technology, finding a mentor who has already reached the professional level you aspire to achieve in the next five to ten years is vital for growth. Ultimately, if you can find “effortless” joy in your craft, you will realize that failure is simply the price of admission for a truly rewarding life.
Future Plans?
As I look toward the immediate future, the coming months are filled with exciting milestones. I have a couple of feature films releasing in Los Angeles, each representing a different facet of my work as a Colorist. One project I am particularly proud of is the thriller film “Spill,” directed by Blake Ridder. It is set to have a special screening at the historic Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills in May 2026. Additionally, the film “Namaslay” is preparing for its world premiere at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this August. Seeing these projects transition from the DI suite to these iconic screens is a powerful reminder of why I chose this path.
Looking further ahead, my plan is less about a rigid destination and more about the journey itself. I want to ride the wave and see where this path takes me, remaining open to the twists and turns that have defined my career so far. My primary goal is to continue meeting and collaborating with fresh, creative minds in cinema. I want to find those partners who, like me, are eager to push boundaries and find new ways to tell stories through light and colors. I’ve learned that the best way to navigate this industry is to stay curious, stay humble, and keep following the story.
My website: viadkolor.com
Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11434435/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vijey_adithya/