![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
FilmLight chats with Sonny Sheridan, senior colourist at ENVY
Brie Clayton December 8, 2023
0 Comments
After an early career as a child actor, Sonny Sheridan looked to a career in production and post-production. Starting as a runner, he worked his way up to edit assistant before meeting colourist, Aidan Farrell, where his colour grading journey began.
Sonny spent eight years as Farrell's assistant first at Molinare and then The Farm (now Picture Shop), observing and learning on the job, performing basic grades before getting the opportunity to grade music promos.
His big break came with Craig David: Live at Wembley, which lead to further work grading music content for artists including Madonna, Katy Perry and Oasis. Since then, Sonny has worked on a wide range of projects including documentaries, scripted drama and music concerts. Sonny thrives on projects with unique looks and loves collaborating with DoPs, directors and producers to visualise and create different looks.
Sonny recently graded the BBC series, Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator and the BBC documentary, Living Next Door to Putin. Other key projects include Made in Chelsea , Informer (2018), and the BAFTA award-winning, I Am Ruth (2021). Sonny also won an RTS Award in 2011 for Picture Enhancement for his work on TV film, Eric and Ernie.
Julius Ceasar The Making of a Dictator credit to BBC Studios
Tell us more about your career as a child actor?
I grew up in Islington where my Mum sent me to a local drama school. My sisters went to the same school and were not keen so I wasn't sure if it would be for me. Still, I thought I would give it a go.
We did a lot of improvisation, and it turned out I was quite good at imitating an angry young man. From there, I was able to get in front of lots of casting directors who would come and watch us improvise. And that's how it started.
I was in Grange Hill, as an extra, and then I did The Bill, London's Burning, Harry Enfield and a few others. I kind of fell into it - it wasn't a passion or a love, it just happened. It was fun, but I gave it up quite quickly.
Did it influence your journey into post?
Yes, absolutely. One of the agents' husbands was a DoP, which really interested me. I mentioned it to someone at the school and said I'd like to get into production. She directed me to Jacqui James who, it turned out, lived at the bottom of my road and worked at Molinare. I rocked up to meet her and, having just come back from the West Indies, I had my West Indies cap on. Jacqui, being Antiguan, noticed this straight away. I am also half Antiguan, so we hit it off and I got the job there and then.
Of course, I didn't know anything about post at the time. I walked in as a runner and was making tea and coffee and delivering sandwiches, but I was interested to see what was happening and learn more.
Tell us more about how you ended up as Aidan Farrell's assistant?
My first memory of meeting Aidan was in my early days as a runner. I was taking beers down to his suite at 9am after the team had worked through the night on a grade. But, it was a little later that I got to know Aidan a bit better and it wasn't long before I started to assist him as a tape operator.
I always thought I would become an editor, but I quickly realised that it wasn't for me and my interest in grading grew as I started to watch and learn from Aidan - it was quite mesmerising.
He was doing a lot of music promos back then, right in the prime of the Brit Pop era, with artists like Blur, Oasis, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, Mick Jagger. There were so many jobs coming through the doors, and these people would be in the suite with us. It was crazy. And there I was, sitting in the background, a little overwhelmed, just observing and taking it all in. It really was rock n' roll.
I still remember the day Aidan handed me a reel of film and allowed me to lace up the telecine for the first time. I knew, from that moment, that he trusted me and that was it, we were in it together from there. He would work long hours and I would be there all day and all night. I remember he had me using KitKat wrappers to create flares and he would use Vaseline to create looks and streaks. It took me years to understand how to do it, as there was a real skill to it. It was a very organic phase, and I really enjoyed the process. We were just creating and making images look amazing. There was something very special about that time and I feel very lucky to have been part of it.
Living Next Door to Putin, directed by Olly Bootle
You're now senior colourist at ENVY after spending 20 years at The Farm (now Picture Shop). Can you tell us more about your new role?
I was part of The Farm for a long time. When Picture Shop acquired them in 2019, it felt like the end of an era for me, and it soon became clear that it was the right time to look for something new.
ENVY came along and I am honestly so happy and grateful to be here. I joined because of their wealth of knowledge and years of experience in TV, which was really important to me. But they also do a lot of documentary work, which was another key factor in my decision.
I learned my trade working on music promos, but I moved on to do a lot of documentary work from there. Working on documentaries in the past, I have really enjoyed being creative and experimenting with colour and being a little freer. I would like to explore this a bit more.
How do you think colour shapes the way an audience perceives an image?
As a colourist, I'm using colour to tell stories. Colour is my medium. For me, it's a feeling or an emotion. Sometimes we don't have the linguistics to explain how we feel about colour, but we have a feeling.
I think audiences have become more aware of how important colour is in storytelling. People are m
North America Stories
07/09/2024
The official kickoff to the college football season provided another reminder of how football can boost audiences across all platforms, with ESPN and ABC report...
07/09/2024
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Adder Technology, a provider of connectivity solutions and high performance IP KVM technologies, has announced a new addition to its KVM matrix ...
07/09/2024
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has promoted Sean Franklin to vice president and general manager for WLEX, the Scripps-owned NBC affiliate in ...
07/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Cobalt Digital has announced that during the IBC Show it will be sharpening its focus on IP-based solutions by adding a scalable software-based multiv...
07/09/2024
Cerberus Tech, a leader in cloud-native IP contribution and distribution, today announced a series of updates that combine to increase user control in working w...
07/09/2024
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions to the digital media industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Videli...
07/09/2024
oMoVo, an innovator in AI-driven digital asset management (DAM), is launching ioPilot, a new feature in its game-changing DAM platform. Designed to streamline c...
07/09/2024
Creativepool Annual 2024: The Most Awards Launched at Sinfonia Smith Square
Brie Clayton September 7, 2024
0 Comments
The creative industry's mo...
07/09/2024
Meredith Veloz has been named news director at WRMD Tampa, part of NBC Universal Local's Telemundo Station Group. She starts in early October and will repor...
06/09/2024
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fes...
06/09/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 22: (L-R) Eugene Grygo, Phoebe Hoffman, Lana Wilson, Michael Kim, and Nikenya Hall attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Look Into M...
06/09/2024
Video over IP, in the sense that's used in film and television, sometimes feels like a newer idea than it really is. That might be because the high-end, unc...
06/09/2024
The ability of NFL football to attract large audiences in an era of declining viewing for linear TV was on full display in the NFL seasons opener, with an avera...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has beefed up its team in EMEA and APAC with the addition of three new positions intended to enhance its growth and better serve customers...
06/09/2024
NEW YORK FutureB2B, a world-leading provider of business intelligence and networking services, is proud to announce the appointment of Joe Palombo as the publis...
06/09/2024
Adventurer A/V, a leading Taiwanese broadcast production company and equipment rental service provider based in Taipei City, has invested in latest-generation U...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Hall 1 B33, leading video software provider, Synamedia, will unveil a raft of new video network solutions as it solidifies its position as a key te...
06/09/2024
LiveU today launched its Lightweight Sports Production solution making fully featured, professional live sports production accessible and affordable for every e...
06/09/2024
Osprey Video
IBC2024 Show Preview
Sept. 13-16
Various Partner Stands
At IBC2024, Osprey Video's encoding/decoding technology will be on display at sever...
06/09/2024
GB Labs, the leader in intelligent, centralized media storage, today announced the launch of NebulaNAS, a transformative new cloud storage solution developed fr...
06/09/2024
Suitest, provider of test automation for OTT applications, today announced the full availability of image- and object-based test automation capabilities in a si...
06/09/2024
France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine (.3NoA) is a 100% regional channel that aims to promote culture and creativity at regional level.
At the beginning of 2024, the cha...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Camera control specialists Videosys Broadcast will be announcing a new bidirectional radio camera system that will simplify wireless workflows, as ...
06/09/2024
Magnifi by VideoVerse, an AI-driven video technology company and powerful video-editing SaaS platform, has announced a partnership with Storyteller,a leading Sa...
06/09/2024
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices and services, is proud to announce its selection as the official vendor for the HbbTV ...
06/09/2024
LTN and Skyline Communications announce a new collaboration to drive enhanced broadcast monitoring and control for Tier 1 media, sports, entertainment, and tech...
06/09/2024
IBC2024 today announces the line-up of speakers and sessions for the first-ever dedicated IBC Talent Programme, taking place on Monday 16 September in the Showc...
06/09/2024
Kiloview, a leading provider of IP-based video transmission solutions, is set to make a significant impact at IBC 2024 with the unveiling of three groundbreakin...
06/09/2024
The newly combined entity of Fabric and Xytech Systems, currently known as Fabric x Xytech, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kira Baca as Chief Revenue...
06/09/2024
Student Spotlight: Mateo Londo o The producer talks about leaving Berklee to grieve the passing of a close friend and fellow student and then returning to fin...
06/09/2024
More rough news for grownups in traditional media. According to a new study from Precise TV, teens prefer the ads on YouTube and are turning to Netflix and YouT...
06/09/2024
A data-driven campaign created by Samsung Ads and Davis Elen Advertising for the...
06/09/2024
Glen Dacy has been named VP of news content and streaming at WFLD-WPWR Chicago, starting September 9. He most recently worked with the CBS Network News Special ...
06/09/2024
WPP's GroupM media investment unit named Richard Hartell CEO of its EssenceMediacom U.S. agency, effective immediately....
06/09/2024
Cozi TV premieres an original documentary on Little House on the Prairie Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. ET. Hour-long Loving Little House: The 50th Anniversary...
06/09/2024
Vizio said its WatchFree Plus streaming service is now available on the Vizio mobile app for iOS and Android devices....
06/09/2024
XGen Network (XGN) said today that it plans to conduct what it calls the worlds first demonstration of ancillary data delivery to a road sign using 5G Broadca...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has updated its sports analysis portfolio with new versions of PAINT, its illustrated replay solution, and Virtual Placement, the company ...
06/09/2024
MT OLIVE, N.Y. Vislink Technologies has announced the appointment of Joseph Lipowski as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A renowned RF and wireless exper...
06/09/2024
IRVINE, Calif. In a sign of how important advertising has become to makers of TV sets, Vizio has announced that its popular WatchFree+ service is now available ...
06/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems will launch SoftRail that merges the path-following capabilities of a physical rail system with the freedom of a free-roamin...
06/09/2024
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION AND THE BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE WBTV COLLEGE DAY O...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: Coming Off Super Bowl High, CBS Sports Adds 4K Zoom Tech, AI-D...
06/09/2024
Customer service departments across industries are facing increased call volumes, high customer service agent turnover, talent shortages and shifting customer e...
06/09/2024
SVG Rewind: Freedom Broadcast Studios Remotely Produces Browns-Seahawks Preseaso...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: FOX Sports Precedes Super Bowl LIX Production With Tantalizing...
06/09/2024
Philip Garvin, Mobile TV Group Founder and Live-Production Titan, Dies at 76 Garvin was a leader and pioneer in the regional-sports-production community By Jas...
06/09/2024
Hero Digital Revamps LPGA.com Website; WSC Sports Powers AI-Created Highlights Initiative builds upon SeatGeek and Legends partnerships aimed at expanding expos...
06/09/2024
Quickplay Promotes Prabu Chelladurai, Hires Sean Lynch and Adam Mitchell to Stre...
06/09/2024
RTL Deutschland boosts coverage for second NFL season on RTL, Nitro and RTL By George Bevir
Friday, September 6, 2024 - 10:13
Print This Story
RTL's ...