Picture Shop’s Tony D’Amore colors the third season of the hit show.
“Mayans M.C.” Season 3 follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (JD Pardo), a member of the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border, as he’s “torn between darkness and the gravitational pull of his new love interest,” describes Showrunner Elgin James.Picture Shop Senior Colorist and Director of Workflow Tony’ D’Amore was involved with the production from the start. After meeting with James, who envisioned Season 3 with a fresh and exciting new aesthetic, D’Amore had several look development sessions with DP’s David Stockton, ASC, and Vanessa Joy Smith before principal photography began.“This was my first time working with David and Vanessa. We immediately had a creative synergy and came up with some cool new looks together. I have a great amount of respect for their talent and passion for their craft,” notes D’Amore.To articulate their overall vision, James and director Michael Dinner pointed to the work of famed American photographer William Eggleston and his use of Dye-transfer printing and ability to use color to tell a story.“We tried to use the same simplicity that’s a signature of Eggleston’s work and his use of primary colors when developing the look,” explains D’Amore.Color was used frequently as a storytelling device throughout the season. Warm tones were used during scenes with E.Z. and the Mayans M.C. bikers. The warmth was reduced during scenes at the drug cartel’s home to signify the cold, harsh environment. These tones were applied gracefully by D’Amore, Stockton, and Smith as to allow the scenes to flow naturally while still being bold enough to make a storytelling impact.The show was delivered in SDR upfront, though D’Amore started the grade in HDR (DCI-P3) in order to previsualize more vivid colors. The wider color gamut of P3 allowed D’Amore to exploit the bolder primary colors that are available at the image capture level, then apply that benefit to the target colors for the SDR upfront delivery. D’Amore worked closely with Stockton, James, and Smith through remote color reviews and COVID-19-safe color sessions at Picture Shop’s flagship facility in Burbank, where Richard Wells handled the editorial, and John Robinson and Richard Meyer handled dailies color.“Picture Shop teams did a fantastic job adapting to COVID-19 protocals. The clients were able to work remotely or safely come into the facility if necessary. Having the on-site option was helpful during the look development process,” says D’Amore, concluding, “I can’t wait for people to see this season.”Watch “Mayans M.C.” Season 3 on FX and FX on Hulu; for more information visit, https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/mayans-mc.