Get a taste for the unexpected! As you may know, Emmy Award-winning Anthony Bourdain takes incredible adventures to extraordinary locations each episode on his show, "Parts Unknown" -- what you may not know is the signature flavor added by the show's colorist, Steve Beganyi. Beganyi truly does an exquisite job at creating images and landscapes in a way that makes viewers feel as if they aren't home on the couch just watching the show, but rather in Spain, Tokyo or Sicily alongside Bourdain on his adventures... even if it's just for that one hour.
Q: How did you first land the gig as colorist for CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown”? How has it been working with CNN, Bourdain and the production crew to make a successful show?
I've been working with the Production Company Zero Point Zero for many years. I started with them on a show called "No Reservations" (also hosted by Anthony Bourdain) about seven years ago. One of the things I love about working with this company is the tremendous amount of creative energy here. Everyone involved - from production to post - is constantly trying new things and reinventing what can be accomplished, and I think it shows in the final product.
Q: What has been one of the most challenging aspects as a colorist for the show?
We are constantly coming up with new ideas and different looks to complement the show. More often than not, a scene will revolve around a meal. There are situations where I have a good look for the scene, but it doesn't do the food any justice. Isolating and enhancing certain aspects of the food can be challenging, especially when the overall look for the scene is pushing the color in a different direction.
Q: What’s something about being a colorist that most people don’t know?
As camera technology continues to get better, I think the role of the colorist is going to become an ever expanding part of the production process. We've come a long way in the ability to preserve tremendous amounts of detail in moving images – figuring out the best way to extract and present this information is a big part of being a colorist.
Q: What has been one of your favorite aspects of working on the show so far?
We're given a tremendous amount of creative freedom while working on "Parts Unknown." Working with the DPs and Producers, and coming up with new and interesting ideas for how a specific episode will look is a fun creative process which can be very rewarding when watching the final product.
Q: What’s one of your go-to pieces of equipment when creating perfect imaging/color for Bourdain’s show? Why?
One piece of equipment I cannot do without is DaVinci Resolve. Working with qualifiers and Power Windows within Resolve's node structure allows for an amazing amount of control when breaking down an image, and it all happens in real time. Having the ability to make subtle changes in isolated areas of the image allows me the ability to give the footage a very unique look, which would be hard to do with a less advanced toolset.
Q: As a production pro, what major tip can you share in creating sharp images and picture?
We are in the business of telling stories. Know the material you are working with well. It's easy to come up with an interesting idea on how to push the color in a different direction, but that should also complement the story being told.
Q: What advice did you receive early on in your career that you still follow to this day?
Sometimes when color grading, you can get stuck on an image that just doesn't feel right. A DP once told me to drastically swing the color in a direction that is completely opposite of what we were going for and slowly start to correct it back to the targeted goal. I still use this technique to this day, and I usually find what I'm looking for.
Q: What’s next for you? Any other interesting shows you’ll be working with?
We just finished another series "The Mind of a Chef" for PBS and already began shooting the next season of "Parts Unknown" over here at Zero Point Zero. If time permits, I might try to squeeze in a feature film in between.
images courtesy of Blackmagic Design and CNN.com
