Toby Tomkins

Founder & Senior Colourist, CHEAT

From his early experiments with digital montage to setting up London’s largest dedicated colour grading studio, colourist Toby Tomkins has always been drawn to the alchemy of digital image manipulation. Over a decade in the industry, CHEAT’s founder has worked his magic on a slew of award-winning projects, ranging from high-profile commercials for BMW, Land Rover, Lloyds and Amstel, to short films, features, and cult TV shows like Netflix/Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World and new Muslim punk sitcom We Are Lady Parts. A lone wolf turned team player, he balances dedication to the work with nurturing the new generation of creative talent.

How did you get into the world of colour?

I’ve always been fascinated with digital image manipulation. I was lucky enough to sit in with some of the best concept artists in the film industry on Tomb Raider (Ravi Bansal) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Dermot Power), which exposed me to a whole new world of digital craft. At film school, I fell in love with post. I loved the input I had on the story as an editor, but also the magic of VFX. When I discovered colour grading, it felt like the perfect balance of the two.

What led you to set up CHEAT and what’s been your proudest moment as founder?

Years of freelancing and being a lone wolf became a bit… lonely! I felt the need for collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas between colourists that you get at a facility. Until recently, I was a firm believer that everything should be in service of the work. As a leader, I’ve come to appreciate that it’s all about the team, and if the team is doing well, the quality of the work will follow. Last year was a real challenge for us and I’m very proud of how we came together.

As a creative leader, what qualities and experience are essential to success?

Honesty and transparency are a great place to start. It’s important to hold on to humanity and personal connection in the chaotic whirlwind that post-production can often become. Stay humble, always be polite and communicate more than you think you need to.

How are you helping grow and support new talent in the creative industries?

Some of our colourists started off as assists and have worked their way up, and one of our brightest producers actually started out on the front desk: it’s great to see that progression internally and nurture it. Externally, I’ve set up a group of independent post houses to provide mentoring, internships and work placements for college graduates of all backgrounds. We’ve also done some work in primary schools with Pitch Futures. We’re open to any sort of grassroots action to inspire future generations in the creative industries.

Any exciting projects in the pipeline?

I’m working on the screenplay TV adaptation of This Is Going To Hurt for the BBC, which, after such a terrible time for the NHS, should tug on the heartstrings and hopefully provide some laughs as well.

Interview by: Selena Schleh

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