ColorNation, a remote color grading service founded by veteran postproduction entrepreneur Reid Brody, has added two colorists to its roster. The veteran artist Vincent Taylor, based in Los Angeles, is now available through ColorNation, as is Lea Mercado, a young artist based in Southeast Asia.
The signing of these two talents coincides with ColorNation celebrating its first anniversary. Since opening last summer, ColorNation has provided high-end color services for a range of agencies and brands, working on projects for the U.S. Army, Duluth Trading Company, Michelob, Dove, Deloitte, Carrier and McDonald’s, and for such agencies as DDB Chicago, Burrell, BVK, Highdive, Burrell, UWG and Lerma.
Taylor brings an eclectic and well-traveled resume to his work as a colorist. Born in the U.S. but raised in Australia, prior to entering the color suite he built a strong reputation there as a cinematographer, working closely with directors and film crews and winning numerous industry awards as a DP. Once he made the transition, he rose quickly through the ranks, and has been on staff at such global postproduction shops as Deluxe, Technicolor, MPC, Chimney and Harbor, in addition to running his own color studio in Melbourne.
Along the way, Taylor has worked on everything from features to commercials, collaborating with clients and agencies everywhere from Shanghai to New York. With a prolific social media presence, not to mention his sought-after podcast, The Color Timer, he’s become an influential voice among senior colorists around the world.
Taylor was referred to ColorNation by Heather Hay, a ColorNation artist and colleague from their days working together in Oz, whom he both trusts and admires. “When Heather recommends I meet with someone I generally do, because I respect her judgment,” he explained. “And she said one thing about Reid that appealed to me, which was ‘old school.’ To me, that means having a great work ethic, with respect for workflows and the way things should be done. That jumped out a mile, because it’s honestly what I’m constantly craving.”
Mercado came to color grading from her work as an editor and motion graphics designer in various postproduction houses as well as a short stint as an art director in the Philippines. She eventually made her way into color grading, starting in the Philippines, then eventually moving to Vietnam, working remotely with various directors from L.A., Australia, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore and Spain, even before the pandemic. With a strong client base of both established and up and coming brands throughout Asia and the Americas, she’s graded for such agencies as Publicis, Dentsu, Ogilvy and TBWA. Her color work includes spots and brand content for such advertisers as Honda, Unilever, Nestle, Samsung, PepsiCo, Honda Motors, Kimberly-Clark and Nike.
“Being represented by Reid and ColorNation is definitely an honor,” said Mercado. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been noticed for my work internationally, but this is the first time someone has acknowledged my work to be on par with the U.S. market. It’s truly gratifying.”
Taylor and Mercado join a ColorNation roster that includes Gino Amadori, Calvin Bellas, Yohance Brown, Ben Federman, Andrew Francis, Paul Harrison, Heather Hay, Mark Todd Osborne and Ben West.
