From Project Manager to Passionate Colourist: The Story of Paul Deepak
Paul Deepak, the founder of Colour Space School is a dedicated colourist and educator based in Chennai. His journey is one of adaptability, self-discovery, and relentless pursuit of creative passion. Born in Ooty, Paul moved frequently across India due to his mother’s work. He spent his school years in Hyderabad, Mumbai & Punjab, completed his B.Com in Chennai, and earned his Master’s degree in Bangalore. Wherever his mother went for work, Paul followed, adapting to new environments from an early age.
Interestingly, Paul didn’t grow up aspiring to work in cinema. After completing his Master degree, he worked as a project manager for five years. During that time, he gradually discovered his interest in photography. This led him to join a photography school, followed by a course in video editing. As his passion grew, he decided to leave project management and return to Chennai to pursue a creative career full-time. He began with fashion and model shoots, before shifting toward video-based storytelling.
Eager to deepen his skills, Paul enrolled in both online and offline classes to learn DaVinci Resolve, the industry-standard software for color grading. Over the past five years, he has established himself as a full-time colourist. His portfolio includes feature films like Thozhar Che Guevara, Diesel, and various ad films. Currently, he is working on an ambitious 3 hour anthology project, further cementing his position in the industry.
Paul eventually opened Colour Space School, a Chennai-based institution specializing in color grading education. The school offers both offline and online programs with a focus on one-on-one mentoring, enabling students to learn grading for films, commercials, and weddings. The learning experience is designed for beginners and intermediate creatives aiming for professional outcomes in a relatively short time. The core courses typically span to 8 weeks, but with consistent practice, students can reach a freelance-ready level in 2 to 4 months, and potentially achieve mastery in 6 to 12 months.
He is highly active on Instagram through his school page (@colourspace.school) and his personal handle (@paul.deepak.color), where he shares educational content, student projects, and color grading insights. Paul is deeply passionate about his profession and maintains a high standard in his work. He insists that anyone learn from him must complete each step thoroughly before moving to the next, as he strives for perfection in every teaching.
Paul is also highly aware of social media trends, a field he entered in 2015 while working for a social media company. He actively studies platform changes and noticed the growing popularity of Instagram carousels. When Instagram increased the limit from 10 to 20 slides, he recognized the value of the format. He began using it to share educational content—well-structured posts that helped him reach his target audience effectively. Many of these posts went viral, and Paul plans content for the next 30 days in advance, creating consistent value for his followers. He believes carousels can deliver more detailed information than reels.
His content is not limited to color theory—he also teaches editing techniques. Students from India and abroad attend his one-on-one online sessions. Paul speaks several languages including Tamil, English, Telugu, and Kannada, and he understands and speaks Hindi reasonably well. His multilingual abilities make him accessible to a diverse group of learners.
His experience working on the film Diesel came through a personal connection—his friend, the assistant director, invited him to contribute. Paul quickly realized the growing demand for colourists in the industry and made a clear decision to specialize in this craft. His mentor, Ashok Sir, played a significant role in shaping his path. Ashok is both a colourist and conformist, and Paul greatly respects the time he spent learning under his guidance.
A colourist’s job goes beyond making visuals look good. They handle technical corrections like exposure and white balance, create stylistic moods through grading, ensure scene-to-scene consistency, and balance skin tones. They work closely with directors to achieve the intended look, using professional tools like DaVinci Resolve. Projects vary in duration: a short clip may take a few hours, while music videos, wedding films, or short films can take several days. Feature films often require weeks of grading, sometimes up to a month.
A final step in this process is the quality check (QC), where the colourist ensures the output meets both technical and creative expectations. This includes verifying color accuracy, shot consistency, correct skin tones, and safe delivery formats. It’s a crucial stage before the final export.
Paul’s story is a compelling example of how curiosity and dedication can lead to a fulfilling creative career. Through Colour Space School, he now inspires and trains the next generation of colourists with the same attention to detail, discipline, and passion that defines his own work.
