I was initially contacted by editor Ricky Milling, who connected me with director Ben Pickering. Ben shared that he had two feature films in need of grading: one in mid-production titled "Election Night" (2021), and another film he had completed post-production for back in 2014, originally released as "Two Days in the Smoke". Both films were being edited by Ricky.

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Ben expressed his desire to create a director's cut of "The Smoke" and have the entire project re-graded for a re-release. To maintain a fresh and unique perspective, I decided not to review the previous grading of the film. This approach ensured that my creative decisions would be independent and uninfluenced by the previous version.

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By avoiding any preconceived notions from the earlier grading, I aimed to bring a renewed and modern vision to the film's visual aesthetics. I took influence from the narrative and city environment it was filmed to create a gritty desaturated look throughout the film. Furthermore, it provided an opportunity to explore innovative color grading techniques and advancements since the film's original post-production in 2014.