SIGNAL TO COLOR is a bespoke look design, on-set LUT creation and color grading service.

Based in Berlin and avaliable remotely world-wide

‍

Claudia Maneka Maharaj

I began my color journey in 2007 as a telecine assistant and film scanner, at a time when analog processes still dominated but digital grading was just emerging. As a result, my career has always bridged both worlds. My approach is informed by traditional photography, drawing on its strengths to preserve the richness of film aesthetics while extending them within a digital cinematography context.

‍

This perspective has led me to explore color and contrast not as a final layer, but as a narrative force. By developing intentional frameworks of color and contrast in close alignment with the director & cinematographer’s aesthetic sensibilities, my role is to carry their vision through the grade, enabling the image to interact more meaningfully with lighting, the environment, and production design.  

‍

Establishing a “look” for on-set monitoring and using it as the foundation for final grading has become standard practice in high-end projects. Building on this, and informed by over two years of research and development, including my Master’s thesis on contemporary color science and emerging camera aesthetics, I developed the concept for SIGNAL TO COLOR.

‍

Since starting out at a major post-production facility, I’ve seen a shift from a highly exclusive field, once defined by limited access to advanced tools and dedicated color science, to a more accessible and collaborative global landscape. My focus is on making a high-end workflow more accessible within the international nature of contemporary filmmaking, integrating a visual strategy that brings greater depth and clarity to image design while maintaining a consistent photographic vision from capture through to delivery.

‍

Whether established in pre-production or developed in post on already-shot material, I approach the work with the same collaborative sensitivity, ensuring the photographic intent remains central.

‍

In 2020, I co-founded SIGNALS, an artist-led post-production studio. Our focus is on developing innovative workflows that are both creatively grounded and technically advanced, refining pipelines that foster a symbiotic relationship between color, sound, and editing. This approach allows us to offer a flexible alternative to large-scale facilities, supporting directors, production companies, and agencies in realizing their creative vision.

‍