Between two frames a wire appears, the sea shifts a shade and the octopus turns slightly pink. Nobody at home will ever know, because you got there first.
Tatako is hiring a Compositor and Colorist to finish the picture of our series and song videos. You remove what should not be seen, join puppets, sets and skies into one frame, and give each episode its final color under the Art Director’s guide. The Video Editor locks the cut, and you take it from there. This is project work, booked episode by episode.
About Tatako
Tatako is a first-words app for families raising a child with two languages. A lesson takes about five minutes, there is nothing to read, and a small round octopus keeps everyone company. He has eight arms, no socks, and usually loses count at seven.
The language of home stays the language of home. Tatako adds a second one on top, at a toddler’s pace, from the very first words. A guide voice can explain what to do, and you can switch it off whenever you like. Every lesson has three small steps: Hear it, say it. Touch it. Name it. In the last step the picture comes back without the word, and the child names it first.
We started with English: first words and phrases, from “hello” and “mommy” to colors, animals and what the teacher says at preschool. More languages are on the way. Tatako works in the browser on any phone or tablet.
The role
- Remote project work, open to candidates anywhere in the world
- Fluent English
- An agreement signed before you start: your work is made for Tatako, Inc. and its rights go to the company in writing
By the end of your first project, one finished episode has clean shots and one color from start to end, with a grading setup ready for the next one.
What you will do
- Paint out rigs, wires, supports and stray fingers, frame by frame, without touching the texture of the felt.
- Composite puppets, sets, skies and water into one believable shot, with shadows and depth that belong together.
- Remove flicker, dust and small jumps, so a handmade picture looks alive and never broken.
- Grade each episode to the Art Director’s palette, and keep every character the same color from scene to scene.
- Match shots filmed on different days and different tables, so one morning stays one morning.
- Check the result on small screens and large ones, in a dim room and in daylight, then fix what falls apart.
- Deliver masters for every format, with a dated note on each shot you changed.
What you bring
- 4+ years as a compositor, colorist or finishing artist on animation, film or commercials, with a reel of before and after shots.
- Expert Nuke, After Effects or Fusion, plus DaVinci Resolve for grading.
- Clean paint and roto work that nobody can find afterward.
- A calibrated monitor and a color-managed workflow, with a real grasp of delivery for phones and televisions.
- Respect for real material: you keep the fibers of wool and the fingerprints in clay, and you never smooth a handmade world into plastic.
- Reliable dates: your estimates are honest, and a promised file is a delivered file.
Bonus points
- You have finished stop-motion or puppet films.
- You have held one grade across a full season.
Why you will love it
- Invisible work in the best sense: a perfect shot leaves no trace of you.
- A picture made of wool, clay and light, which is a joy to grade.
- An octopus whose tomato red is the most protected color in the studio.
How to apply
Meet the octopus at tatako.com, then email join@tatako.com with your LinkedIn profile or portfolio. Make sure it shows before and after shots of your compositing and color work.
If your experience matches the role, our team will get in touch to discuss next steps.