Talented
“game-changer”
has spent the
past five years
growing within
the Chicago
company’s ranks
The Colonie has announced that Graham Chapman has been promoted to editor, continuing the Chicago-based postproduction company’s long tradition of nurturing extraordinary young talent and developing its next generation of editors from within.
Chapman joined The Colonie in 2013 as an assistant editor, advanced to senior assistant editor in 2017, and began the new year in the editor’s chair.
Working under the mentorship of veteran editor Bob Ackerman for the last five years has provided him with the opportunity to hone his skills on a wide range of commercials and social media campaigns, as well a mix of long-format projects.
A versatile talent with a keen eye for the seemingly small details that elevate a visual story, Chapman approaches each project from a variety of perspectives. He embraces out-of-the-box creative solutions, bringing concepts to life with innovative, well-crafted, engaging visual stories.
“Working with Bob was truly a game-changer,” says Graham. “I think one of the most important skills I picked up working aside him over the years is always to challenge yourself. Never settle on something it doesn’t feel right and to keep pushing to get more imaginative. Remembering these things while cutting is what’s brought out some of my best work.”
Chapman has worked on a long roster of high-profile spots and digital content for global brands such as McDonald’s, Walmart, Marshalls, Kraft, and Aleve, to name a few.
Even before his promotion, clients’ confidence in his skills has provided opportunities for him to edit elements of a number of projects, such as campaigns for the 2018 Toyota Highlander and Nissan’s ‘Hispanic Heritage Month,’ as well as the television documentary, Iron 5: Story of the 1963 Loyola Ramblers.
Carlo Treviso, senior digital production at Burrell Communications noted, “I’ve had the pleasure of working directly with Graham on both traditional and digitally-driven campaigns. He’s a fantastic creative partner and storyteller and always finds ways to plus up the edit. His grasp of social media best practices and aspect ratios is incredibly helpful as clients are asking for more social deliverables with every campaign. He’s also a pretty awesome human being.”
“I enjoy working on a mix on short-form spots, digital content, and long-format work that The Colonie attracts,” says Chapman. “However, as an editor – above all – I’m looking forward to cutting inspiring, ambitious projects that present me with opportunities to get inventive.”
“It was clear from the start that Graham was driven to be in the editors chair,” says Ackerman. “He loves to dive into a job and has confidence in his point of view. It’s been great to see him take ownership of projects and run with them. I think clients are impressed when they realize that he is a creative partner that is always questioning what’s best for the film and exploring new options. He really thinks like a filmmaker”
The Chicago native attended Columbia College Chicago, majoring in filmmaking, with a concentration in editing, providing the cutter with a well-rounded skill-sets. Also an accomplished photographer, he brings a refined aesthetic sensibility and eye for composition to his editing. Chapman joined the staff at Foundation Content.in 2012 and came onboard at The Colonie in 2013.
“The Colonie takes pride in recognizing and nurturing the next generation of talent in a supportive, creative environment,” says Executive Producer Mary Caddy. “Graham bring a fresh creative voice, passion for his craft and a strong work ethic to every project. His addition to our team of editors continues to strengthen our full-service approach to crafting compelling visual stories for a wide range of traditional and digital projects.”
“Working with Graham over the past five years and watching a gifted talent come into his own and flourish as editor has been a rewarding experience,” adds Ackerman. “I’m looking forward to watching him continue to evolve in his new role.”
Send your staff updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
