Inspired by ’80s teen classics like Sixteen Candles and St. Elmo’s Fire, DP Colin Hoult spoke with postPerspective, on his collaboration with Company 3 Senior Colorist Anne Boyle to develop the nostalgic visual tone of Amazon Prime’s hit series Off Campus.

Shot primarily in Vancouver, BC, Hoult utilized Sony Venice 2 and FX3 cameras with anamorphic optics and digital diffusion techniques to recreate the warmth and romance of the youth-driven films. Before production began, Hoult and Boyle collaborated to develop custom LUTs that established the series’ visual language. Boyle also created a distinct look for the show’s flashbacks. “We also created an almost monochromatic golden look for flashbacks,” she said. “It was strikingly different from the main show LUT and would tell the audience instantly where they are in the story.”

Their collaboration continued through final color, where Boyle helped refine the show’s nostalgic aesthetic with subtle flares, streaks, and halation effects. “Colin really likes lens flares and streaks to give the image more life,” Boyle notes. Hoult credits Boyle as an essential creative partner, saying, “Anne understood the look of the show so completely, which was really important. We had a great trust, and she brought a lot of her own taste and ideas. I really trusted her eye.”  

Off Campus is available to stream on Amazon Prime. 

Read more about Anne’s work behind the show here.