Absolute adds world-class talent to its colour division
In an unprecedented move, Leianna Gilmartin, Peter Oppersdorff and Philip Hambi have all joined the company from The Mill.
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Absolute reveal the arrival of not one but three world-class talents to its Colour division.
In an unprecedented move, Leianna Gilmartin, Peter Oppersdorff and Philip Hambi have all joined the company from The Mill. Long regarded as one of Europe’s finest Producer and Colourist teams, the trio will form a brand-new department in what is an exciting transition for Absolute.
“Having worked together for 10+ years, Leianna, Pete and Phil are respected worldwide” says Absolute CEO David Smith “The trio will work together to shape a new direction for Colour in what continues to be an exciting transition for everyone at Absolute. If their catalogue of work shows one thing, it’s their ability to innovate and raise the bar time and time again. We can’t wait to open the doors to the fantastic creative opportunities I know these guys will bring in abundance.”
Dave Cadle, CEO of the Envy Group, continues “We are thrilled to welcome such exceptional talent like Leianna, Pete and Phil to the team at Absolute. With a team of this calibre, the work really speaks for itself. It’s very exciting to have them on board as part of our ever growing future!”
Starting her career back in 2006 as a runner at MPC, Gilmartin spent her early years working across all aspects of post from Colour, 3D and Digital to Experiential. The following decade saw Gilmartin produce some of the most awarded projects at The Mill. With an impressive portfolio of work and a loyal client base to boot, Gilmartin made the move to specialise in Colour, together creating the renowned team with Oppersdorff and Hambi. With over 18 years in post-production, eight of those working within Colour, Gilmartin takes on the role of 'Head of Production for Colour', working alongside Absolute's senior team to aid Oppersdorff and Hambi grow the department, and the Absolute Colour brand.
“I am thrilled to be joining Absolute Post as Head of Production for Colour, a place already known in the industry for its commitment to artistic excellence and creation. I’m delighted to be doing this with two exceptionally talented colourists, whose expertise will help shape and elevate the future of our Company. We have been given an exciting opportunity to rebuild the colour department with the introduction of state-of-the-art grading equipment from our friends at Film Light. Together, we look forward to collaborating with the incredible team at Absolute, bringing vibrant and transformative visual storytelling to life.”
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Peter Oppersdorff is a multi-award winning Colourist who joins Absolute as Creative Director of Colour. Peter started his career at MPC in 2014 as a protegé of Colour pioneer Jean-Clement Soret. The following decade has seen him establish himself as one of the industry’s leading talents, with a catalogue of award wins and nominations. In 2021 he won two Kinsale Shark Awards for ‘Best International Colour Grade’. The first was Gold for his work on Arlo Parks Caroline, while the second was a Bronze for his work on the US Facebook campaign Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found.
In 2022, Oppersdorff's exceptional craft on Stonewalls Proud Mistletoe campaign saw him shortlisted at the prestigious British Arrows, the International Filmlight Awards, AICP Post Awards and the Berlin Commercial Awards. In 2023, Oppersdorff was again shortlisted at the AICP & Berlin Commercial Awards for his work on the charming Confused.com spots Piggy Bank and Clap. While in 2024, Oppersdorff took home a Silver in the 'Best Colour Grading' category at the Creative Circle Awards, for his work on the Erste Bank Xmas Rodeo Christmas campaign.
His arresting catalogue of work has seen Oppersdorff collaborate with some of the industry’s most established directors, including Dave Meyers, Dorian and Daniel, The Sacred Egg, Ian Pons Jewell, Jake Scott, Amber Grace-Johnson, Vedran Rupic, & FKA Twigs. He has also worked alongside leading cinematographers such as Chase Irvine, Larkin Seiple, Molly Manning-Walker, Simon Chaudoir, Benoit Soler, Federico Alfonzo and Natasha Braier. "The chance to join Absolute at the beginning of this exciting new era was a no brainer” says Oppersdorff.
Their reputation throughout the industry is excellent, so I'm proud to have the opportunity to enhance that legacy in the future. We want Absolute Colour to become a benchmark department globally, a place where talent can thrive and where clients want to be. We've built an excellent rapport with the team at Filmlight over the years, so the backing we received from Chris and Dave to keep that relationship going means alot to myself and Phil."
Also joining as Creative Director of Colour, Philip Hambi is a highly distinguished colourist, known globally for his award-winning work. Boasting a stunning portfolio, Hambi has worked on projects for brands as varied as Adidas, Delta Airlines, Samsung, BMW, Burger King and NASCAR. He can point to an enviable roster of directors that he has worked with, including ALASKA, Floria Sigismondi, Mathijs Van Heijningen, Paul W. S. Anderson, The Sacred Egg, Mark Jenkinson and Miles Aldridge; as well as Cinematographers Darius Khondji, Fabian Wagner and Monika Lenczewska.
Hambi's work is regularly recognised for its excellence, with multiple nominations and wins at the British Arrows, Ciclope, D&AD, Filmlight Awards and The Kinsale Shark Awards. Last year, his first foray into the world of long form, with longstanding collaborator Tom Day, became the 5th watched film in the UK on Netflix for their feature documentary The Battle Of The Baddest. In October, he was nominated for a Filmlight Colour Award for his work on Crawford vs Madrimov Everything or Nothing.
“Absolute have been on my radar for some time now, with a consistent quality of work and enviable company culture. So when the opportunity arose, I simply couldn’t turn it down. The proposition was made even sweeter with the arrival of my MPC and Mill colleagues; Peter and Leianna. Collaborating together for many years, we’re ecstatic to be at the forefront of the rebuild and regeneration of Colour at Absolute. I’m thrilled to be able to carry on evolving my craft, and cultivate a strong colour culture in this iconic company during an exciting new era.”
“Bringing in just one Colourist of Pete and Phil’s magnitude would be a no-brainer for any post company in the world” says Chris Batten, Managing Director at Absolute. “So to have them both join us is a real coup. When you pair that with the addition of Leianna, who is regarded as one of the finest Head of Department’s in the industry, we have assembled a box office team. These additions speak volumes about the direction we want to move Absolute in. Our ambition is to be the best in the business, and Pete, Phil and Leianna are all part of bringing us to that next level.”
