From Instagram to Hollywood: How Kazakhstan’s Yerlan Tanay Became a Sought-After Colorist

Kazakhstani colorist Yerlan Tanay has built an international career in post-production, working with major companies including The Mill and Company 3. Now based in Los Angeles and working freelance, he has experienced both the opportunities and instability of Hollywood’s highly competitive market. His long-term goal is to move further into feature films. Tanay career changed after he began sharing his work on Instagram, where he was approached about joining The Mill. In this interview with The Times of Central Asia, he explains how that move opened the door to Hollywood and what he learned inside leading post-production studios. TCA: You have worked as a colorist for eight years, including three years in Hollywood. You were initially invited to join the renowned British post-production company The Mill, which had an office in Los Angeles. How did they find you? Tanay: I was invited by Paul Yacono, the head of The Mill’s Los Angeles office. He is a well-known Australian colorist who has lived and worked in the United States for many years. He graded films for David Fincher and Chloé Zhao and also worked on major series such as House of Cards and music videos for international artists. We met on Instagram and spent almost two years simply communicating, following each other’s work, and occasionally discussing projects. Then one day, he wrote to me: “Would you like to have a Zoom call? We have an offer for you.” During the call, he asked whether I would consider moving to the United States. He then explained that a position had opened and that they were looking for a colorist from outside the American market; someone with a different professional background. It came as a complete surprise to me. TCA: So, Instagram literally changed your career? Tanay: Yes, absolutely. A producer once told me something very simple: “You do good work, but nobody knows who you are.” That was when I realized I needed somewhere to show my work. To be honest, I was skeptical about Instagram at first. I thought it was a platform where people posted pictures of food or makeup, not a place for a professional portfolio. But once I started posting my projects regularly, things gradually changed. My audience grew, people began noticing me, and then job offers started coming in. I was probably also fortunate to enter the platform at a time when professionals were only beginning to use Instagram actively for work. TCA: Last year, The Mill ran into financial difficulties and was sold and restructured. What changed for you? Tanay: I spent two very productive years there, but I had to leave together with the old team. After that, I received an offer from Company 3. To give you an idea, it is one of the companies that sets the standard for color grading in global cinema. If you ask any good cinematographer or director what Company 3 is, there is no need to explain it. Everyone knows the brand. You could say Company 3 is...