in the post 6 8 tareq Kubaisi
tareq Kubaisi 6 9 in the post
photograph: rankin
true colours Sitting in Prime Focus’ smart London base
became intrigued by the magic woven in those
Maguire, for equally big brands such as adidas,
sipping a cappuccino with the dapperly dressed
darkened Soho suites. Concluding it was the path
Nike and Mercedes. He’s also ventured into the
Tareq Kubaisi, it’s hard to imagine that his work
for him, Kubaisi quit his high-flying job,
features world, working on both the Hammer &
uniform used to be army fatigues. In fact, it
symbolically burnt his suit, and was reborn as a
Tongs movies The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The
seems almost a surprise Kubaisi got into post
runner at Soho’s VTR.
Galaxy and Son Of Rambow.
production at all, for after ending his army career,
“I knew I had to start as a runner, and I’m a great
But his position at Prime Focus also offers more:
Kubaisi set up his own marketing company. But,
believer in working your way up,” he says. And
“The job here is a different role from sitting in the
having been appointed CEO of telecine at the
once through the door, it was telecine that he was
suite day in and day out. It’s also partly about
global post powerhouse last year, Kubaisi is at
drawn to. “It’s subjective and creative,” he
helping to be more strategic about the business,
the top of the colourist’s game.
describes, “and you’re working with actual
and also taking on a more creative role by getting
“My mother was an archaeologist and a ballet
celluloid film so it’s really exciting. And as
involved in projects as a whole.” Plus, there’s the
dancer, so I guess I had a bit of a different
someone who enjoyed photography and was used
crucial task of building up the telecine team, and
childhood, and I was taken around a lot of
to print it was a really interesting route. Sitting in
this part excites Kubaisi the most.
archaeological digs,” he remembers. Born to an
Soho in dark rooms smoking fags and drinking
With 16 years in the business, Kubaisi’s been
English mother and Iraqi father, Kubaisi spent his
beer was quite attractive too...”
witness to the explosion of the industry, and the
youth travelling between the two countries. “Even
Taken under the wing of one of the operators,
changes that have come with it.
though I was half Iraqi, when I moved back to the
Mark Baugh, Kubaisi quickly learnt the ropes, and
“Whereas 10 years ago every client was a director
Middle East as a young English boy, I didn’t have
before long clients were asking him to take on
or DP, at least half are now from the agency side,”
many friends, so I immersed myself in books and
jobs. “I owe my career to Mark on many levels,”
he says. “Now everyone is far more literate in
paintings, and my grandfather gave me a
he states. 12 years later he had a reputation and a
post production,” he elaborates, “and people are
camera when I was five years old.”
place on the board. Then, in 2008, after three
less intimidated by it. In one sense it’s better for
Back in the UK and determined to fufill that
years at Glassworks, he moved to Prime Focus.
the industry, because more information is always
familiar boyhood fantasy of flying helicopters,
“Telecine can transform things,” Kubaisi
better, but at the same time it’s been devalued
Kubaisi signed up for the army after leaving
enthuses. “Obviously we’re only as a good as
slightly. Agency producers and creatives know
school, eventually quitting after four years in the
what we’re given, and I’d never say that we can
what can be achieved, which is a good thing as it
service. A stint at Watford Academy of
create something out of nothing. But we can
pushes us and helps the project overall, but like
Advertising ensued, quickly followed by a career
enhance what’s already there and, perhaps, one
anything it’s a double-edged sword.” But as a
in marketing, until one day he found himself top
of the reasons I’m asked to do things is because
budding director himself, Kubaisi has always
dog of an IT marketing department – and hating
of my strong opinions. What telecine allows for is
focused on the bigger picture surrounding any
every minute of it. “It got to the point where I
the transformation of the mundane into the
job. “I always try to look at it through the
would wake up in the morning and walk down the
extraordinary, or the extraordinary into the
director’s eyes, not just mine, which is a narrow
steps of my flat hoping that I’d fall and break
mundane. With twists of colour you can massively
part of the process. It also means I’ve seen
something so that I didn’t have to go in,” he
change the mood of things.”
millions of feet of film, so I’ve attended a film
laughs. Hungry for a change, and with his then
Kubaisi’s reel is littered with big name directors
school taught by some of the best people in the
girlfriend working in the post industry, Kubaisi
including David LaChapelle, Stacey Wall and Mike
world,” he grins. Nice work if you can get it.
As Isobel Roberts discovers, it’s not all black and white with the enigmatic, half-Iraqi ex-soldier turned telecine wizard
“What telecine allows for is the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary, or the extraordinary into the mundane. With twists of colour you can massively change the mood of things.”