Color Schemes

Hello Cambridge people! 

For today's post I will be discussing as well as researching the impact of color schemes in films.

Before I start to yap about this topic, it is vital to understanding color schemes and their meaning. Colors in films are more than just for the visual aesthetic, they have a deep meaning and can help develop a story. Producers and folmmakers use colors to set the mood, reflect emotions, and even hint at what is coming. 

In films, each color can signify something. 

Red: Passion, anger, love, and danger. So it's used various times to represent intense emotions, like rage or excitement. 

Pink: Innocence, love, and playfulness. It’s  used basically for romantic or light-hearted moments. 

Yellow: Happiness, optimism, but also contradicts with jealousy and cowardice. 

Orange: Energy, warmth, and enthusiasm. It’s a vibrant color that adds excitement and balance. 

Green: Healing, nature, but also jealousy and envy. It can represent growth or negative emotions like envy. 

Blue: Calm, trust, and peace. It often represents stability, but it can also suggest sadness or coldness. 

Purple/Violet: Royalty, mystery, and wisdom. This color is often used for spiritual or powerful moments. Brown: Earth, reliability, and comfort. It brings warmth and stability to a scene. 

Black: Power, sophistication, and fear. It can represent mystery or sadness. 

White: Purity, peace, and new beginnings. It’s a color of innocence, but can also be seen as sterile or cold. (Also when brides are in white, it symbolizes purity for their husband).

These colors are displayed in Black Swan (2010) and are illustrated to develop meaning in each scene.

With all these colors and symbols, it is also important to understand the different color schemes used in films. In order to illustrate a specific mood or tone, these color schemes are important for emphasizing key themes. 

Some that I've research so far are: Analogous Color Scheme. This scheme uses colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. It’s often made up of a dominant color with two supportive colors, creating a balanced and also harmonious look. It’s great for creating a calm atmosphere. Complementary Color Scheme: Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, like red and green or blue and orange. These colors create contrast, usually used to represent conflict in the story. Monochromatic Color Scheme: A monochromatic color scheme uses a variety of a single color, creating a fusion and almost unified look. This can give the film a clean, consistent vibe, often used to focus the audience's attention on one theme or emotion. Triadic Color Scheme: This scheme uses three evenly spaced colors on the color wheel. It’s a vibrant, balanced look, often used in superhero films or other high-energy scenes to create a dynamic atmosphere. 

This research was super entertaining as well as eye-opening! I never truly realized how much of a role color plays in the role of filmmaking. I will most definitely use color schemes and color for my portfolio project. See you all later!