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Film: A World In Colors

R.M Habib, S. Kanaan, K. Kazma & A. Chami

Faculty of Communication and Information, Antonine University

Oral and Written Communication Skills

Dr. Lara Assaad

December 1st 2020

Outline:

Claim: The use of colors in movies is important.

I- The use of colors in film creates an ambience.

A- The use of warm colors creates a comforting ambience while cool colors shift the

mood to something more dark and sad.

1- In Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson uses warm colors that create a

comforting ambience.

2- In Hereditary, Ari Aster uses cool colors which serve the film's overall

uncomfortable atmosphere.

B- The change of saturation serves to change the mood of the film using the same

color palette.

1- In the Wizard of Oz, the colors are highly saturated, making the film

more vivid.

2- In war movies colors are less saturated making the ambience a little

more serious

II- The use of color in film amplifies emotions

A- The effect of color on the human body and behavior.

1- The difference between night and day.

2- The human body reacts to color.

B- How cinematographers use the symbolism of colors in movies.

1- Color could mean different notion depending on the context.

2- A few examples to illustrate the different symbolism of certain colors

and how they are used to amplify emotions.

III- Color symbolism in film involves utilizing colors to speak to a more profound

meaning.

1. Supporting evidence :Filmmakers may utilize distinctive colors to draw

the audience’s consideration to a typical question, communicate

something around a character, or emphasize a theme.

2. Supporting evidence: Color can fill a scene with feeling and pressure,

mean changes in characters and subjects, and make a compelling climate.

A- A good cinematographer knows that color tells its claim story and ought to be

treated with as much weight as the script

1. Supporting evidence (For example, filmmakers tend to use RED to

symbolize anger, passion, rage, desire, love, aggression, danger( 6th sense

movie)

2. Supporting evidence (BLUE resembles faith, spirituality, contentment,

loyalty, fulfillment peace, tranquility, calm mood. ORANGE – humor,

energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant,

etc…)

IV- There are downsides to the use of colors in films

A- Colors can distract the audience from the movie’s plot

B- Extreme use of colors can cause improper interpretations about the story

Imagine living in a world colorless world of black and white, it's impossible because we

live in a colorful world. This is why movies have evolved from black and white to full of colors.

The use of colors in movies is important.

The use of color in film can “set the overall tone of the film” (Rothstein A., 2020), it

creates an ambience and mood that will transfer the audience to the world of the film even before

any actor utters a word. Each film has its own unique color palette that helps separate it from

other films and gives it its own identity. Consequently, these color palettes generate a certain

mood and ambience that elevates the audiences’ viewing experience while also altering with

their mood. The use of warm colors such as yellow and orange creates a comforting ambience

for audiences whilst the use of cool colors such as blue and green can shift the mood to

something more dark and sad. For example, in the film Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson uses

warm colors: yellow and orange, these colors give the film a comforting ambience whereas in the

film Hereditary, director Ari Aster uses cool colors which serve the film’s uncomfortable overall

mood.  In addition, the change of saturation in colors also serves to shift the ambience and mood

of the film using the same color palette. The use of intense and highly saturated colors creates a

tense or vivid  ambience whereas the use of desaturated colors sets a calmer more serious mood.

For instance, in the movie The Wizard of Oz, the colors are highly saturated, this serves the

film’s overall ambience making it more vivid and adding to its fantasy element. However, in war

movies such as Saving Private Ryan, the colors are less saturated making the movie’s ambience

to be a little more serious.

Color in general influence the emotional state of an individual, it could affect

his behavior, his sleeping patterns, his anger, and his energy level. A long wavelength that is

vivid and saturated, and compared to a shorter (darker), it is more stimulating giving the

individual more energy. From the start, the human body responds in a similar manner, it is active

when it is exposed to light “yellow” and resting after being exposed to the darkness of night

“bleu”. Therefore, the body does answer to color.  Depending on the color in the environment

you could become enthusiastic or relaxed or even depressed (Schaefer and Salvato, 2013, p.225).

As Color is known to affect people in a discrete way, it is used to sway the audience in films.

Taking psychoanalysis in consideration, each color corresponds to an emotion.  Whether

intentionally or not, cinematographers are using neuroscience and the symbolism of certain

colors to influence the viewer. However, in the same movie color could

represent contradictory notions, meaning that the context does play a role determining the

emotion the cinematographer is trying to convey behind the color (Berens,2014). The best way

to show how color amplify the emotional response of the audience is by showing examples.

Have you ever wondered why the apple in “Snow white” was Red.  Red in this case was

symbolizing danger. A small child not understanding the full picture will subconsciously feel

threatened by the vibrant red of the apple. This is the importance of color in children’s movies,

the creators need to communicate the emotions to the mind of a child. Moving to a different

example: the color “yellow”, even though it correlates with happiness, wealth, and wisdom it is

also the most dislike color and causes anxiety (Bellantoni, 2017). Like in Sin City, an evil

character “Yellow Bastard” is depicted in yellow, and since the color is disliked, it enhances the

hatred the viewer feel towards him. In contrary in Slumdog Millionaire yellow is used for the
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nostalgic happy memories making the audience associate it with happiness during the movie.

Reprising Sin city as an example, there is red which in the same movie is used to depict different

emotions. Here the red help the audience grasp the love felt between the characters and the

anger they felt from a scent to the other. In conclusion, color helps the audience to determine

what to feel thus amplifying their emotions.

Color symbolism in film involves utilizing colors to speak to a more profound meaning.

Filmmakers may utilize distinctive colors to draw the audience’s consideration to a typical

question, communicate something around a character, or emphasize a theme. Color can fill a

scene with feeling and pressure, mean changes in characters and subjects, and make a compelling

climate. Color encompasses a profound mental effect on the way we observe and anticipate

pictures. A good cinematographer knows that color tells its claim story and ought to be treated

with as much weight as the script. For example, filmmakers tend to use RED to symbolize anger,

passion, rage, desire, love , aggression, danger( 6th sense movie), BLUE resembles faith,

spirituality, contentment, loyalty, fulfillment peace, tranquility, calm mood. ORANGE – humor,

energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, GREEN – healing,

soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment,

healthy, good luck, renewal, youth,, spring, generosity , fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, …

Thus, colors have a deep psychological impact on the way we watch and interpret movies.

While some may argue that the use of colors in movies is of utmost importance, it is

noteworthy to mention that there are downsides. Using a variety of colors can distract the

audience, taking their attention away from the movie's plot and towards the colors in their

diversity. Moreover, if the usage of colors is extreme, it can cause improper interpretations about

the story itself. For example, in the movie “Her” (2013) Dir. Spike Jonze, the color red is present
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throughout the whole movie and is found in most of the scenes, and the color red usually

resembles anger or aggression, but in the case of this movie, it is used to resemble loneliness,

isolation, and sadness.

The usage of colors in films has played a major role in redefining the world of

filmmaking. Not only does it induce the audience’s emotions and add a sentimental dimension

on our whole experience, it also involves us in the process of decoding the messages of the

targeted film that are expressed by the filmmaker. It is more about decoding and unraveling the

layers behind the footage which is linked to a specific purposeful resemblance. Moreover, it

creates a whole new mood for the film itself, enriched with feelings and interesting visuals. “I

don't want to imitate life in movies; I want to represent it. And in that representation, you use the

colors you feel, and sometimes they are fake colors. But always it's to show one emotion”- Pedro

Almodovar.
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References:

Bellantoni, P. (2017). If it's purple, someone's Gonna Die: The Power of color in visual

storytelling. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://books.google.com.lb/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=E57cAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=If+it%27s+purple,+someone

%27s+Gonna+Die:

+The+Power+of+color+in+visual+storytelling.&ots=QT4xJl8Kn4&sig=lTvXQPTyltKVKnnW

XQGPW5j-Gpo&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=If%20it's%20purple%2C%20someone's

%20Gonna%20Die%3A%20The%20Power%20of%20color%20in%20visual

%20storytelling.&f=false

Berens, J. (2014). The Role of Colour in Films: Influencing the Audience’s Mood. Leeds

Metropolitan University, Northern Film School.

http://www.danberens.co.uk/uploads/3/0/0/6/30067935/daniel_berens_dissertation_may2014.pdf

Fusco , J.,(2016). The Psychology of Color in Film. No Film School.

https://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/watch-psychology-color-film

Hurlbut , S. ,(2017). COLORS IN FILMMAKING – WHAT DO YOURS REPRESENT?.

Filmmakers Academy. https://www.filmmakersacademy.com/colors-in-filmmaking/

Rothstein, A. (2020, August 20). Color Theory in film: A Video Producer's Guide. IPR.

https://www.ipr.edu/blogs/digital-video-and-media-production/color-theory-in-film-a-video-

producers-guide/ Schaefer, D., & Salvato, L. (2013). Masters of light: Conversations with

contemporary cinematographers. University of California Press.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt2jcbhz