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Jordan Berry

Entertainment Technology

Mr. Johnson

12 September 2016

Senior Mastery Research Paper

What is the importance of color in film and television?

What do you think of when you see the color red? What about yellow? And blue?

Immediately, certain feelings surface when thinking of these colors. Every color affects the way

we feel and perceive things, because of its emotional connotations. This cerebral phenomenon is

often referred to as color perception, and much research has been put into the topic in order to

explain why we associate colors with particular feelings (Brown, 129). To make the concept of

color perception even more complex, all you have to do examine the ways in which it can affect

an audience through the platform of film and television. Color has been used as a storytelling

device in film since the first hand-tinted colored films, and remains important in these forms of

media even today. While many portrayals of color may be obvious to an audience, other uses are

much more subliminal. The first step to understanding the vital role that color has in film and

television is to examine the various ways in which it can be applied in order to support the plot

or theme of a production.

Before considering why color is utilized the way it is, one should dig a little deeper into

the concept of color perception. For most people, color evokes similar feelings. Red is anger,

blue is calm, and yellow is danger (Smith, Kat). But, these perceptions can vary based on a

myriad of aspects; culture, for example. In different cultures, there are different associations with
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color. In India, the color orange represents positivity, and spiritual enlightenment. But, in the

United States of America, orange represents road hazards, traffic delays, and fast food chains.

There are also many traditional interpretations of color across cultures; luck, death, marriage, and

birth are all concepts that have color associations (Bortoli and Maroto, 3). Although differences

such as these exist with color perception, most views stay consistent from individual to

individual.

Because of the way color affects people's views, it is an ideal tool for creating

atmosphere and establishing mood in productions. Color is often used to represent different

genres. Think about it: how can you tell the difference between a trailer for a comedy, and the

trailer for a horror? Besides the obvious plot and dialogue differences, color is a key component

in distinguishing between the two. In this case, well-lit and bright colors would be used to show

the comedy, while dark and dull tones would be used to portray the horror. Each genre comes

with its own color motifs; whether it be Sci-Fi, Romance, or Drama (Oleson). To be more

specific with the way color affects mood and atmosphere, you can apply it to certain scenes

within a production. One can always tell the mood of a scene by looking at color; for example,

almost always, a scene that shows a tragic moment will be dimly light, and comprised of dark

colors.

A director's use of color to create their own unique style is another way that color is

important in establishing atmosphere in productions. Wes Andersons films are a great example

of this. In his works, Anderson consistently uses pastel color palettes that produce a nostalgic,

vintage effect. He does this because he realizes the use of color in this way will not only make

his films striking to the point of standing out; he does it because he knows that the colors he uses
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will evoke certain responses from the audience, and he wants to use that to his advantage.

Because of his constant use of a similar color palette, one look at one of his films is instantly

recognizable as belonging to him (Vreeland). Although there is the consistency of pastel hues in

his films, he still uses different color schemes in his movies for different purposes regarding plot.

Take Moonrise Kingdom, for example. Anderson uses earthy tones that sit beside each other on

the color wheel in order to produce a calming effect. Browns, greens, and yellows are all used to

produce a vintage, boy-scout like atmosphere. Another great example is The Grand Budapest

Hotel. The repetitive use of the color pink in this film shows the audience that the film is

lighthearted, and despite the somberness of the plot, the characters and their dilemmas shouldnt

be taken too seriously, but more in a humorous and ironic manner. Filmmakers such as Tim

Burton and Steven Spielberg use similar methods to achieve their own unique style as well.

Characters can be largely affected by color as well. The identity of a character can be

categorized as good or bad, important or unimportant, and many other characterizations

depending on the colors they are associated with. It can also provide the audience with a way to

determine different personality traits of a character. This technique is most classically seen in

tropes with the bad guys in black and good guys and white, and with the innocent girls as blonde

and the rebellious girls as brunettes (Sosna). Another example we could use is the protagonist in

Kill Bill. In the movie posters advertising Kill Bill, the color scheme is strikingly yellow. The

main character is also seen most in a yellow suit. Not only does this draw attention to the

protagonist, it also shows the madness and instability of her character (Olesen).

Color is also used by directors to show character development and transitions throughout a

production. In Breaking Bad, it is considered a largely symbolic moment for the protagonist,
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Walt, when he removes his red shirt to reveal a black one underneath (Marine). This tells the

audience that Walt has changed from an average, for the most part moral man, into an immoral

antagonist with the progression of the plot. Color can also be used to show the characters inner

expressions, such as in Amelie. The color scheme of this movie is almost entirely in green, gold,

and red, used to depict the main characters fairy tale view of the world (Olesen).

Location is another vital aspect of storytelling that can be influenced by color. Color can

be used to show the transition from one world to another, and to represent different places or

environments across the world. Two good examples of films in which color is used to show

transition from one world to another are Oz the Great and Powerful, and Pans Labyrinth. In Oz

the Great and Powerful, an adaptation/play-off of the original Wizard of Oz, the movie changes

from black and white to color with location, as does the Wizard of Oz. The black and white is

used in both movies to represent the dull and monotonous ways of reality, in the real world. The

switch to color when the protagonist travels to Oz in both films represents the transition from the

reality to a place that is much happier and interesting, Oz. In Pans Labyrinth, color is used to

show a change in setting in a similar way. The main character starts off in reality, which is

characterized by dark, cold colors. When the movie transitions to the fantasy world, the colors

become warm colors (Mills). In the television series Game of Thrones, color is used to show

differing location between the various characters and their separate plot lines. The North is

depicted as cold and deserted by using greys, blues and whites, while Kings Landing, a location

that is a busy city thriving with people, is seen as bright and warm colors. It is common to see

that switch of color scheme between various plots and peoples within a show or movie. The

Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover is an ideal example of the use of color to portray
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location. Each room in the main setting of the film (a restaurant), appears a different color to

represent the atmosphere of that room and the character that most often occupies it. As a

character moves from one room to another, depending on their role in the film, their clothings

will change to match the color of the room. This example also helps support the idea of film

being important to the storytelling aspect of a production, because how essential it is in the plot

of this film.

Color in film is often used for symbolic purposes. Although this symbolism is largely

connected with the use of color to portray character and location, it is still an important concept

to individually expand upon. For example, in the movies Beauty and the Beast, Psycho, and

Schindlers List the color of the characters clothing has a symbolic purpose. In the first movie,

Belle is the only character to wear blue. This symbolizes that she is unique among the others in

her village. In Psycho, the character Marion Crane is shown in her underwear two times. The

first time they are white, symbolizing innocence and purity. The second time she is shown, after

she has stolen a large amount of money, we see that her underwear is black, symbolizing guilt,

darkness, and evilness. In Schindlers List, a movie about the holocaust, the entire movie is in

black and white. But, there is one scene where a little girl is shown with a red coat. This

symbolizes the fact that during the holocaust, world powers such as America and Britain ignored

what was happening in Germany, even though it was so obvious, like a giant bloodstain. This is

symbolized by the little girls red coat standing out amongst the black and white (Mills). The

color of clothing isnt the only things that can clue an audience in on the symbolic undertones of

a production; various objects, locations, and aspects of a character's appearance play a role in

creating symbolism. With objects, The Sixth Sense is a prominent example. In this film, every
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object touched by a supernatural being is in red. The red is often contrasted against a

monochromatic background, which makes it stand out even more to the audience (Olesen). In

The Giver, symbolistic color is used in regards to the main character's love interest. While

everything else appears in black and white, the main character can see the vivid red of her hair.

This tells the audience that there is something special about their relationship and the way he

thinks about her (The Giver). These examples prove that the use of color to manufacture

symbolism within a production is important, as it helps develop plot and give a deeper layer to a

film or television show.

Many dont pay much attention to color in productions. They recognize it on more of a

subconscious level, as their perceptions of the colors used seems to come naturally. But, when

you take a closer look, its easy to see that color is a key component in setting the overall tone of

a production. Important elements of the plot such as location and setting, symbolic messages,

and characters are all impacted by the application of color in the film and television industries.

Without color, we wouldnt have the same layer of depth and tone in our productions that we

have today.
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Works Cited

Bortoli, Mario De, and Jesus Maroto. "Colours Across Cultures: Translating Colours in

Interactive Marketing Communications." Global Propaganda (2001): n. pag. Web.

Brown, Blain. Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for

Cinematographers and Directors. Focal Press, 2002. Print.

Marine, Joe. How Color Has Become Such An Important Storytelling Tool in Cinema.

http://nofilmschool.com/2015/08/history-importance-color-cinema-storytelling-film-l

ewis-bond, 2015. Website.

Mills, Robert. Colour and Storytelling in Films.

http://www.robertmills.me/colour-and-storytelling-in-films/, 2015. Website.

Olesen, Jacob. Color Symbolism in Movies: What Do Colors Mean in Movies?

http://www.color-meanings.com/color-symbolism-in-movies-what-do-colors-mean-in-mo

vies/, 2016. Website.

Smith, Kat. Color Theory: The Language of Color in Film and Advertsing.,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/color-theory-language-film-advertising-kat-smith,

2016. Website.

Sosna, Laurie. Movie Symbolism in Amazing Technicolor.

http://cen.acs.org/articles/84/i7/Movie-Symbolism-Amazing-Technicolor.html, 2006.

Website.

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Dir. Peter Greenaway. Perf. Helen Mirren

and Michael Gambon. Palace Pictures, 1989. Film.

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The Giver. Dir. Phillip Noyce. Perf. Brenton Thwaites and Jeff Bridges. Walden Media,

2014. Film.

Vreeland, Vaughn. Color Theory and Social Structure in the Films of Wes Anderson.

http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/communications/research/vol6no2/04_V

aughn_Vreeland.pdf, 2015. Website.