Color Investigation

A Bit of History

When we take a look at film we can see that it has an interesting relationship with color. Unlike all other visual arts film began in black and white. During this phase of film history filmmakers were able to create extreme contrast and exaggerated realities. There were still very clear limits to a world without color though. While all the other art forms had many centuries to be perfected and transformed film was brand new. With color filmmakers would have the opportunity to increase the variety in an image, create new and intriguing color palettes, breath a new realism into their films, and add extra layers of depth to the meanings within their film. One filmmaker that truly utilizes the full extent of color is David Fincher.

David Fincher

Fincher is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. He is able to guide the audience throughout a convoluted plot and prevent confusion. The video above mentions a few different ways that Fincher utilizes color to guide the audience. These are most times subtle things that are picked up on subconsciously. One of my favorite color schemes is the discordant color scheme. For me I immediately notice whatever color seems out of place. I find it particularly useful when trying to get the audience to pay attention to something whether its a prop, character, or set piece. 

The Need for Color Palettes

One of my biggest irritations with filming a project is creating color palettes. It can be hard when you aren't shooting on a set which gives you control over every object in a scene. In one shot there might be a cup with pens on a desk, and one pen might be hot pink. Even though you didn't intend for the pen to be of relevance it is going to stick out to an audience. This is why people get confused when watching beginner films, because the amateur filmmaker doesn't know what influences the audience. In order to create a film that is able to communicate deeper emotions and or thoughts about the world, the film must be thoroughly thought out. This is the reason there are specific people called colorists who specialize in the creation of color palettes. 

Monochrome

The monochromatic color palette or color scheme refers to a color pattern using only one color. The painting above is a great example. the value and saturation of the color changes but the entire painting is still blue. This type of color scheme is great for uniformity or atmosphere. It is especially good for shots with only one subject.

Complementary

The complementary color scheme is perhaps the most well known of all the color schemes. It can be seen everywhere from sports team jerseys to product advertisements. It is created through the use of opposing colors on the color wheel. This combination of colors also creates a naturally appealing image to the eye. If one color is used predominantly it can be used to emphasize the opposing color.

Tetradic

The tetradic color scheme can be seen quite often in nature. It consists of two sets of complementary color schemes. This color scheme is very good for separating a foreground and a background. A general rule of thumb is to never use 25% of each color. By doing this you allow the viewer somewhere to rest their eye. There are more color schemes then the ones I have listed but these are my top picks.

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