Color Research!

I decided that regardless of the plot I choose, I want to incorporate color into my film. Color is a very prominent aspect of all of my photography, so I know I could do something great with that visual technique if I looked further into how to properly utilize it. It is also one of my favorite details in media, as it holds great power over the comprehensive aura of the piece.

Color is a pretty tricky tool to work with, as it can be interpreted vastly differently based on context and culture. For example, red is considered a lucky color in Asian cultures, while in Western cultures, its generally regarded as being sexual or passionate.

Example of red being used as a lucky color

Here, I will list the difference between how color can be regarded in the East versus in the West.

The West

Red: passion, love, power, but also heat, aggression, fire, violence

Pink: love, care, tenderness, femininity

Beige: quietnes, calmness

Yellow: joy, optimism, dreamy, but also illness, jealousy, hazard

Dark Blue: seriousness, knowledge, masculinity

Blue: clean, cold, tranquility, but also melancholy 

Turquoise: water, femininity

Purple: royalty, mystery, fortune, but also arrogance

Orange: energy, warmth, flamboyant

Green: good luck, nature, youth, but also greed, envy, misfortune

Brown: Earth, home, comfort

Gray: security, modesty, maturity, but also boring, aged, practicality

White: purity, birth, snow, marriage but also sterility

Black: sophistication, wealth, formality, but also evil, unhappiness, death

The East

Red: good luck, happiness, longevity

Pink: marriage

Gold: wealth, strength, evilness

Yellow: royalty, luck (in China, associated with pornograpy)

Blue: wealth, immortality, healing, relaxation

Purple: wealth, nobility (in China, associated with mourning)

Orange: courage, good health

Green: family, harmony, health, fertility (in China, associated with infedelity)

Brown: Earth, home, comfort

Gray: helpfulness

White: death, mourning

Black: darkness, glory

From my research, I learned numerous things about color, one of which is that filters of certain colors can be put over entire movies to change the mood or showcase themes. For instance, in the movie Up in the Air, the film has a blue hue, which represents the main character's unhappiness and the dismal environment.

Up in the Air (2009)

Something else that was new to me was contrasting foils, which is when one color pops out against a background of another color. For example, in the movie Schindler's List, this technique is used to highlight a character who moves the plot along. I plan to utilize this in a manner that shows the viewer that my character feels ostracized from their peers and the world around them. 

Schindler's List (1993)

As of right now, I want my main character to be emotional. I want to show that they are passionate and very in touch with their feelings. Additionally, I want to play with themes of loneliness and isolation. Although I don't know the plot yet, I know that this is important to me regardless, and I will use this research going forward to better my piece.

Until next time, bye!

P.S. Don't overuse black in character design!

Sources:

https://www.k-international.com/blog/color-meanings-around-the-world/#:~:text=Eastern%2FAsian%20cultures%3A%20In%20most,mourning%20in%20the%20Middle%20East.&text=Africa%3A%20In%20Africa%2C%20white%20symbolizes,purity%2C%20goodness%20and%20good%20luck.

https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/color2.htm

https://media.codes/colour-symbolic-code-c1af9a09fde8

https://dreamfarmstudios.com/blog/color-theory-for-character-design/