BLOG QUESTION ADV: COLOR IN STORYTELLING P. 1

What are three things that you've learned in this video essay? How do these relate to what you've learned so far this week about color in filmmaking?

Color affects us subconsciously and evokes certain emotions. The first thing I learned about are the 3 elements to color: Hue, saturation, and value. Hue is the actual color itself.  (e.g. red, orange, green, blue.). Saturation is the intensity of the color. (e.g. how vivid or pale a color is). The value is how dark a color is (lower= dark, higher=brighter). The second thing I learned is that color schemes are chosen in film for two main purposes: balance and discordance. When a color scheme (e.g. complementary or monochromatic colors) are used correctly, it creates a more balanced look. Color can also be used to highlight subjects that don't fit into a scene (aka discordance). The third thing I learned was that color is used for two main purposes: associative and transitional. By using consistent colors, you establish an association between a color and subject/idea, which helps reinforce ideas to the audience. The change of color can also represent a transition or shift in a story (e.g. colors changing throughout the film to match a character's new/changing characteristics). This relates to what we've been learning about color because it explains the different ways color can be utilized to influence the audience's interpretation of a story/the characters within a film.