How color schemes in films appear.

1. Colour schemes in films

2. The importance of colour in films
• A famous theorist called Lewis Bond, colour in
storytelling, this theory talks about how it is
not only a practical analysis of how movie
colour palettes enhance, storytelling, bust also
an engaging historical recap on the maturation
of colour in film.

3. How can colour tell a story?
Colour can affect us emotionally, psychologically and even
physically, often without us becoming aware. Colour in film
can build harmony or tension within a scene, or bring
attention to a key theme. When telling a story, colours can…
 Elicit psychological reactions with the audience
 Draw focus to significant details
 Set the tone of the movie
 Represent character traits and more
 Show changes or arcs in the story
As filmmakers, we must choose our film palette carefully to
maximize emotional and visceral effect.

4. Concept art Vs. Storyboards
Determining what colours your project will use s
a key part of the pre-production process. What’s
not obvious, however, is at what stage you
should loop in your creative team on your colour
selections. Usually, concept art and moodboards
will showcase colour palette ideas, while
storyboards showcase the motion and shots
we’ll see.

5. The psychological effect
When chosen carefully, a well-placed movie palette
evokes mood and sets the tone for the film. The three
main components of a colour are hue, saturation and
value.
• Hue- The colour itself
• Saturation- Intensity of the colour
• Value- The darkness or lightness of a colour
As Bond mentions in his colour theory video, many
viewers will have predictably similar reactions to certain
colours. A strong red colour has been shown to raise
blood pressure, while blue colours elicits a calming effect.

6. Balanced movie colour palettes
Although single, recurring colours can hold a
deeper meaning, a more fleshed out film palette
of colours (aka “colour scheme”) is most
effective in communicating the thematic
contact. Balanced movie colour schemes refer to
the harmonious relationships of colours on a
colour wheel. A well balanced movie colour
palette can create unity and it can promote a
cohesive tone. The four most common types of
colour schemes are:

7. Monochromatic
Monochromatic colour schemes
come in shades of a single colour
such as red, dark red and pink. They
create a deeply harmonious feeling
that is soft, lulling and soothing.
The Matrix is a good example of this
colour scheme. Nearly every scene
set within the world of the matric
has a green hue. Shades of green
permeate everything in the frame to
create an unnatural, “lulling” effect.

8. Complementary
Contrasting drama (i.e.
warm vs. cool).
Complementary colours
live opposite each other
on the colour wheel. For
example, orange and blue
are complementary
colours commonly used
in many blockbuster
films. The duelling
colours are often
associated with conflict,
whether internal or
external. No matter the
colour section,
complementary colours
combine warm and cool
colours to produce a
high-contrast, vibrant
tension in the film.

9. Analogous
Analogous colours neighbour each other on
the colour wheel (i.e. red/violet or
yellow/lime green). Since the colours don’t
have the contrast and tension of the
complementary colours, they create an
overall harmounious and soothing viewing
experience. Analogous are easy to take
advantage of in landscapes and exteriors as
they are often found in nature.

10. Triadic
Vibrant and colourful,
Triadic colours are three
colours arranged evenly
spaced around the colour
wheel (i.e. red, blue and
yellow). One colour
should be dominant and
the others accented.
Triadic is one of the least
common movie colour
schemes, but it can be
striking and vibrant even
when the hues are
unsaturated.

11. Discordant
movie
colour
palettes
Discordance is a
deliberate choice by the
director to deviate from
the balanced movie
colour scheme
mentioned above to
refocus attention.
Discording colours can
help a character, detail
or moment stand out
from the rest of the
film. For example, the
colour blue in Amelie,
or the colour red in the
sixth sense.

12. Enhancing symbolism in a film colour
palette- Associative
When a recurring film palette or colour represents a
character or larger theme in the film.

14. • https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-
use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-
palettes/