This document discusses color theory and its use in films. It begins by defining color as a property of light and describes the three components of color: hue, saturation, and brightness. It then explains color theory, including the color wheel and primary/secondary/tertiary colors. The document outlines how different colors can be used to evoke emotions or set tones in films and provide cultural and symbolic meanings. Specific examples are given of how colors like red, blue, and green may be used and the emotions they can represent.

1. Color Psychology in Films
Prepared by
Ms Rijitha. R (M.A, M.Phil, SET)
Assistant Professor
Department of Electronic Media

2. What Is Color?
• Color is the property of light, not of objects or liquids. We can see
colors when our eyes receive light of a certain wavelength or, more
realistically, a mixture of wavelengths that is reflected off objects or
transmitted through fluids.

3. What is Color Theory in Film?
• Color in film is about more than aesthetics. The use of color can evoke
a mood or set the tone for a film. There are three main components of
color, they include hue, saturation and brightness.
• Hue – the color itself. The combination or degree to which a color is
of the primary colors red, blue and yellow. Secondary colors include
green, orange and purple which are created by the mixing of primary
colors.
• Saturation – the intensity or purity of the color or the amount of grey
that is mixed into the color.
• Brightness or Value – how dark or light a color is. A color’s
luminance.

4. What is the Color Wheel?
• A color wheel is a circular swatch of color hues that shows the
relationship between primary, secondary and tertiary colors.
• The color wheel allows the viewer to discern the different color
combinations, complementary and monochromatic.
• The color wheel is also divided into warm and cool colors.
• The warmth or coolness of color is also known as the color’s
temperature.
• Different color temperatures evoke different emotions. Warm colors
run from red to yellow and cooler colors run from blue to green and
purple.

5. Addictive Colors
• A set of primary colors is RGB, they become white light when added
together. These primary colors are red, green and blue. They are also
called as Addictive Colors.

6. Subtractive - CMY
• Secondary colors: These are color combinations created by the
equal mixture of two primary colors. The combinations of two of
the three primary colors of light produce the secondary colors of light.
The secondary colors of light are cyan, magenta, and yellow.

7. When working with color, we distinguish
two methods:
• Additive and subtractive.
• On a monitor, display or television screen, colors consist of red, green
and blue (RGB).
• But when it comes to printed media, prints or paint for objects or dyes,
cyan, magenta and yellow (CMY) form the basis to compose colors.
• We call working with RGB the additive use and working with CMY
the subtractive use of color.

8. MIXING COLOR
• Primary colors are colors in their pure essence: yellow, cyan and magenta.
These colors cannot be created by mixing other colors. (white)
• Secondary colors are mixed forms of two primary colors in a certain
proportion, such as green, orange and purple. (Black)
• Primary and secondary colors are pure colors. They are located at the edge
of the color wheel and have a maximum saturation of their chroma.
• Tertiary colors can be created by mixing certain colors:
• Three primary colors or a combination of a primary and a secondary color
in which the primary color is not present.

9. Color Wheel

10. Color Theory in Story Telling
• The color palette used in a film can help tell a story.
• This helps the viewer feel certain emotions, such as the use of red blood in
a horror movie, or a shade of green for jealousy.
• Color in film also helps draw the attention of the user to a specific detail,
like a red handle on a white door.
• Color can set the overall tone of the film. For example, the use of purple to
create a sense of fantasy.
• Color can help the film identify character traits, such as having a greedy
businessman wear green or a melancholy character wear yellow.
• Color can also be used to show the evolution of a character or story.

11. What Does Each Color Represent?
• Each color has many different meanings.
• They can elicit different emotions or shape our concept and reaction to
them based on historical and global meanings.
• Different cultures have different emotions or meanings for each color.
• These cultural, historical and religious meanings shape our response to
color used in film.

13. Representation Of Color In Films
• RED – Power, blood, fire, danger, aggression, heat, desire, passion,
love, excitement
• YELLOW – Happiness, optimism, imagination, sunshine, philosophy,
illness, deceit, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, joy, dishonesty, and
friendship
• PURPLE/VIOLET – Cruelty, arrogance, temperance, mysterious,
royalty, ceremony, transformation, enlightenment, mourning,
sensitivity, intimacy, nobility, fantasy.
• GREEN – Envy, jealousy, soothing, self-awareness, generosity, good
luck, youth, spring, family, health, harmony, peace, eternity, posterity

14. Representation Of Color In Films
• PINK – love, romance, acceptance, calm, and tenderness.
• ORANGE – Enthusiasm, vibrant, warmth, expansive, wanting
attention, flamboyant, energy
• DARK BLUE – seriousness, knowledge, integrity
• BLUE – cold, truth, confidence, security, technology, stability, peace,
unity, depression. Truth, conservatism, contentment, spirituality, faith,
depression, trust
• BROWN – Home, outdoors, earth, endurance, comfort, reliability,
simplicity

15. Representation Of Color In Films
• WHITE – Peace, cleanliness, youth, winter, cold, snow, birth, purity,
clinical, humility, reverence, simplicity, sterile
• BLACK – Evilness, depth, sadness, anger, underground, detachment,
sexuality, formality, wealth, elegance
• GOLD – prosperity, extravagance, richness, treasure, preciousness,
warmth, wealth, grandeur
• SILVER – sleek, high-tech, riches, distinguished, glamorous, natural,
earthy.

16. Example

17. Examples

18. Examples

19. Examples

20. Examples

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