(Day 4) Color Theory- Part 2- Color Terms/Schemes

 Hey guys! Great to see you! Today, I am going to research color theory. It is extremely important to know this well because of my story, and how different colors will help develop the plot. 

- there are two types of color schemes: balanced color schemes ( also called "color harmonies" or "color chords" and discordant schemes. 

Composition of colors

Tint

A tint is any color that has white added to it, turning lighter and softer. 

Shade

Shade is any color that has black added to it, making it more intense and rich.

Tone

When any color has gray added. Makes it look more dull and less bright.

3 Main Components

Hue- color itself

Saturation-intensity of color

Brightness- how dark/light a color is

Color Combinations

Monochromatic

Monochromatic schemes have the same hue in different tints and shades. It enhances that color's effect on the audience. 

Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom

A monochromatic scheme can also tell the viewers what a scene should look like. A good example is in Grand Budapest Hotel, where the scene is very colorful and has a very soft tint, but the scene going on is supposed to be serious. It gives the overall atmosphere a comedic sense of irony, and makes viewers not take the discussion too seriously.

Complementary

Complementary colors are opposing colors in the color wheel.

For example, red is the opposite of green, light orange is the opposite of dark blue, yellow is the opposite of purple.

When using complementary colors, the eyes of the viewers are brought to the contrasting object. A good example is the poster from The Dark Knight, where the dark, moody blue-green shade is complemented by a bright red-orange. The red-orange bat sign is the attention grabber.

Complementary colors can also help foreshadow a character's behavior and reveal personality traits. For example, in the movie Despicable Me 2, where the minions encounter their opposite: the purple minions. These two colors- yellow and purple- are complementary and therefore show their personalities' difference. While the yellow minion is sweet and happy, the purple minion is evil.

Analogous

                                                                               

Analogous colors are colors next to each other on the color wheel. These are magenta and purple, purple and dark blue, etc. Filmmakers usually choose one part of the color wheel to use: either cool or warm tones. These can create the same mood and overall harmony. This is a great alternative for monochromatic if you don't have everything in the same color but want to achieve a similar balance and vibe. 

Some examples of analogous color schemes in film are:

1. Alice Through The Looking Glass

In this scene, the color scheme is all warm.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

In this scene, the color scheme is cold and transmits feelings of sadness through its choice of  analogous colors.

Triadic

The triadic scheme is used when colors evenly spaced in the color wheel are chosen. An example are primary colors. However, this scheme is not used commonly. It is mostly seen in period pieces that want to represent the 60s or 70s.

Triadic color schemes can be selected by using the "triangle method".

A magazine cover of The Genuine Article.

Sources:

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/cinema-palettes-famous-movie-colors/

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

https://tongal.com/blog/tongal-taught-me/color-and-film-learn-the-rules-of-color-theory-and-how-to-break-them#:~:text=Wes%20Anderson%20is%20well%2Dknown,style%2C%20and%20characters'%20eccentricities.&text=Monochromatic%20color%20schemes%20have%20a%20dark%20side%2C%20too.

https://blog.knitpicks.com/color-theory-part-2-exploring-hue-value-tint-shade-tone/