As you know, I'm working on my Cambridge portfolio, developing my idea for a two minute horror film opening. I was supposed to meet with my teacher, but I was sick the day of the meeting, so I'm making a research post instead. Today, I'm researching what features to incorporate to make it as good as possible. One important technique is the Color Scheme.
Today, I want to share some of my research with you!
I watched a great video ( Color Theory in Horror Movies / Film Analysis) about color schemes and their use in horror movies. First of all, I want to highlight the three basic components of color:
- Hue: the color itself
- Saturation: intensity of color
- Brightness: lightness or darkness of color
Besides, the filmmakers considered the following:
Intensity: how pure the color is. A color is most intense when straight from the tube, not mixed with another color.
Also, I noticed that the colors could be edited through digital effects (remastered color ) or even added some filters to the camera film. To choose the right colors during filming, filmmakers use color grading software to enhance the post-production atmosphere. Software like DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro allows editors to adjust hue, saturation, brightness, and contrast.
USE OF COLOR IN HORROR GENRE
Look back at your most recent horror movie or your favorite one. Surely, you can remember colors like black and red in violent or scary scenes.
According to the article "The Color Wheel of Horror—Creating Mood with Color Lighting," color greatly enhances a film's or picture's tone. In horror movies, color is used extensively to captivate the viewers and provide them with a rainbow of feelings.
Filmmakers tend to use cooler tones in horror movies than in other genres. The most common are blue, green, black, and grey.
In these images, you can see two examples of the color schemes in different subgenres of horror films. ( Paranormal and thriller )
The Conjuring 2, Color Palette-Paranormal
The shades are also important. Most of the scenes occur in dark places or are filmed at night, so the shades are also great for generating a sense of fear and suspense in the film. Deep blacks and grays create this mood, enhancing the feeling of dread. However, other colors like orange, yellow, or white are also used. In the article: "The Meaning of Color in Horror by Shannon Lewis" I saw the different colors and their explanation of the scheme. These are some examples from the article:
In conclusion, using a color scheme enhances suspense and intensifies fear in horror films. Filmmakers mostly use cool tones to create "dark" atmospheres, while blacks and shadows add mystery and tension. Red, orange, or even yellow are often used to highlight danger or violence. Through careful lighting, filters, and digital editing, colors shape the viewer's emotions, making horror films more immersive and unsettling.
SOURCES
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