Since I began this dissertation, I've started noticing visual subtleties in films and tv programs that I watch.
For example, in the 2000 film,
The Patriot, there is a sequence in which the scene layout and content stays the same, but the colour of the backdrop changes. The colour of the sky changes, from blue and clear to red and stormy, to match the aesthetic of the looming battle. Changing just one part of the scene has changed the mood of the entire scene, from happy and idyllic, to a feeling of danger and foreboding.
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| The Patriot (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
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| The Patriot (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
In the American crime drama, Castle, colour and lighting techniques are often used to enhance the mood of a scene. It is not something I noticed when I first watched the show, but looking back now, it seems so obvious!
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| Castle (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
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| Castle (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
In many episodes of Castle, the scenes have a soft, golden hue. This is to emphasise the cheerfulness of the corresponding scene. If you compare the above images to the ones below, you can really see the difference. The above images are happy and warm, whereas the images below are cold and harsh, reflecting the danger present, and the imminent death of a character in that scene.
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| Castle (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
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| Castle (Captured using the Snipping Tool) |
Another example of how colour and lighting can drastically effect the look and feel of a picture can be seen in the picture below:
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| Picture from Kamui Cosplay |
The above images are of a Skyrim cosplay, by Svetlana Quindt. The original picture, on the left, looks great, but doesn't quite have that feel of a Skyrim game. With some tweaking in Photoshop, the picture has been altered massively by just changing the colours: a bright and sunny day has been transformed into a colder and more threatening atmosphere.
In later posts, I will look into Colour Theory, and how specific colours can evoke specific emotions.
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