Warm-Up We’ve seen some movies in black and white and some in color. Which do you prefer and why? Explain. On an index card write your favorite color On the back write 4 adjectives for that color

Color in FILM FILM STUDIES I MRS VOGT Prepared by Ms. Jones (Adapted from Looking at Movies, 4th Ed.)

The history & science of color film Watch the short documentary and take notes on important facts and terms on your note sheet. From Isaac Newton to the Coen Brothers

Color In storytelling Analogous color Complimentary color Association Look for: Analogous color Complimentary color Balance Discordance How do these effect the story of a film? Association Transitional

Analyzing Color in Film Are there strong areas of color or pronounced contrasts in the frame that demand attention? Are tones uniformly saturated or desaturated, producing a vibrant of somber mood? Does it makes the action? Are there warm or cool colors? Are color motifs developed? Do colors bear cultural significance?

Ticket out the door Think of a movie you’ve seen that used color to draw your attention to something. Explain a scene and how the color affected you as a viewer.

History Color was an option that required more labor and money than black and white. Before 1960, color movies were elaborated productions

History It was possible to create color film as early as 1895 Additive color systems – adding color to black and white film stock Hand coloring, stenciling, tinting, toning Labor intensive so it was only a few frames at the beginning Thomas Edison, Georges Melies, Edwin Porter Dyes were applied by hand to the print Stenciling was done by a machine – use 6 different colors Most common: Tinting and toning Tinting: dyeing the base of the film so that the light areas appeared in color Single color could set the time of day, distinguish between interior and exterior, created moods Toning: a chemical process that colored the opaque parts of an image to general color Tinting and Toning were often used together

kinemacolor Early process of color that used Persistence of Vision and a faster frame-per- second rate to simulate color. 1915 – Technicolor Corporation introduced a similar 2-color additive process By the early 1930s, the additive process had given way to a 2-color subtractive color system This process was later refined to a 3-color subtractive process and used in 1932 for cartoons and 1934 for live-action features.

Timeline Color processes were developed in 1930s Not an industry standard until after WWII Color was one way movie studios could compete with television which was broadcast in black and white “Glorious Technicolor” Between 1947 and 1954 – color films went from 1/10 to 1 / 2 By 1979 – 96% of films were made in color

Technicolor In 1922, Technicolor developed a two-strip additive process…. Strength of Technicolor was that the film was vibrant and stable and the colors aged well. Monopoly on the market – and color films used 3 times as much stock – color was costly