As we know I hope to work in a monochromatic colour scheme for my project as I think it would best suit. But I would also like to explore all areas of the spectrum to further my understanding of colour theory in general . Since I’ve been researching colour theory I have seen a few films I would like to mention and explore.
Whiplash–
“Andrew enroll’s in a music conservatory to become a drummer. But he is mentored by Terence Fletcher, whose unconventional training methods push him beyond the boundaries of reason and sensibility.”
Some personal notes-
Articles I read-
Quotes I took notice off-
“Whiplash’s” cinematography stood out to me due to it’s beautiful simplicity. It was Meir’s lighting that made the strongest impression, imposing a color palette on the film that helped support the narrative.”
Example-
“Scenes of the two together are rendered primarily in yellow orange tones that are traditionally employed when representing a placid homey feel. However, placed within the context of “Whiplash” this color choice quickly turns sinister once Fletcher unleashes his true persona.”
“Though oranges dominate a good part of “Whiplash’s” aesthetic, they are not the only colors the production team employ. Varying intensities of blues and greens also make an appearance, most often seen when Teller’s Neiman is in some form or distress or self reflection. The switch to cooler tones rounds out the film’s look, offering balance to the fiery intensity of the Fletcher/Neiman conflict scenes.”
Example-
Beginning to End-
“Associative Colors in film means that the writer, director, or artist associates a color with a character, emotion, or theme. You can also use color as a transition in the story line. Transitional colors can represent a change in a character or theme.”
Transitional-
As we can see in the film Whiplash black and white simply signifies Neiman’s relationship with perfectionism which can be seen from above as when we are first introduced to the character at the beginning he is presented to us in a white shirt showing his optimism for his passion and as we slowly move through the film he is presented to us in much darker colours and then finally at the end when he has reached his goal he is wearing all black showing the corruption of his dream in the industry.
Associative-
I think the colour yellow would be described as associative as this colour only mainly appears when he is in conversation with his mentor Fletcher and it tends to bring tension within the audiences as we don’t know what this man is capable off or what he is about to do next.
Shannon Murray Concept Artist 