The perception of emotions through color

When we look at any visual media, we perceive a particular emotion that can be positive, negative or a mix of different feelings. That certainly depends on the story involved, but that is not the only factor to consider. Our mind is complex and we automatically build associations while looking at colors. Consequently, knowing the psychology of color is beneficial when creating a professional lighting setup.

The importance of color scheme in video production

A professional cinematographer starts with a well-defined color scheme. But what exactly is a color scheme? Simply put, it’s a set of colors that a shot, a film or any production chooses to convey a specific mood. A color palette is a valuable tool for selecting your primary colors.

The most common color schemes in video production

We will explore the most common color schemes in video production. They represent a way to improve your video production skills and make your compositions even better in terms of mood.

Monochromatic color scheme

In this type of scheme, there is a dominant tone from which we get tones and shades. The filmmaker chooses a key color and plays with a range of darker and lighter tints.

Complementary color scheme

Among all color schemes, this is one of the most popular in video production. We can build a complementary color scheme by taking a color and its opposite on the color wheel.

Complementary split color scheme

This scheme produces less tension than the previous one. Instead of considering the complementary tint, take one color and choose the two colors next to the opposite one.

Analog color scheme

When we consider colors side by side on the color wheel, we are introducing an analogous color scheme.

Triadic color scheme

Considering the color wheel, this scheme works with three evenly spaced colors.

Tetradic color scheme

While a triadic color scheme chooses three colors, this one consists of four colors managed in two complementary pairs.

Conclusion

We have explored the most common color schemes in video production. They represent a way to improve your video production skills and make your compositions even better in terms of mood.

For more information on how we can help you improve your video production skills, please visit our services page. If you are interested in viewing some of the videos we have produced, you can visit our portfolio. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your next video project, please do not hesitate to contact us.