Technicolor and the Use of Colour in Film

The black and white film was the original cinematic medium; thus, early filmmakers had to become experts in using contrast. Decades of progress have resulted in an increasing number of tools at filmmakers’ disposal.

Technicolor played an essential role in filmmaking. This article will highlight the use of colour in films and explain how its use has evolved.

At A Glance

Evolution of colour in film from Kinemacolor to Technicolor
- - Kinemacolor and Chronochrome
  - Technicolor
History of Technicolor and its processes
The Impact of Colour
The Impact and Significance of Colour Grading

Evolution of colour in film from Kinemacolor to Technicolor

Kinemacolor and Chronochrome

Color can be created on photographic films using either an additive or a subtractive approach. For example, Kinemacolor and Chronochrome methods. Projectors and specialised cameras must be used for additive processes. Thus, making them too expensive and complex for everyday use. It eventually limited their appeal.

Technicolor

This technology changed filmmaking forever with its surreal use of colours. It had a long-lasting influence on Hollywood filmmaking. Films were initially shot in Technicolor, a set of colourisation processes. Technicolor worked on perfecting their method from 1916 to 1932, allowing Hollywood to begin using colour in their pictures. The term “Technicolor” is now commonly used to refer to the finished product rather than the technique itself. The colours in Technicolor movies tend to be very vivid and saturated.

History of Technicolor and its processes

In 1922, Herbert Kalmus and the Technicolor Corporation invented a two-colour subtractive technique that quickly became popular. To make a single positive print, it employed a specialised camera and a convoluted process to create two individual prints. The final print required special care when being handled but could be projected using standard technology.

Technicolor brought an enhanced method in 1928. It helped to “print” colour on just one film strip by using two gelatin positives as relief matrices. Finally, fine-quality prints were made possible by using imbibition (i.e., dye-transfer printing). Between 1929 and 1932, there was a huge uptick in Technicolor production thanks to its launch. Although the two-colour Technicolor process produced accurate colours, it needed to be more realistic because it only used two primary colours. In 1932, its popularity began to plummet due to a new three-colour system. The system was also based on the same ideas. However, it used all three primary colours instead.

This was a significant development, and there were no alternatives for it for the next 25 years. Likewise, all of the colour films were made by using this technology. Despite its high quality overall, some things could have been improved in the system.

The Impact of Colour

Movies can convey meaning through the colours they utilize. For example, filmmakers started showing crimson blood in horror films. Thus, this technique assisted the audience in experiencing the intended emotions. The film’s use of colour can also emphasize an object’s prominence, such as a crimson door doorknob on an otherwise white door. The mood of a movie can be determined by the colours used. For instance, the use of the colour purple can evoke thoughts of the fantastic. A greedy business person might wear green, a sorrowful character would wear yellow, or any other colour combinations that help the film convey character. The development of a character or plot can also be depicted through colour.

In contrast, colour grading involves “painting” over the results of colour correction to give your footage a unique look. The colourist will begin the grading process once the colour correction is complete. As part of the post-production process, colourists use editing software to “grade” the film’s colours, bringing out the film’s mood and making it look more cinematic.

Alterations, both artistic and technical, can be made with colour grading. Colourists employ colour grading creatively to ensure a film’s carefully selected colour palette successfully communicates a desired mood, aesthetic, or emotional response.

The Impact and Significance of Colour Grading

Grading the colours in a video is crucial. A colourist or colour grader will finish it up. Several companies focus solely on this method. Plus, colour grading software is made solely for tweaking the hues of motion pictures.

As to why it’s crucial, let’s look at colour grading. One of the best results of competent colour grading is establishing an emotionally consistent atmosphere across the entire film. Many film styles benefit from maintaining a consistent tone throughout the film.

A well-graded video’s colours should be spotless and in tune with the video’s style and mood. For instance, take romantic comedies. Skin tones are incredibly realistic, and the colour is uniformly warm. Furthermore, the set design will feature vivid splashes of colour at certain points in the film.

Grading the colours of a film or video is a crucial step. A specific appearance requires a well-rounded understanding of technique, colour theory, and experience.

More manipulation of colours during grading can lead to unsightly artefacts and a drop in overall production value. If you stay away from a few things, you’ll have an easier time getting your footage looking like a pro graded it.

Grading will be more difficult if your footage isn’t properly exposed. Also, it couldn’t be saved. This is where the colour grading process begins. In such cases, colour grading will be a breeze.

Filmmakers’ choices of colour may seem subjective, but it’s crucial to learn about the colour’s psychological, social, and cultural implications. When you next watch your favourite film, please pay attention to how colour was employed and the feelings it evoked in you. Technicolor, on the other hand, is a method of filmmaking in which two primary colours are used to generate a third colour. Herbert T. Kalmus is credited with initiating this method. For example, the combination of red and green light results in yellow. Each frame was shot on one strip of black-and-white film with an emulsion sensitive to blue light and then shot again on another strip with an emulsion sensitive to red light.