Choosing the right colors

Azmyth

Azmyth

Veteran
Is there some sort of guidline or rule of thumb when it comes to choosing colors that "look" great together in a scene?

Like Barry suggest in his lighting video I have, about trying to avoid shooting on white walls. All colors don't look good on video or together on video.

How does one determine what colors to use for wardrobe etc. based on the location?

For example.. a diner with yellow booths, white walls, with various colored artwork on the walls. amd red bar stools.. what colors should our cast wear to compliment that?

Is there a way to determine what colors look great together?
 
I think it's more of an experimental thing really.

It also hugely depends on the mood of the shot, and theme. If your wanting a shot warm, then try and use as many different bright colours as possible, whether it be on the furniture or cast. It's the opposite for a dull shot.

For me, I just experimented a bit beforehand when I created a few shorts.
 
+1 on Kuler. Click on the "Create" button there. Lets you input one colour, then suggests various colour schemes.

(Of course, better to let script determine your colour scheme than location, and to make these sorts of choices in preproduction.)

If it's not working, maybe it's because it's too busy. Often a good idea -- I think so anyway -- to look for ways to reduce the number of colours on set (unless busy or lots of colours is the look you're going for).
 
This is where having screened a very large number of films, paying attention to their use of color and developing your own ways to use that vocabulary, is invaluable.

Maybe for the time being the way to go, is to review some films whose use of color imagery really works, for you, and use that as a starting point for the palette you want to work with, in your own project.
 
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