Film Study - Colour and lighting in the two Worlds

Hi! Welcome to another blogpost of mine. In film studies (Hurumanu 2), we've shifted our focus on learning about the colors and lighting techniques used in the same movie Coraline. In the movie, the colors and lightings were used really well to tell the story. Now we were tasked to write paragraphs about it. Describing the contrast of colors between the two worlds which is the 'real' world and the 'other' world.

In the first meeting of Coraline’s genuine parents in the regular world, it starts off having cold and dull lighting. Artificial bright grey lights make it seem colorless and empty. Only Coraline’s presence stands out in every scene with her vibrant blue hair and yellow clothing. The cold lighting also matches the cold mood because her parents seem to neglect her and give her the cold shoulder. The dullness gives a melancholic vibe to the viewers. They might also even feel dissatisfied with how things are like the protagonist in the story, Coraline. In this scene, it also uses the technique of a wide shot. It includes every detail in the room. The room looks empty and plain indeed. 

While on the other world, when Coraline first met her ‘other’ parents. It starts off having warm, colorful, friendly lighting. It is welcoming and contains a lot of entertainment and fun for Coraline. For instance, just like how the lights are a lot warmer which contrasts from the real world. The room looks more colorful and alive than the room in the real world. It looks way fancier and rich because of the tone of colors. Which may convince viewers it is a safe environment and may not expect the twist at the end. The shots used in this scene was also wide shot.  

As the movie progresses, the true colors and intentions of the other mother were eventually revealed. In this scene, the colors and lightings were used effectively because it changes the mood of the otherworld from innocent fun to pure daunting evil. In the scene, the lightning was unusual and uncomfortable to look at. The dark purple windows are one of the artificial cold colors. It is used to make the viewer feel the things that I listed earlier. It was changed to suit the other mother’s taste. Well, what a dark taste it is. The camera technique used in this photo was also wide shot.

This is a scene of the other mother's true colors when they were exposed. The green lightings are making the scene look more intense giving the viewers the mood that something is bad is happening. It is also uncomfortable to look at but rather daunting and frightening. The dark fuzzy green colors like this are also part of the cold colors. Of course, it also looks like artificial lighting because it certainly doesn't look natural. The camera technique used in this photo was an eye-level angle or close-up shot.

 

After Coraline obtaining freedom from the other mother's threat, when she returned to the otherworld the colors were less dull and it looks lively. Moreover, the lightings outside looked natural. The movie ends with the real world and the people that live in the Pink palace come together and plant red tulips in the garden. The red tulips' color was attractive to the eyes because it's red which usually stands for great passion or affection. As the real world started gaining its color, that's when Coraline also started appreciating her parents and those that were around her. Being content with what she has. 

Thank you for reading my post! Have a nice day!

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