Color Grading In Film: How Complementary Colors Affect An Audience’s Perception Of Mood

This thesis looked at the emotional perception of color grading in film through the testing of three sets of complementary color grades. The three grades included: Teal and Orange, Red and Green, and Purple and Yellow. These grades were examined against an ungraded control to determine the emotional perception of each and how they influence an audience’s perception of mood. The Teal and Orange grade was showed to be the most popular of the three grades because it produced the strongest and most positive emotional response. The Red and Green grade produced a slightly negative emotional response while the Purple and Yellow grade appeared dated when determining the setting of the clip. It can be concluded that the inclusion of color grading in a film can positively impact an audience’s perception of mood because there is a stronger response level. It can also be concluded that the Teal and Orange grade is used most often because of the emotional impact it produces when compared to the Red and Green grade and the Purple and Yellow grade.