Reading images - colour

The colours selected for use within a scene and the colour of the film stock itself can all have a powerful impact on what we ‘read’ from the film.

Look at these two stills from the film Between Us and Sausage below. What descriptive language could you draw out in your students’ writing? Could you add any direct speech or thought bubbles to each scene? Perhaps even create a short diary entry from the characters’ perspective.

Consider the following questions:

• What are the predominant colours of the film?
• How do the colours make you feel?
• What genre or mood of film is indicated by use of the colours featured in the scene?
• What do they have in common? Are there any marked differences?
• Are similar colours used to convey similar meaning?