There are a number of reasons to implement color grading into a project. Much like with all the video production tools at your disposal, however, it’s crucial to know when to utilize it. A heavy hand or overuse can be as detrimental to a project as doing nothing at all.
Using colors to represent moods isn’t a new concept. Take a look at the prevalence of mood rings from decades past. There’s a wealth of color theory about which hues elicit certain responses. You, however, will need to figure out when and how to use them on your audiences.
This isn’t always easy to do, but you’ll get a better feel for implementing specific grading techniques the more projects you do it. You have to think about your video and the story you’re telling. As you watch cuts of the project, think about the emotions you want viewers to feel during specific sequences.
Say you have a sequence where your main character received bad news. There are a couple of ways you can use color grading to affect the dynamics of the scene. You could push the sadness aspect by adding in darker shades of blue or show a more violent/angry reaction by kicking up the reds. Both deliver drastically different reactions from your audience, so it’s important to know what you want to achieve.
