Color & the Economy

My film professor had a theory about production design, color and lighting that linked those elements to moods of the people and events in the actual world.

He believed that in times of greatest upheaval, films became brighter, colors more intense and the lighting more artistic to highlight certain aspects of a character's emotion. During times of peace, color and lighting became darker, more intense and more abstract. To check out his theory in color design, I picked 1931 -- two years after the Great Depression; 1971 -- the Vietnam War era; 1994 -- a year of relative peace and prosperity following the years of Desert Storm; and 2002 -- one year after the WTC and Pentagon attacks.

1931 --The Great Depression strangles the United States. the greens, yellows, blues and golden hues serve up a richness you don't see in the bleak world outside.

1971 -- The resistance to war and civil unrest yell from the streets. But inside, it's a bright yellow, hot pink and electric blue world.




2002 -Just months after the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon, these two ads speak of blue skies, vibrant colors and life lived in perfection.

2004

Remember when President Bush said we should "go on about our daily lives"?

Apparently George Lucas heard him. The colors are the dark, deep, contrasting reds and blacks. They speak of the darkness of life and the conquest of good over evil.