Week 7 | Color | Mao

Growing up I was a big fan of Lucky Charms cereal. I don't know about you, but for me there was nothing better than to wake up to a box of color coated charms before the ride to school. To an eight year old (and maybe even eighteen yr old) the bright red, yellow, and green colors scream "I'm friendly, pick me, choose me". The Lucky Charms background is set in a vibrant red, a color according to Viven from Colourlovers that is "impossible to ignore". The mixture of the red background and green leprechaun complement each other, and in combination achieve a very bold, stimulating effect. "Lucky Charms" is also highlighted against the red background-- because it is enclosed by a darker space, the text is visually strengthened and stands out against the images. General Mills avidly uses color schemes to attract buyers with their products-- purposely saturating their cereal covers to make the package stick out like a sore thumb.

Speaking of sore thumbs, the image of a clip from Schindler's List came to mind in terms of selective color and monochromatic schemes. The picture is of a little girl wearing a red coat amongst the gray mass of Nazi invasion. This time when color is used, it makes the viewer take a second glance, leaving them with a memorable impression. Color in this way can really draw at one's sentiments-- red used to juxtapose the meaning of bloodshed and purity, while the hues of gray represent the grim somberness of warfare. The red in contrast with a black and white background gives the image a focal point, directing all the energy to its main subject. Had it been just a gray-scale image, the little girl would loose significance to the film's meaning.