From commercial appeal to action background

the first functions of color in cinema

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-7714.no.2018.146396

Keywords:

Colors, Early cinema, Narrative

Abstract

In this article, we will discuss how the idea of sensory appeal boosted the adoption of color by early cinema, especially before the economic pressure caused by the advent of television. The first attempts at colorization (tinting; toning; stencils; two-color systems, such as Kinemacolor) will also be succinctly analyzed, considering the technological dispute between Europe and the United States of America (USA); the resistance of filmmakers to the use of color; the triumph of Technicolor and its ruin; the Eastmancolor dominance. Then, we comment on the narrative "turning" that prompted the function of storytelling in cinema, replacing attractions as the main motto of the productions. Finally, we go through the passage of color from the extrinsic and commercial aspect to the narrative function of action “background.”

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Author Biography

  • Wanderley Anchieta, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)

    Doutorando e mestre pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal Fluminense. Desenvolve pesquisas sobre visualidade, atenção e fabulação narrativa, ademais de atmosferas e cores em games e no audiovisual, membro do grupo grupo de pesquisa GRAFO/NAVI (UFF/CNPq).

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Published

2018-12-10

Issue

Section

ARTICLES

How to Cite

From commercial appeal to action background: the first functions of color in cinema. (2018). Novos Olhares, 7(2), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-7714.no.2018.146396