There are three major things that really influence the way a film can reach an audience. The story, the sound design, and the Color Grading are the 3 distinct vital sections that truly compose the essence of the film.
At UCLA, surrounded aspiring filmmakers, I fell in love with the idea of romanticizing the simple things in life. There is something so distinct about a moment, and it is very hard to capture by recording the raw moment itself. There is an atmosphere in reality that just doesn’t exist in the digital world. To combat this, film makers have to rely on the elements we can control, that allow us to take the moment that we have created, and bring it to the audience at a level that is shared with the human experience. Color grading allows creators to do this. You are able frame the content in the atmosphere that is being represented.
Think about how your body reacts to different lighting scenarios in real life. The soft amber glow of a sunset makes you feel peaceful, contemplative. The harsh fluorescent lighting of a hospital waiting room creates anxiety, unease. Color grading harnesses these deeply embedded psychological responses and weaponizes them for storytelling. A colorist can make you feel the suffocating heat of a desert with nothing but warm oranges and yellows, or create the sensation of drowning in melancholy through cool blues and desaturated greens.
This visceral response is what separates color grading from mere technical correction. It’s not just about making skin tones look natural or balancing exposure—it’s about creating an emotional ecosystem that supports and amplifies the story being told. The audience may never consciously notice the work, but they feel it in their bones.
Color Grading examples across various successful films.
Films Where Color Transcends Technique
- Three Lives, Three Palettes - Moonlight (2016)
- Summer as a State of Mind - Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Linked Map of Contexts