Documentary Film Dominican Monastery

In the hundred years since colours first captured the cinema screen, film technique has come a very long way. Only a few directors today dare to shoot a film in black-and-white technique, as they are aware that colours and ** colour contrasts** are a very important ** part of the art of cinema**. If the respondents had come from different cultures, I believe the results would not have been as they are. However, since most of us in the Western world live under the same conditions, in similar environments and are exposed to all possible colours every day, we perceive them quite similarly.

Problem

In the hundred years since colours first captured the cinema screen, film technique has come a very long way.

Solution and Method

Only a few directors today dare to shoot a film in black-and-white technique, as they are aware that colours and ** colour contrasts** are a very important ** part of the art of cinema**. Colours give the film an additional dimension, and if directors use them meaningfully, they can achieve an even higher level.

If colours are used meaningfully in a film, the film and its director can touch the viewer on a higher emotional level than black-and-white films could. Of course, films still appear today, such as Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' (1993), 'Sin City' by Quentin Tarantino (2005) and 'Pi' by Darren Aronofsky (1998), in which directors choose black-and-white technique because they want to connect it with the film story. I believe that in today's Hollywood films we can already observe ** excessive use of colour grading**, as it has become increasingly cheaper and simpler due to digitalisation and advanced computers.

Very often in modern Hollywood 'blockbusters' we can notice excessive use of special effects, which go hand in hand with colour grading. Thus we quickly get a film with much style and little content. Perhaps Hollywood is currently in a period where the connection between colour style and story is not as present as it was, say, fifteen years ago.

Because of this, such connections need to be sought in art films outside Hollywood. In writing the diploma thesis, the following hypotheses were set: – Hypothesis 1: The documentary film Dominican Monastery can be produced with only three crew members. Yes, the production of documentary films usually requires a smaller number of people than, for example, when shooting a feature film.

I believe that a simple documentary can be produced by just one person. – Hypothesis 2: Colours affect each individual differently. People perceive colours subjectively, they depend on their mood, age, the environment in which they live. From the survey we can see that people who come from similar environments perceive colours almost identically.

Results

If the respondents had come from different cultures, I believe the results would not have been as they are. However, since most of us in the Western world live under the same conditions, in similar environments and are exposed to all possible colours every day, we perceive them quite similarly. Hollywood directors and colourists are also aware of this. – Hypothesis 3: For film viewers, colours and contrasts do not play a major role.

With this hypothesis too, we can confirm that colours and contrasts are a matter of subjectivity. Of course, most respondents would rather watch a colour film than a black-and-white one, but I believe that many people do not pay much attention to what colours are used in the film, but watch the film as a whole. Their subconscious takes care of perceiving and interpreting colours and contrasts. – Hypothesis 4: Film viewers can associate film genres with certain colours.

With the diploma thesis, it was established that individual film genres favour certain colours, e.g. in comedies shades of vibrant colours predominate, crime films favour blue, brown, grey and black shades, science fiction films favour shades of blue, orange and red colours. The survey also showed that most viewers find connections between certain film genres and colours. However, it is worth mentioning once again that commercial films are intended for a wider audience of Western cultures and the colours in them are presented accordingly.