Tone and Color in Film Industry Advertising

The film industry is reliant on catering to the diverse interests of the American public, from lighthearted children's films, romantic films, comedies, horror flicks, action movies, and documentaries, just to name a few. When advertising for films like Tron 2 pictured here, tone and color are key in characterizing and balancing the image.

Here, the two elements are used to build contrast, balance the image, and define characters pictured. Tone is used to highlight the two figures in the center, and contrast them to the dark, threatening world they find themselves in. This has an interesting effect on dimension, but also helps to develop the direction and linear structure created by the beam of light. In a break from the norm, the characters in the foreground are pictured in a darker tone, altering the conventional way tone defines dimension, creating an almost dimension-less feel.

Color is used in this image is used primarily to create a warm/cool contrast in the image, and to pique more interest in the many bright lines which define the world. The color usage in this image is very typical of Hollywood, using a warm red/orange color opposed to a cool blue/green in order to draw the viewers attention and highlight scenes or actors they want you to remember. In this case, the warm and cool lines on the characters and structures foreshadow conflict along these lines in the movie.