Alpha 7C Playground

Using Colours to Tell A Story in Videos

by Angela Chan

Article Categories

Body Category
Angela's food shot

 Colours are critical in video shooting as they bring out the mood I want my audience to sense and feel."

Here’s what you’ll need

1. Your Alpha 7C   2. FE 35mm F1.4 GM (SEL35F14GM)

The first thing I should mention is that I would plan my outfits in relation to the setting of a scene or story plot. In addition, the clothing choices should be appropriate to the nature of the shoot as well as the theme.

Harmonising colours that go well with your scenes

Other than coordinating outfits when taking lifestyle videos, I prefer the overall impression of my videos to be clean and refreshing. For example, most of the kitchenware featured in my cooking tutorials is light in colour or possesses earthy tones. Since colour temperature is essential when shooting a video, you should also pay attention to the background and theme of the video. 

 

Video file
Video Name
The Breakfast Story

Generally, I will use my home as the shooting location when filming cooking videos and I wish to point out that my home decor is composed of light wood and earthen shades. Most of my cooking videos involve making coffee which consists of a dark brown colour. Therefore, I would generally pick props with matching colour tones, like yellow or brown, which would not create drastic colour contrast and help maintain the harmonious vibe of the scene. Additionally, this reduces the chance of specific items in the videos grabbing my audience's attention instead of the key things I want them to focus on in the video.

Angela colour palette 1
Angela colour palette 2

Building contrasts with your background

Outdoor video shoots are ideal because you can find a range of locations with breathtaking views. However, outdoor locations tend to look similar, say, for example, the walls in the background are generally white in various places. As such, I tend to wear dark clothing and bring props or accessories (e.g. flowers) with me that can help create a balance with the colour of the background.

Video file
Video Name
The Chutch Story - BTS

This will prevent giving my audience the impression that the video is monotonous and no thought has been put into the visual effects.

Video file
Video Name
The Church Story

Extra Tips

Since colour grading may be challenging to learn for a beginner, you should start with something simple. Try noticing the colours around you when you are shooting to achieve certain moods. For example, when editing your stills and videos, try reducing the contrast and shadows to create a more gentle feel to your videos.

Article Theme

Chúng tôi muốn yêu cầu quyền truy cập vào Định vị địa lý của bạn để cung cấp cho bạn trải nghiệm tùy chỉnh. Vui lòng biết rằng bạn có thể rút lại sự đồng ý của mình bất cứ lúc nào thông qua cài đặt trình duyệt của bạn.