Computer science meets cinema: University of Waterloo researchers closely analyze colour in films

It's not a pairing you'd expect – computer science and cinema.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Carleton University are closely analyzing the colour used in films to learn more about them.

The team looked at more than 29,000 North American movie trailers from 1960 to 2019. Using a technique called k-means clustering, they extract the dominant colours from each trailer to create a colour palette. And it's those colour palettes that show there's more than meets the eye when it comes to colour in films.

"One interesting trend we observed is colour sort of leaking out of films over the years," said Andreea Pocol, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Waterloo.

"It's not to say individual films don't use it. But, on a whole, those vibrant greens and oranges have disappeared," says Lesley Istead, adjunct assistant professor of computer science at Waterloo and assistant professor at the Carleton School of Information Technology.

They found specific colours are favoured in certain genres too. Horror, action and adventure films often use darker, grittier tones.

"Things like O Brother, Where Art Thou? Wonderful movie, the colour in it is very muted and sepia-toned. You remember that," Istead said.

Researchers point to the idea that colour could eventually find its way into streaming service suggestions too. They say that's because colour says a lot about the type of movie someone wants to watch.

"What if colour could be part of the recommendation for you? We see you like horror movies, we're observing all the horror movies you watch that have these colours. Here are some others that are similar," says Istead.

There is a much-anticipated sequel to this study, which is determining whether a movie might be a blockbuster or a flop.

"And we think colour might play a role in this, and that's where this research is headed," Istead said.

Pocol pointed to some examples where colour caters to specific audiences.

"Kids prefer more colourful movies. If you want a profitable movie, add a lot of strong, bright, saturated colours. Maybe adults prefer the more muted colour palettes," Pocol says.

It's these findings that could change the film industry forever. For directors, film production companies and even the average viewer, it helps paint a clearer picture of a motion picture.