To continue my research following the influence of colour in horror, I have decided to study mood and colour selection. I will be using Freddy vs Jason (2003) to research if colour selections can inspire or influence different moods.
Two iconic horror characters, Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th, 1980) and Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984) come together in a battle of the serial killers. Freddy Krueger cannot use his supernatural powers to kill without fear, without people (mainly teenagers) remembering him, if nobody remembers him or thinks about him, they cannot be harmed by him. To retain his powers and go back to what he does best, Freddy needs the habitants of Elm Street to remember, starting dreaming about him and then he can strike. Portraying himself as Jason's deceased mother, Freddy commands him to go to Elm Street and 'punish the bad children'.
Jason raises from the dead and carries out these orders from what he thinks is his mother, but once he starts killing he wont stop, until the point in which Freddy has to stop the monster he has put in motion before he kills everyone on Elm Street. Since Freddy is more powerful in peoples dreams, he drugs Jason in order to lock him in a prolonged state of sleep and take him down. The fight between the two takes place in an industrial basement, a classic setting that Freddy chooses for his victims to inspire fear, reminding them that there is no escape. The colour of the room changes twice but this is more than enough to create an atmosphere for this scene. Below is the video of this fight to support my research.
Red
Moods portrayed by this colour are commonly used to inspire romance or love however, in this scene it inspires moods of anger, determination and frustration.
Anger
Freddy had regained his power and was ready to start killing all over again now that Jason had made the locals think it was him who had been committing all the murders. About to deal the killing blow to one of his victims, Jason takes it away from him by killing the girl in the real world thus, removing her from the dream would. Red is a very passionate colour, and with passion comes anger. I think the use of red here made Freddy's anger more passionate because he has gone from pure concentration to pure anger.
Jason was deceived. He eventually figures it out that Freddy took the form of his deceased mother and tricked him into doing what he did, as well as the fact that he had strong feelings for his mother and didn't like the idea that someone had used these feelings against him in order to trick him and manipulate his actions. Despite the fact that Jason wears a mask and the audience cannot see his face, I feel the colour red helps visualise his anger to a greater degree because with each swing of his machete, Jason is showing more authority and passion in his actions.
Frustration
Moods of frustration arise from Freddy in this scene. Despite his best actions and imaginative killing methods, Jason is still alive. I feel that the red amplifies his vocal frustrations because his tone is more firm, leaning down at a presumably crushed Jason, pointing at him with conviction and exclaiming 'Why won't you DIE?!'
Determination
Freddy is determined to finish Jason however, he treats it more like a joke rather than a challenge because this is his world, he can manipulate it as he sees fit and is so confident in himself, he feels like Jason is not much of a threat. The Determination lies in Jason, who has been thrown around the room, had multiple sharp objects penetrate his frame and made a fool of by Freddy. Despite all the hits and injuries Jason sustains, that would be considered over-kill for the average human body, he does not and will not give up until Freddy is defeated. Personally, I think the red highlights his determination because he begins to fight back with great tenacity and with great passion, throwing Freddy across the room into a series of pipes, causing water to burst out and the room to change colour.
Green
This colour usually promotes moods of relaxation or calmness, in this scene however, it inspires moods of a surprised, pleased and mischievous nature
Surprise
On his feet again, Jason stamps up the stairs to where he had thrown Freddy. Both characters were now going to collide up close and personal but suddenly, Jason hesitates, glancing at the leaking water from pipes. Freddy takes a second to understand why Jason hesitated, and suddenly it hits him; Jason is afraid of water. I feel that the green helps highlight his surprise because his body language, changing from attack to defence blends with the colour change, from a bursting passionate red to a suddenly darker, slower paced green - the scene slows down and takes a rest from the action.
Pleased
Realising Jason is afraid of his water, Freddy is now very pleased with himself, seeing that his presumably fearless and invincible adversary has a weakness. The green highlights Freddy's now more relaxed mood because his mouth goes from a wide open gasped expression to a great big cheesy grin on his face thus, going from panic to calm much like the colour change, angry red to relaxed green.
Mischievous
Fully aware of Jason's fear of water, Freddy sees this as an opportunity to use his abilities in order to inspire more fear in Jason. Water bursts from the pipes above Jason whilst Freddy cackles at his opponent, proud of his actions. Freddy erupts into a cloud of evil laughter, contrasting with the raw and intense emotions of red, to a more laid back, mischievous mood inspired by the colour green.
Summary
What have I learned?
I have learned that colour selection can inspire different moods beyond their common depictions. I have also learned that moods can help improve the effectiveness of a scene as well as character performance.
How will this help in the development of my project?
As I am still developing a more solid understanding of colours in horror, I can safely say this research has enabled me to think outside the box, to look beyond the common depiction of certain mood colours and try to find other lesser-common moods inspired by these colours. When adding colour to my 3D environment, I shall be looking for ways to inspire moods by experimenting with colours and asking myself:
What mood does this put me in?
Does this colour make me feel other moods?
What mood do I hope to capture with this colour?
How will I highlight this mood with colour?
What relevance does this have to horror?
With a more solid understanding of the importance of colour selection and moods, I will be able to develop an understanding of what colours inspire moods and emotions used in the genre of horror. It will also help me think what moods are relevant to horror, so that I can convey these moods appropriately with the correct colour selections.
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