Projection engineering (Sept 1929-Nov 1930)

Projection Engineering, September, 1929 Page 35 light is streaming through open doors or windows. In a similar manner there seems to be a very definite relationship between other colors and the well-known artificial sources of heat and light. Artificial illumination of interiors is definitely suggested by a color which • is either more saturated or has a hue somewhat more orange than the yellow suggesting sunlight. Firelight may be suggested by a color even more reddish in character. Such examples of objective association can be multiplied almost indefinitely. Subjective associational relationships are somewhat more tenuous and difficult to establish with certainly. Some of these undoubtedly have been built up in consciousness by somewhat artificial association of certain colors with definite emotional states. Others of these correlations may probably be traced to extensions of more direct associational factors. For instance, there seems to be a character of warmth associated with all of the colors in the yellow, orange, red, magenta category, while the remainder give a definite impression of cold or coolness. This is very probably an extension of the more direct associational value arising from the color of sunlight and fire and the atmospheric conditions normally associated with coldness. The association of color with certain temperamental phases of life, such as youth, maturity, old age, etc., can probably be traced to an extension of a more direct association with the seasons of the year. Space does not permit us to carry this analysis into greater detail, but a serious study of the subject can hardly fail to convince the fair-minded student that there is really some definite and psychologically sound relationships between colors and emotional states. Although a great deal of the work on this subject has been of purely qualitative, and perhaps temperamental type, there are available some rather definite and significant data. For instance, Luckiesh10 (loc. cit. p. 200) gives some very interesting data compiled by Wells'1 relative to The general types or mood reactions produced by twelve different colors. "• I. o. r> 4. aN. A. Wells. Psych. Bui. 7:181, 1910. . .. , Fig. 6. Volume variat ion r e suiting from the use of the se. ries of seventeen tints. bl a 2. a, C. K GRAPHS SHOWING VOL VARIATIONS POTASSIUM CELL CAESIUM CELL These data are shown in Table III. They are derived from sixty-three subjects and the correlation is indeed striking. There seems to be no escape from the conclusion that those colors designated as yellow, orange-yellow, deep orange, scarlet, and crimson have a definitely exciting influence. In the mid-spectrum yellow-green, green, and blue-green, seem to be definitely tranquilizing or soothing. Blue, violetblue, violet, and purple are depressive or subduing. The student who approaches this subject with an open mind and with the intention of seriously searching for correlation factors can scarcely fail to be convinced that here is something of a very tangible nature which can be ascribed to a definite psychological reaction to color. The chart in Fig. 7 shows the effective values of the various colors as computed from Wells' data. No definite information is available relative to the dominant wave-length of the colors used by him so they are plotted arbitrarily at equal intervals along the base line. The ordinates are computed from the data in Table III, each number being reduced to a percentage of the total number of decisions. The curves have the following significance: (A) curve of exciting influence; (B) curve of tranquilizing Influence; (C) curve of subduing Influence, Table III Wills' ilatii on tin affective values of various colors Total Number of Replies from 83 Subjects Indicating Three General Types of Mood-Reactions Due to the Twelve Different Colors. Exciting Tranqwilizing Subduing Influence Influence Influence Crimson " 0 10 Scarlel 56 0 0 l >eep orange • • • 59 " " Orange-yellow 55 0 0 Yellow 53 6 0 Yellow-green I I :;!l 5 Green 28 -".2 0 Blue-green 32 23 •'> Blue . II 21 80 Violet-blue . 0 17 45 Violet 0 6 54 Purple . •" ' 18 7 a a io n is is i<v is is n These curves are suprisingly similar in general shape and position to the three fundamental retinal excitation curves for red, green, and blue-violet. Although the present data are too meagre to establish any correlation between emotional effect and the retinal processes, the similarity is certainly sufficient to encourage some further consideration. Along the top line of the chart are placed the numbers referring to the positive film tints, the position of each relative to the color scale at the bottom being determined as carefully as the qualitative data will allow. The dotted lines dropped from these points cut the three curves and the heights of these ordinates give some idea of the character and strength of the mood reaction which each color may be expected to induce. In the upper part of the chart is drawn a curve showing in a qualitative way the position on the warmcool mood reaction scale. This, it must be confessed, is based on very insufficient evidence, being determined by the rather casual judgments by a few observers working under poorly controlled conditions. Characterizations of the Seventeen Tints In the following paragraphs an attempt has been made to give a brief description of the visual and psychological characteristics of the film tints. It is evident that no very definite statements can be made or rigid specifications set up for the use of these colors, it is hoped that these rather disconnected and rambling remarks relative to the various colors may be of Interest to those concerned with working oul the application of color to the motion picture screen and serve as a foundation, however Insecure, upon which something of real value may be buill by others more Qualified by training and temperament for such work. Although these characterizations of the symbolic and emotional values of these colors are necessarily tinged by the author's own reactions nmi by the results of his own Introspective analysis, they are based, in so