The Colours of Phil Cowan

Phil discusses the use of colour from a cinematography perspective in communicating concept and theme through style. Influenced by Kandinski, Phil screens his work on Separation, a morose short animation about conjoined twins, their separation, their desire for reconnection and their unfortunate death. Interested in the 'expressive' and 'symbolic' communicative potentials of style he breaks down the creative and collaborative design processes that determined the visual. This talk was provoking in its felt construction of a colour scheme that, through its theory, effectively creates emotive imagery. 

Colour Key 

White - for the birth scene. Kandinski's colour of birth. 

Orange - a warm colour typifying the height of happiness for the still joined twins. 

Yellow - the self conscious colour, representing their realization of separation.  

Red - passionate; alluding to their initial desires for reconnection. 

Green - spiritual colour, representing sympathy and adaptability. incorperated into their shared and private workspace. 

Blue - cold, representing age and decay. foreshadowing the tragic and imminent end. 

Black - emptiness and hollow. represents death for Kandinski and within the film.