Film color and editing are crucial elements influencing audience emotional responses. While their individual effects have been studied, their combined impact remains largely unexplored. This interdisciplinary study, combining filmmaking expertise with psychological and neurocinematic insights, aims to address this gap by investigating the interactive effects of color (color vs. black-and-white) and editing (fearful, neutral, happy scenes using a face-scene-face structure) on emotional perception. The use of both subjective (valence ratings) and objective (fMRI) measures allows for a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between these filmmaking elements. The historical evolution of color in film and the development of editing techniques are reviewed, highlighting their individual impacts on emotional perception. However, the lack of research on their combined effects underscores the need for this study, which seeks to provide both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for filmmakers.

Existing literature supports the individual effects of color and editing on emotional perception. Studies show brighter colors correlate with positive emotions, while darker colors suggest negative ones. Research on editing, rooted in montage theory (e.g., the Kuleshov effect), demonstrates that contextual framing significantly influences emotional attributions. However, a gap exists in understanding their combined impact. Previous research often focuses on isolated sensory processing, neglecting the synergistic effect of color and editing on emotional perception. This study aims to address this gap by investigating their integrated impact in authentic film sequences.

Two experiments employed a 2 (film color: color, black-and-white) × 3 (film editing: fearful, neutral, happy) mixed design. Experiment 1 (behavioral) involved 117 participants who rated the valence and intensity of a neutral face within film sequences. Experiment 2 (fMRI) involved 67 participants who watched similar sequences while undergoing fMRI scans, measuring brain activation patterns. Film sequences (30 trials per participant) were professionally created using a shot-reverse-shot structure, pairing neutral faces with emotional scenes. Valence ratings were collected in both experiments; Experiment 1 also assessed emotional intensity, while Experiment 2 also measured arousal. fMRI data underwent preprocessing (motion correction, spatial smoothing, etc.) and GLM analysis focusing on brain activity elicited by the second neutral face ('Face_2') within each sequence. Region-of-interest (ROI) analysis focused on the ACC, insula, and middle frontal gyrus. Statistical analysis included repeated-measures ANOVA with post-hoc tests (Bonferroni correction).

Experiment 1 revealed a significant interaction between film color and editing on valence ratings. Color sequences elicited lower valence under fearful editing and higher valence under happy editing compared to black-and-white sequences. Experiment 2 showed a significant main effect of editing on valence but did not reach statistical significance for the interaction between color and editing due to the smaller sample size. However, whole-brain fMRI analysis revealed distinct activation patterns for each condition, indicating that unique combinations of color and editing lead to unique brain activation. The correlation matrix showed that similarities in brain activation were consistently lower than 1. Color similarity (Scolor) and editing similarity (Sediting) were calculated to evaluate the relative influence of color and editing. Analysis of the ratio (Scolor/Sediting) showed that color has a stronger effect in 4 out of 6 conditions. ROI analysis in the left ACC revealed a significant interaction between film color and editing. Specific regions showed differing responses to color and editing combinations, illustrating a complex interplay between these elements and emotional processing. For instance, black-and-white films elicited greater activation in the right insula during happy editing while color films elicited greater activation in the left ACC during neutral editing.

The findings support the hypothesis that film color and editing interactively influence emotional perception. The significant interaction effect observed in Experiment 1's valence ratings and the left ACC in Experiment 2 confirms that the combined effect of these elements cannot be understood by examining them independently. The distinct brain activation patterns across conditions, as measured by fMRI, further substantiate this interactive effect. The results are consistent with Gestalt theory, which posits that viewers perceive film as a unified whole, indicating a need for holistic consideration of color and editing during pre-production. The study reveals that color and editing might have different effects based on the emotional context of the scene (fearful, neutral, happy). The differential activation patterns in various brain regions (insula, ACC, MFG) suggest the complex neural mechanisms underlying the processing of these elements.

This study demonstrates the significant interactive effects of film color and editing on emotional perception, as measured by both subjective and objective methods. The findings highlight the need for an integrated approach to color and editing during pre-production to optimize the emotional impact of films. Future research should investigate this interaction using larger sample sizes, incorporate sound, and directly apply these findings to real-world filmmaking scenarios to further refine the understanding and application of color and editing in cinematic storytelling.

The study has several limitations. The relatively small sample size in Experiment 2 may have limited the power to detect the interaction effect between color and editing on valence. The lack of significant effects of color on arousal and emotional intensity might be due to limitations in the experimental materials. The omission of sound is a limitation, and future studies should include auditory stimuli. Further research is needed to clarify the specific role of the insula in processing the interaction between color and editing. Finally, prospective validation of findings is necessary through practical application in real filmmaking projects.