Emotions vs Colours: A Semiotics Study

Abstract

This study aims to determine the meaning and relationship of colour
with five human emotions in the film entitled Inside Out. Inside Out is an
American animated film directed by Pete Docter and produced by Jonas
Rivera, released in 2015. The qualitative method is used to evaluate this
research because it can be used to focus on an interpretive, naturalistic
approach to its subject matter. The primary data is taken from the film
Inside Out. Secondary data would be gathered from any sources related to
semiotics theory on the relationship between colour and human emotions,
as well as to eliminate unnecessary data and solidify the research. Riley
Andersen, the main character, was born in Minnesota, and the five
manifestations of emotion in her mind are Joy (yellow), Sadness (blue),
Anger (red), Disgust (green), and Fear (purple). These emotions reside in
Riley’s mind’s Headquarters, where they set Riley’s state of action and
turn it into a memory.Therefore, each character with a specific color is
challenging to be studied further.It begins with an overview of each color
and emotion before delving into the specifics of the relationship between
these emotions and the colors associated with them. This study employs
Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory, which has three aspects containing
denotation, connotation, and myth, interpreting signs. To learn more, it is
necessary to dig into the changing history of society’s association of these
colors with these five emotions. Finally, this study is hoped to inspire the
animators to use specific colors to describe the characters’ emotions.