Lighting Keys and Color Scripting are indispensable pre-production tools that define the specific lighting, mood, and color palette for every shot and sequence in an animated film, ensuring visual continuity and emotional impact. The color script is a linear, chronological flow of small color paintings that maps the entire emotional journey of the narrative, using shifts in hue and saturation to track the plot’s rising and falling tension. This tool allows the creative team to see the film’s entire emotional arc at a glance, ensuring that the visual experience aligns perfectly with the screenplay’s dramatic structure.

Our program trains students in the technical skill of using lighting and color to manipulate audience emotion, such as employing cool, desaturated blues for sadness or mystery, and warm, vibrant oranges for comfort or danger. Students learn to create digital and traditional lighting keys that serve as precise instructions for the final rendering or painting teams, specifying light source direction, shadow hardness, and atmospheric effects. Mastery of color scripting is key for aspiring Art Directors and Visual Development Artists who shape the overall aesthetic and emotional experience of a project.