History Main / UnnaturallyBlueLighting

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely vivid blue tint to highlight the laboratory setting that the young girl is trapped in while she's being monitored by scientists.

* ''Film/TheOne'' uses this to distinguish between the different universes that the film covers; the first universe plays this trope deadly straight with heavy blue lighting, the "central" universe and Gabriel's one have slightly cold lighting with a little blue, and the [[spoiler:"happy" universe that Gabe is sent to at the end]] has warmer, more orange lighting.

Blue is the most common favorite color in the world. As a result of being the natural color of the sky, it's universally known to calm and ease. But like any color, if it overwhelms a scene, it can instill negative feelings, in this case a cold and harsh mood. A subtrope of MoodLighting and ColorWash, common in ScienceFiction and [[PoliceProcedural Forensics]] shows, shots are suffused with vaguely blue lighting. This is usually complemented by stark, overly bright desk lamps. Occasionally this infects outdoor scenes, making sunny days look more overcast; this should not be confused with the dark blue camera filter used in shooting "[[HollywoodNight day for night]]".

* ''VideoGame/XWing'' has this in the scene where a [[UncannyValley disturbing-looking medical droid]] is helping treat your rebel pilot's injuries if he survives his ship being destroyed and doesn't get captured by the empire.

->''"I used to like the color blue. Now, it's dead to me. Cram it, Franchise/{{Smurfs}}. Piss off, ocean. Screw you, sky."''

->''"I used to like the color blue. Now, it's dead to me. Cram it, Smurfs. Piss off, ocean. Screw you, sky."''

* ''Film/{{Traffic}}'' does this with Creator/MichaelDouglas's politician storyline. Each plotline is distinguished by slightly different filters.

[[folder:Film]]

-> ''"I used to like the color blue. Now, it's dead to me. Cram it, Smurfs. Piss off, ocean. Screw you, sky."''

* Parodied in ''30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' when the daughter (based on [[Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy Lisbeth Salander]]) brings home a date based on Selene, which prompts the film to suddenly become very blue.

* The ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' series makes consistent use of this, blended with HollywoodDarkness. Individual scenes which ''aren't'' primarily blue are a rarity. Even the DVD covers invoke this.

Blue is the most common favorite color in the world. As a result of being the natural color of the sky, it's universally known to calm and ease. But like any color, if it overwhelms a scene, it can instill negative feelings, in this case a cold and harsh mood. A subtrope of MoodLighting, common in ScienceFiction and [[PoliceProcedural Forensics]] shows, shots are suffused with vaguely blue lighting. This is usually complemented by stark, overly bright desk lamps. Occasionally this infects outdoor scenes, making sunny days look more overcast; this should not be confused with the dark blue camera filter used in shooting "[[HollywoodNight day for night]]".

* ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'': Scenes that are mostly focused on Jessica Jones have a blue filter applied to them with varying degrees of depth. This is rather nicely seen in the police interrogation room, when Misty is trying to interrogate her. The room is entirely washed in blue, except for the door to the room, which is red and gives a visual cue that Matt is coming to represent her.

* ''Series/LifeOnMars2006'': the 2006 scenes are shot through a bluish filter, to emphasize the dull, soulless environment.

* The {{flashback}} sequences in the ''Series/{{Shadowhunters}}'' episode "Of Men and Angels" have a blue filter over them.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'' and its spinoff ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' has this in spades, the Asgard and Human spaceships especially. The Ancients get into it as well.

* In the first season ''Superboy'' episode "Terror From The Blue", about corrupt police officers attempting to kill Lana Lang when she witnesses an attempted murder, the first segment of the episode has a heavy blue tint. After the first commercial break, the blue tint is gone and all colors are normal, making the blue tinted scenes particularly obvious when watched on DVD.

* ''VideoGame/XWing'' has this in the scene where a [[UncannyValley disturbing-looking medical droid]] is helping treat your rebel pilot's injuries if he survives his ship being destroyed and doesn't get captured by the empire.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', the [[DarkWorld Silent Realm]] is like this when Link isn't being chased by the Guardians.

* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' has ''everything'' tinted blue, even the ''night'' maps are just a slightly different shade of blue instead of black.
* In ''VideoGame/MindJack'', almost everything is blue-gray, probably so you can use the ColorCodedMultiplayer indicators a bit easier.
* The MoodLighting of the city of San Fierro in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' is predominantly blue.

* ''The Color of Madness'' DLC for ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' is in a limited-palette cyan and grey color scheme.

* Used to great effect in ''Film/LittleBuddha'', [[http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/?p=6972 contrasting the cool blue Seattle shots with the warm reds of Tibet.]]
* The ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' series makes consistent use of trope, blended with HollywoodDarkness. Individual scenes which ''aren't'' primarily blue are a rarity. Even the DVD covers invoke this.

* ''Film/MinorityReport'' is a classic example (and thus the page image for that reason) -- it's in most scenes and submerges some of them. Some viewers found it strained their eyes. Minimally desaturating some of the color schemes and giving them a blue-ish tint was allegedly done to make the film somewhat evoke classic black-and-white FilmNoir from which it was inspired.
* The first ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' movie had this, possibly to emphasize the characters' pale skin or the cloudiness of Forks. The sequels had more of a golden, warm tone to them.
* ''Film/TheOne'' uses this to distinguish between the different universes that the movie covers; the first universe plays this trope deadly straight with heavy blue lighting, the "central" universe and Gabriel's one have slightly cold lighting with a little blue, and the [[spoiler:"happy" universe that Gabe is sent to at the end]] has warmer, more orange lighting.
* Done in ''Film/BladeII''. Daylight is a cool blue, to contrast with the harsh, halogen yellow of night lighting.
* The more recent ''Film/HarryPotter'' films use this a lot for any scene that isn't in Hogwarts, and some that are, probably to go with their DarkerAndEdgier tone.

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', all the scenes that take place in said Matrix have green lighting (although the effect is relatively subtle in the original releases of the first film). It's computerized tinting done entirely in post-production. That's why the non-remastered version is different. Similarly, scenes set in the real world have a blue bias. Could be justified because the Matrix is, after all, an artificial simulation and not a natural world.
* Used in ''Film/PitchBlack'', though it's {{justified|Trope}} by making one of the planet's suns a blue giant and it's only blue when that sun's in the sky.
* In one dream sequence of ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness'', Cane tells the hero his favorite color is blue. Much to his horror, he awakes to a DreamWithInADream where all light has a very heavy blue tint.
* ''Film/{{Traffic}}'' does this with Michael Douglas's politician storyline. Each storyline in the film is distinguished by slightly different filters.
* {{Justified|Trope}} in the second half of ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'', where the sky is dominated by a giant blue planet. [[spoiler:It becomes intensely blue light when the planet is about to crush Earth.]]
* The [[ForeignRemake US remake]] of ''Film/TheRing'' is filmed with a blue tint.
* ''Film/ReignOfFire'' spends most of the movie using a blue tint, then takes it off for the epilogue.
* ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'' uses a noticeable blue tint, particularly in the "laser corridor" sequence. [[Film/ResidentEvilFilmSeries The sequels]] use different color filters, but ''[[Film/ResidentEvilApocalypse Apocalypse]]'' and ''[[Film/ResidentEvilExtinction Extinction]]'' both reapply the blue filter for scenes that reference/flash back to the first film.

* Some of ''Film/{{Platoon}}'''s scenes are filled with blue tint. Said tint is omitted from UsefulNotes/BluRay[=/=]HD releases.
* Contrary to its name, ''Film/RedDragon'' is an incredibly blue movie.
** In a similar vein, ''Film/{{Heat}}'', also shot by Dante Spinotti, is a very cool-looking film, with lots of dull, icy greys and blues.
* In ''Film/IAmSam'', a blue filter is used in certain scenes, portraying bad times for the hero, like in court or in the hospital.
* The nighttime scenes in ''Film/TheNavigator'' show in stark blue colors.

* In ''Literature/TheSilverChair'': when the characters enter the Underworld, most of the light there is blue and cold, which is reflected in the sadness of the faces of the beings living there. Later, this is contrasted with "it's our kind of light, not all blue and cold".

* Most episodes of ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' feature flashbacks to what Oliver experienced during his 5 years of being presumed dead, which tend to be their own "B plot" for the episode. They also have a slight blue tint to them, probably to both induce a sense of cold and unease and also to help distinguish these scenes from the present-day plot which aren't tinted.

* ''Series/TheDefenders2017'': Scenes that are mostly focused on Jessica Jones have a blue filter applied to them with varying degrees of depth. This is rather nicely seen in the police interrogation room, when Misty is trying to interrogate her. The room is entirely washed in blue, except for the door to the room, which is red and gives a visual cue that Matt is coming to represent her.

* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed: Carbon'' uses a lot of midnight blue for its night-time street racing.

* The first ''Film/ResidentEvil'' uses a noticeable blue tint, particularly in the "laser corridor" sequence. The sequels use different color filters, but ''[[Film/ResidentEvilApocalypse Apocalypse]]'' and ''[[Film/ResidentEvilExtinction Extinction]]'' both reapply the blue filter for scenes that reference/flash back to the first film.

The rise of OrangeBlueContrast made this nearly ubiquitous in mainstream movies and television throughout the [[TurnOfTheMillennium 2000s]] and early [[TheNewTens 2010s]]; it seems to have peaked since then.

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely vivid blue tint to highlight the clinical setting that the young girl is trapped in while she's being monitored by scientists.

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely vivid blue tint to reflect the clinical setting that the young girl is trapped in while she's being monitored by scientists.

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely vivid blue tint.

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely intense blue tint.

* Music/TearsForFears: The first "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANEvv1W2-E Mothers Talk]]" music video has an extremely strong blue tint.

** In a similar vein, ''Heat'', also shot by Dante Spinotti, is a very cool-looking film, with lots of dull, icy greys and blues.

** This is largely addressed by manufacturers paying attention to the Color Rendering Index or CRI which, in simplest terms, is a rating from 1 to 100 describing how natural colors appear under a light source. A standard incandescent lightbulb has a CRI rating of 100, while a typical "white" LED will be in the 70 range. However, there are high CRI [=LEDs=] which have a CRI of 90+ and appear very pleasing to the human eye, but given that they are more difficult and therefore more costly to manufacturer tend to be regarded as something of a specialty product.

* ''Series/{{CSI}}''
** ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' used this ''a lot'' in their first season, not only in the lab but in the outside sets too. To the point where many viewers kept feeling that New York looked cold or in perpetual twilight. In an example of good ExecutiveMeddling, the producers were asked to tone it down in later seasons. This and a change in sets for the lab (from cement basement to windowed skyscraper) helped the show feel less like ''CSI: Antarctica''.

** One instance where this became humorous was when they had a crossover with ''Series/{{CSINY}}'', and David Caruso obviously brought his orange with him when everything else was blue. This gets a ShoutOut in the ads for the ''[[{{Crossover}} CSI Trilogy]]'' with pictures of the three leads tinted with their respective lighting. (original being green).