1. What’s the frequency Kenneth? Define your mood
Before you get cracking on the cinematography, writing dialogue, or thinking about what character arcs you might have, you need to decide what mood you want to get across. It’s the core to any emotionally driven story and that, plus the tone, will influence your overall style and delivery.
The emotional core
Ask yourself:
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What is the main emotion you’d like your audience to experience?
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How will the mood change through the narrative?
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How do you want the audience to feel at key moments in the story?
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How do your various characters respond to the emotions in the narrative?
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What sounds and visuals could reinforce the emotions you’re aiming for?
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How does the setting of your story contribute to the mood?
Two “moody” films with totally different feels to them are Lost in Translation (2003) that has a sort of gentle yearning through the film, and The Witch (2015) that keeps us feeling dread and fear throughout.
Choosing influences
Check out some films that have mood as their primary storytelling tool. We’ve got some suggestions for you at the end of the article, but you could try looking at specific directors too, like Andrei Tarkovsky, Jane Campion, and David Lynch who are really great at using cinematic techniques to get their desired mood across.
Consistency in the tone
Once you’ve chosen your mood(s) then you need to make sure the tone fits with it. This could be something surreal, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) or maybe more of a slow burn like The Green Knight (2021). Whatever it is, make sure you set out your stall early on and keep it consistent throughout.
2. Cinematography and composition
Camera movements and framing
Camera movements and placement can really help with the pacing and emotional weight. Slow, lingering shots make us think, while handheld, jittery camerawork might make us feel tense or uneasy. Some quick examples are:
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The Turin Horse (2011) uses long takes and very minimal camera movement which keeps us immersed in a world of stillness and despair.
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The Blair Witch Project (1999) was the poster child for shaky, handheld footage to make us feel frightened and like we’re right there in the story.
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A Ghost Story (2017) has a lot of static shots and uses symmetrical compositions to feel timeless.
Lighting and colour
We all know that light and colour influence mood; a dimly lit hallway will make us feel something entirely different to a field bathed in golden sunlight. Here’s a refresher on the basics:
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Low key lighting creates tension, unease, and sometimes mystery.
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Pastel colours and warm tones are great for nostalgia, romance, or melancholy.
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Desaturating your colours gives the audience a feeling of distance and bleakness.
Blocking and space
Positioning the characters are within the frame can help to reinforce whatever emotional undercurrents you’ve got going on. In Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix’s character is quite often in empty spaces, which is supposed to underline his loneliness. If you think about The Lighthouse (2019), there are a lot of tight, claustrophobic compositions that help to intensify the tension between the two main characters. This is also why they chose to shoot in a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, which is even tighter than 4:3 (1.33:1).
3. Engaging characters without action
Internal conflict
In the types of films and TV shows we’re talking about, the main characters usually have some sort of deep, internal dilemma… because they’re not reacting to dramatic events. Back to Lost in Translation, both main characters are having existential crises; Bob is coming to the end of his career, and Charlotte is drifting, without knowing what to do next. Both characters are looking for purpose and connection, and it’s this that plays out through the mood, the small interactions between the characters, and even through the moments of quiet.
Impactful dialogue
It’s quality over quantity here because mood-driven stories often benefit from minimal dialogue, but that dialogue needs to really hit home. There are tons of ways for characters to express themselves without using words, such as through their body language or facial expressions.
4. Embrace the stillness
It’s oh so quiet…
Silence and being still can be just as powerful as dialogue. Get comfortable with letting the characters exist in their world and develop through interactions and other techniques we’ve mentioned, rather than needing to drive the plot forwards.
Repetition and rhythm. Repetition and rhythm.
Bringing back the same imagery or music motifs can be a great way to reinforce your emotions. Repetition isn’t always literal either, it could be represented by a character stuck in their ways or thoughts, or by a cycle of behaviour. It could also be literal of course!
There might be a place the character goes to, they might perform the same routines… and so on. The rhythm comes from how these scenes feel and how they dictate the mood. If the narrative progresses slowly and smoothly it might reflect an introspective journey, and if it was disjointed then it might show us the person is feeling fragmented or unstable.
5. Mood through sound design
It’s not just what you show, what we hear can also manipulate how an audience feels. The score for a film or show should complement the mood you’re going for, without overwhelming it. It’s not just music either, think about sound effects, ambient sound and even the lack of any of those.
Non-diegetic sound: Sound that is added for the audience but doesn’t exist in the world of the characters. This is usually much of the film score.
Diegetic sound: Sound that the characters can hear and is part of their world. For example, if someone was listening to the radio or watching TV, that’s diegetic.
Must-watch films and TV shows that are mood-driven
1. The Leftovers (2014-2017)
This is a really weighty series that’s very emotionally driven and introspective. 2% of the population disappears without explanation and the show focuses on the people left behind and how they cope.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Joel has a procedure to wipe out all his memories of his ex-girlfriend Clementine. This is a great example of a fragmented narrative because it jumps about all over the place between reality and a memory that’s breaking down.
3. Melancholia (2001)
As a disaster film you’d think this would be packed with action, but nope, it’s all about two sisters, Justine and Claire unravelling in their own ways as a planet called Melancholia is on course to collide with earth.
4. Top of the Lake (2013-2017)
A crime drama by Jane Campion but very much a slow burn with minimal action. It’s all about mood, atmosphere, and exploring the characters and their relationships. There’s a lovely slow pacing to this and you end up not really focusing on whether the crime is solved.
5. Field of Dreams (1989)
This is a gentle, nostalgic look at faith and redemption. Ray is a farmer who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield (I know, I know). It’s very sappy, mushy nonsense but it’s still kinda great for that.
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About this page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.