From naturalism to visual identity: the evolution of color in Spanish television fiction (1991-2022)
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Abstract
Although color plays a key role in constructing identities, atmospheres, and emotions in television fiction, it has traditionally been an aspect that has not been explored in depth in television studies. This article analyzes the evolution of color use in thirty Spanish series broadcast between 1991 and 2022, with the aim of showing how color has gone from being a naturalistic resource subordinate to verisimilitude to becoming an expressive and distinctive sign within the global streaming ecosystem. Through a shot-by-shot analysis and a qualitative interpretation of key sequences, three main stages are identified: an initial period dominated by chromatic sobriety (1991–2008), an intermediate phase of expressive and symbolic exploration (2009–2016), and a recent stage in which color has consolidated its position as a visual brand and identifying feature (2017–2022). The study concludes that chromaticism has acquired a central role in the aesthetic and cultural singularization of Spanish television fiction, reflecting both its formal maturity and its capacity for international projection.
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