OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Video Color Analyzer
Colour Barcode and Main Palette With Hex Codes for Any Video
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How the Video Color Analyzer works
This video color analyzer shows the colours of a whole clip at once. It draws a colour barcode, one stripe per sampled moment, then lists the main palette with hex codes and the average colour and brightness. Choose how many frames to sample, press Render and download the chart.
Colour is one of the strongest tools in film-making, and one of the hardest to see while watching. A colour barcode lays the whole film out from left to right, so warm openings, cold middles and night scenes jump out. Designers use the palette to match a brand, a poster or a thumbnail to the footage.
How the video color analyzer works
The tool takes the number of frames you choose, spread evenly from start to end, and shrinks each to 96 pixels wide. For each one it averages every pixel into a single colour, which becomes one stripe in the barcode across the top of the chart.
For the palette, every pixel from every sample is sorted into one of 4,096 colour buckets, 16 levels each of red, green and blue. The fullest buckets are taken in order, and any colour too close to one already chosen is merged into it, so the palette shows distinct colours rather than eight near shades of grey. Each swatch is labelled with its hex code and its share of all pixels.
Reading the barcode
| Pattern | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Broad dark bands | Night scenes, interiors or a dark grade |
| A sudden shift in hue | A change of location or flashback |
| Warm orange to cool blue | A deliberate teal and orange grade |
| Thin bright stripes | Flashes, cuts to daylight or titles |
Tips and pitfalls
More samples, sharper barcode. 100 samples suit a short video. For a feature film use 400; it takes longer because each frame has to be decoded.
Averages turn grey. A frame split between a red and a blue object averages to a dull purple. The barcode shows the overall mood, while the palette shows the real colours.
Letterbox bars count. Black bars add black to every frame, darkening the averages and putting black in the palette. Remove them first for a cleaner reading.
How to read the result
The stats show how many frames were sampled, the overall average colour, the average brightness on a 0–255 scale (under 60 is dark, over 170 is bright) and the palette as hex codes, ready to copy.
FAQ
What is a movie colour barcode?
A movie barcode squeezes a whole film into one image by turning each moment into a thin stripe of its average colour, placed left to right in time order. It shows the colour story of the film, such as a warm start turning cold, in a single picture.
How are the palette colours chosen?
Every sampled pixel is grouped into one of 4,096 colour buckets. The most common buckets become the palette, and buckets too close to a colour already picked are merged in, so you get distinct colours. The percentage is each colour's share of all pixels.
Can I use the hex codes in a design?
Yes. The hex codes are standard sRGB values that you can paste into CSS, Figma, Canva or any design tool. They come from the decoded video, so they match what viewers see on a typical screen.
Is my video uploaded for the colour analysis?
No. Frames are decoded and measured by your browser on your device, and the chart is drawn locally too. Nothing is sent to a server, so private or unreleased footage stays on your computer.
See also: all Video & Screen tools, Images, Audio, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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