In a high dynamic range photo, the whites are 100% white and the blacks are 100% black, and then hopefully there’s every value in between. That isn’t how it is in every photo. The brightness is the attribute people refer to with dynamic range, but DR could be measured in any attribute: hue, scale, saturation, subject matter, focus, etc.
When I see something I like in entertainment, it’s probably because it contrasts with something else. My first question is “can it contrast more?” or “can we take it further?”
When thinking about all the attributes of a video game, for example, you will go numb trying to go thru them all, but we can instantly attack one and make things more fun. People like picking their own characters in the game. They like that each one is different. Let’s start with size of character. Can the biggest character be double the size of the smallest? Can the smallest be a mouse and the biggest be a blue whale?
Stretching any dynamic range is an instant creative boost. The audience is expecting one thing and I’m doing something else. Can I set them up to expect something even more boring and I can do something more exciting? One act is a little shorter than another. That’s a delightful surprise. Can I make a 1 second act?
We just find a delightful contrast and inflate the contrast.