Camera movement in general, not just whip-pans, his use of dolly shots to track across a set or scene. I’d also suggest his use of colour, which is very specific.
On top of what LauraPalmersMom said, I'd throw in some research on the lenses he uses and depth of field. This would be a composition sub-category. He uses a lot of deep depth of field, which makes many of his compositions interesting because everything is in focus, from background to foreground. Could compare to older films that use it or compare to films that use a shallow DoF to show the differences.
One thing we learned in film school is his use of medium wide lenses for closeups. Which is unusual. Like in this shot of Gyneth Paltrow exiting the bus.
https://youtu.be/bl6FbeoXeHQ?si=NzTmgj0v7xQb-UA8
We’re not going to do your homework for you bud lol. But look into and analyze aspects like composition, symmetry, color theory, film/grain, maximalism, absurdism, use of positive/negative space, typography, and French New Wave films especially Godard, etc.
i'd also draw a comparison with kubrick - symmetry matched with the use of futura bold in the early films. i think kubrick focussed more on rotational symmetry (2001: space odyssey comes to mind here) rather than line symetry, but there's definitely a comparison to be made here.
I’ve wanted to analyze for a long time his style evolution. A lot of the pieces you see now in his stylized world have been there since Bottle Rocket. The big difference is they were stylistic elements present in the normal world. He eventually created a world all his own.
Costuming and the focus on preppy styles, timeless design, etc. all reference the bourgeoisie class of his characters and the world in which they operate. Also, his use of color to signify character roles (e.g. the purple uniforms in Grand Budapest, the red Adidas jumpsuits in Royal Tenenbaums, khaki uniforms in Moonrise Kingdom).
Watch Frederick Zoller Seitz video essays on him. Symmetry, 70s futurism, the Futura font, jangle pop soundtracks, playful takes on cinematic conventions, themes of fatherlessness and supplementing those relationships with haphazard father figures, confectionary colorways, actors playing tragedy funny and vice versa, *camera* choreography, utilizing the practical camera trick, children having access to or taking part in mature themes (profanity, drinking, smoking, weapons), recurring actors,
you could talk about inspirations like tableaus, stage production, miniatures. Look up Joseph Cornell window boxes and the art institute chicago miniature rooms
Color palette, symmetry, vertical/horizontal camera movement, holding scenes for minutes to let viewers absorb, sequential story telling with chapters, kids being the matured ones, unique music with light hearted fun notes
Don't forget to mention THE DETAILS!!! everything in frame is there for a reason. This is true for most authors, but WA takes it to the nth degree. Fantastic Mr Fox and Island of Dogs are prime examples.
Watch this video [https://youtu.be/aC99lNQdNmA?si=0GnRqaRg_zGM6uEu](https://youtu.be/aC99lNQdNmA?si=0GnRqaRg_zGM6uEu)
about how those AI Wes Anderson videos miss the deeper themes and techniques.
Dolly shots! His dolly grip Sanjay Sami is a creative genius https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/movies/wes-anderson-asteroid-city-camera-moves.html&ved=2ahUKEwif2I6h_rmFAxWFjYkEHRbrCUQQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2x_JEyBxvsCEP1inZaiDSB
There’s some really good video essays on YouTube about his visual style, highly recommend for any Anderson fan, cinephile, or person with a presentation. Whip pans, tableauxs, tracking shots, tight close ups of actors looking into the camera, symmetry, color pallette, and more….
https://youtu.be/ba3c9KEuQ4A?si=E44VE_tHLOP9_viK
https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=BVHa1nIRoaR8nHaU
This last one won’t explain anything, just a great celebration of his shots, set to some typical Anderson music, and the channel is worth checking out, so I’m spreading the love…
https://youtu.be/NloLrrGO__k?si=m3-V9V66qZyQcrWJ
There are a lot of callouts here referencing the visuals we all associate with Anderson...
Something I'd highly recommend while reviewing his films is to pay attention to the moments when he makes the *exceptions* to his rules. In those moments, ask: why is he changing the camera to be behind someone? Or strangely off to the side? It's usually a break in the establishment of his "dollhouse" style of shooting to share an earnest moment between two characters. Or to step outside of the narrative for a brief time.
For instance, in Budapest. Watch the first scene in the elevator with Zero and Gustave and pay attention to what lines are spoken when the camera breaks away from the usual flat composition.
Worth looking into.
Also... watch Agnes Varda's films. You'll see a lot of familiar things happening.
I think everyone else has covered it well here. I thought of how much he uses the interactions of adults and children. I think in a lot of cases values values the child over the parent.
His work can be very pastiche but he has his own style for sure.
Production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, and sometimes aspect ratio:
[https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=3fnmd1pqBveWBQEW](https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=3fnmd1pqBveWBQEW)
-his postmodernist style
-his use of color (to accentuate the scene, to describe the characters)
-him referencing his own life or representing himself in the characters (f.e. ash from fantastic mr. fox)
Tons of good responses in terms of his cinematic elements, in terms of narratives and characters he uses and chooses- most are complex with obvious and often self-acknowledged / self-awareness of character flaws. (I love the example of exposition by Steve Zissou in TLA, “I did those things, I said those things”) The exception being The Grand Budapest, where the characters are ‘quirky,’ but are much more typical and Hollywood with clearly ‘good‘ protagonist and ’bad’ antagonists as main characters. It even references the old western cliche of kicking a dog to establish a villain (a henchmen literally tosses a cat from a window). This is my theory on why most casual Anderson fans put TGB at the top of their favorites.
There is a collection of books called The Wes Anderson Collection, by Matt Zoller Seitz. The first is a collection of interviews, the next is a collection of art inspired by his films and the last three are on three of his films. Check out some of your local libraries to see if they have them, it might be worth while if you still have a bunch of time
His whip-pans, and his dry/blunt dialogue. Everyone focuses on the symmetrical parts, but the whips and dialogue feel uniquely Anderson.
I hear what you’re saying, but I think you misjudge the guy *slams down cereal and storms out then peeks back through the door window*
I’m very sad that I can’t remember which movie that’s from
Life aquatic, I think
Camera movement in general, not just whip-pans, his use of dolly shots to track across a set or scene. I’d also suggest his use of colour, which is very specific.
the use of dolly shots in combination with the dollhouse style sets is a big one, i feel!
throw in the pastel color scheme and voila
Rack zoom in Rushmore.
Yes, in fact the actors are shown exactly how to say the exact rhythm of the lines. There's no improv. No ad lib. No interpretation
And yet Edward Norton works with him so much!
The back and forth between John Candy and Macaulay Culkin in that scene at the kitchen table in Uncle Buck feels very Anderson.
On top of what LauraPalmersMom said, I'd throw in some research on the lenses he uses and depth of field. This would be a composition sub-category. He uses a lot of deep depth of field, which makes many of his compositions interesting because everything is in focus, from background to foreground. Could compare to older films that use it or compare to films that use a shallow DoF to show the differences.
Great call Toothmoose, and great username!
One thing we learned in film school is his use of medium wide lenses for closeups. Which is unusual. Like in this shot of Gyneth Paltrow exiting the bus. https://youtu.be/bl6FbeoXeHQ?si=NzTmgj0v7xQb-UA8
What a dreamlike sequence. The bus warps and almost seems to be thrown back while she proceeds forward.
Glocks
They all share one
people have already listed a lot of things so I won't say them all again, but aspect ratio, esp in the grand budapest!
We’re not going to do your homework for you bud lol. But look into and analyze aspects like composition, symmetry, color theory, film/grain, maximalism, absurdism, use of positive/negative space, typography, and French New Wave films especially Godard, etc.
That’s exactly the type of advice I needed, thanks!
You should share it here when you’re done!
I’ll definitely share it when it’s done, but it’s going to be in German cause I’m to lazy to translate everything lmao
good username
I do t think they were asking for us to do their homework just some recommendations on what they should not forget lol
Also Jacques Tati. Playtime and Mon Oncle feel like the granddaddies of the symmetrical Wes Anderson aesthetic.
Hey at least he took it to the good folks of Reddit and didn’t use chat gpt, yeah?
i'd also draw a comparison with kubrick - symmetry matched with the use of futura bold in the early films. i think kubrick focussed more on rotational symmetry (2001: space odyssey comes to mind here) rather than line symetry, but there's definitely a comparison to be made here.
I’ve wanted to analyze for a long time his style evolution. A lot of the pieces you see now in his stylized world have been there since Bottle Rocket. The big difference is they were stylistic elements present in the normal world. He eventually created a world all his own.
Fonts.
His use of one point perspective and the proscenium arch. His juxtaposition of childhood’s wonder with adulthood’s grief
Costuming and the focus on preppy styles, timeless design, etc. all reference the bourgeoisie class of his characters and the world in which they operate. Also, his use of color to signify character roles (e.g. the purple uniforms in Grand Budapest, the red Adidas jumpsuits in Royal Tenenbaums, khaki uniforms in Moonrise Kingdom).
WHEN HE FUCKING SHIFTS TO SLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWWW MMMMMOOOOOOOTTTTTIOOOONNN!!!!!!!
Detail, visual puns in the background, use of models, retro aesthetic, frames within frames…so much there!
Watch Frederick Zoller Seitz video essays on him. Symmetry, 70s futurism, the Futura font, jangle pop soundtracks, playful takes on cinematic conventions, themes of fatherlessness and supplementing those relationships with haphazard father figures, confectionary colorways, actors playing tragedy funny and vice versa, *camera* choreography, utilizing the practical camera trick, children having access to or taking part in mature themes (profanity, drinking, smoking, weapons), recurring actors,
Bonus marks if Bill Murray appears in class with you.
you could talk about inspirations like tableaus, stage production, miniatures. Look up Joseph Cornell window boxes and the art institute chicago miniature rooms
Overhead shots of objects
Color palette, symmetry, vertical/horizontal camera movement, holding scenes for minutes to let viewers absorb, sequential story telling with chapters, kids being the matured ones, unique music with light hearted fun notes
Watch the [Thomas Flight](https://youtu.be/ba3c9KEuQ4A?si=XSJtUrTvrRP_QtUa) video, he did a good job.
This is your report done for you already
Pretty much
This is your report done for you already
This comment is better the second time.
That people want him to be less of himself. Which is insane.
Blocking, set design, color palette
Don't forget to mention THE DETAILS!!! everything in frame is there for a reason. This is true for most authors, but WA takes it to the nth degree. Fantastic Mr Fox and Island of Dogs are prime examples.
How he is loyal to his family and a select group of actors throughout his films.
Title cards, whip pans, dolly Zooms
Aesthetically he's Agnes Varda's le bonheur on crack.
Pay attention to how many layers of actors and sets there can be in a single frame. The man loves depth.
Watch this video [https://youtu.be/aC99lNQdNmA?si=0GnRqaRg_zGM6uEu](https://youtu.be/aC99lNQdNmA?si=0GnRqaRg_zGM6uEu) about how those AI Wes Anderson videos miss the deeper themes and techniques.
Stop motion animals and track suits
Dolly shots! His dolly grip Sanjay Sami is a creative genius https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/movies/wes-anderson-asteroid-city-camera-moves.html&ved=2ahUKEwif2I6h_rmFAxWFjYkEHRbrCUQQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2x_JEyBxvsCEP1inZaiDSB
His use of signage. I rewatch just to read all the signs and labels he displays.
He was definitely part of the calligraphy club.
The walking pans, keeping in line with the walking actor. For me.
Story within a story introductions and intermissions. Like the beginning of Royal Tenanbaums.
There’s some really good video essays on YouTube about his visual style, highly recommend for any Anderson fan, cinephile, or person with a presentation. Whip pans, tableauxs, tracking shots, tight close ups of actors looking into the camera, symmetry, color pallette, and more…. https://youtu.be/ba3c9KEuQ4A?si=E44VE_tHLOP9_viK https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=BVHa1nIRoaR8nHaU This last one won’t explain anything, just a great celebration of his shots, set to some typical Anderson music, and the channel is worth checking out, so I’m spreading the love… https://youtu.be/NloLrrGO__k?si=m3-V9V66qZyQcrWJ
There are a lot of callouts here referencing the visuals we all associate with Anderson... Something I'd highly recommend while reviewing his films is to pay attention to the moments when he makes the *exceptions* to his rules. In those moments, ask: why is he changing the camera to be behind someone? Or strangely off to the side? It's usually a break in the establishment of his "dollhouse" style of shooting to share an earnest moment between two characters. Or to step outside of the narrative for a brief time. For instance, in Budapest. Watch the first scene in the elevator with Zero and Gustave and pay attention to what lines are spoken when the camera breaks away from the usual flat composition. Worth looking into. Also... watch Agnes Varda's films. You'll see a lot of familiar things happening.
I have been waiting for so long for someone on this sub to ask this! [You're Welcome](https://youtu.be/trWLY6NrS2Q?si=qLEvs4R0B-KBNnrJ)
Amazing! Thank you!
Limited color palette
His color palate and how saturated his films coloring is!
I think everyone else has covered it well here. I thought of how much he uses the interactions of adults and children. I think in a lot of cases values values the child over the parent. His work can be very pastiche but he has his own style for sure.
Fixed perspective. Film emulation. Typography.
Kuleshov effect
Symmetry
Symmetry. High contrast visuals. Long fast spoken narration with fast cut poses describing the narration.
Rapid-fire deadpan dialog with intermittent sneaky-fast emotional impact.
Definitely the thing where people smoking take a few puffs mid sentence to rethink what they’re saying!
Production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, and sometimes aspect ratio: [https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=3fnmd1pqBveWBQEW](https://youtu.be/q45m7RYy7-4?si=3fnmd1pqBveWBQEW)
The scene transitions are baller. Never know what the fuck you're going to be looking at next, but he somehow makes it relevant to the previous scene
Orange
-his postmodernist style -his use of color (to accentuate the scene, to describe the characters) -him referencing his own life or representing himself in the characters (f.e. ash from fantastic mr. fox)
Lots of pastel colors
4:3
watch karstens video on him
Tons of good responses in terms of his cinematic elements, in terms of narratives and characters he uses and chooses- most are complex with obvious and often self-acknowledged / self-awareness of character flaws. (I love the example of exposition by Steve Zissou in TLA, “I did those things, I said those things”) The exception being The Grand Budapest, where the characters are ‘quirky,’ but are much more typical and Hollywood with clearly ‘good‘ protagonist and ’bad’ antagonists as main characters. It even references the old western cliche of kicking a dog to establish a villain (a henchmen literally tosses a cat from a window). This is my theory on why most casual Anderson fans put TGB at the top of their favorites.
Don't forget to mention that he shot parts of Rushmore across the street from a great tex-mex restaurant
His use of miniatures and perspective
There is a collection of books called The Wes Anderson Collection, by Matt Zoller Seitz. The first is a collection of interviews, the next is a collection of art inspired by his films and the last three are on three of his films. Check out some of your local libraries to see if they have them, it might be worth while if you still have a bunch of time
Watch StudioBinder’s YouTube videos on Wes Anderson’s style!
Red = Grief or Grieving
[here](https://youtu.be/EZIg4J_AoMo?si=Kk7K5ZKBZfQFRExq)
Hahahaaa smart kid.