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Wes Anderson (1969-present, US)

Although his first aspiration was to become a writer, Anderson began to make amateur silent films on his father’s Super-8 camera as a child. He attended college, whilst working as a cinema projectionist, and then graduated from a university in Texas in 1990, where he met future collaborator Owen Wilson.

 

His films are usually fast-paced comedies, focussed on themes such as parental abandonment, unlikely friendships, and grief. One of his films, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, US), enters the thriller genre.

 

His distinct style of filmmaking is easily recognised. Some of the most distinguishing features are:

 

  • Tracking shots – used to add movement and energy to a scene.

  • Symmetry – used in increasing abundance by Anderson, a symmetrical composition has become his standard ploy, particularly when trying to imply a character's significance.

  • Colour palette and patterns – controlled and saturated colours, making his films easily identifiable.

  • Recurring use of the Futura font – another identifier. 

  • Prominent theme of family relations.

  • Use of the same actors – Owen Wilson and Bill Murray have both acted in 7 of Anderson's films.

  • Use of romanticised French-pop.

 

 

I am interested in subsuming elements of Anderson's traits in our title sequence, although the other group members may not find appreciate the aesthetic nature of his style quite as much.

 

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