Visual Motif 1: Colour

In films, colour is an important aspect of storytelling. Colour can influence mood and create an atmosphere that evokes feelings within the viewers. Wes Anderson takes pride in colour and applies a numerous amount of colour throughout his films. He uses colour to represent emotions within the characters and the film's overall atmosphere.

 

For example, the colour red is shown a lot in Wes Anderson's films to represent grief. 3 films that show this are: "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)" "The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)" and "The Darjeeling Limited (2007)". All films have shown a sign of red when they have lost someone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moreover, the colour gradients also differ within these films to represent the different types of atmosphere each film brings. For example "The Royal Tenebaaums" has a more sombre gradient than "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "In The Darjeeling Limited".

 

Visual Motif 2: Symmetry

Filmmakers use symmetry to create harmony and composition. Wes Anderson is known to use a lot of symmetry in his films, particularly in his short films. He does this to create balance and make the film appear more flawless and elegant. The movies with the most symmetry are "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Moonrise Kingdom," and "The Grand Budapest Hotel." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visual Motif 3: Costumes

Costumes play a big role in films as they define and differentiate characters. Wes Anderson uses many costumes in his films to express the characters' personalities and traits. Some of the best films with costume designs are: The Royal Tenenbaums, The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Some of the best-dressed characters are: Margot Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums, Mr. Fox. from Fantastic Mr Fox and Peter L. from Whitman in The Darjeeling Limited.

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Visual Motif 4: Set Design

Set design is important in filmmaking as it provides visual contexts and enhances the audience's engagement. Wes Anderson uses set design to help tell the story in its true form. For The Grand Budapest Hotel, the set designer Adam Stockhausen won an Oscar for creating the set. He stated that Wes Anderson has a distinct visual style that he carefully plans. Some films with the best set design are: Asteroid City, Castello Cavalcanti and The Grand Budapest Hotel.​

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​Visual Motif 5: Props

Like set design and costumes, props are important for creating a unique and realistic setting. Wes Anderson uses many props for his films. Prop master Kris Moran has worked on countless Wes Anderson films to make his props, including Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

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Visual Motif 6: Music and soundtrack

​Music and soundtracks are important in films as they set the mood and tone, evoke emotions in the audience, and create tension. Wes Anderson often chooses songs from the 1960s and 1970s to invoke nostalgia in his films. Three films with the most 1960s and 1970s songs are: The Royal Tenenbaums featuring songs like Rolling Stone's "Ruby Tuesday", Rushmore features 60s bands like the "Kinks" and the song "A Quick One While He's Away", and fantastic Mr Fox uses classic 60s tracks like "Street Fighting Man" 

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Visual Motif 7: Close up

Wes Anderson uses various close-ups, such as flat and direct, still, expressive, and centred. He uses these different close-ups to highlight key emotions or details within the characters and focus attention on important things in the film. The three films with the most close-ups are: The Grand Budapest Hotel with frequent character close-ups, Moonrise Kingdom with close-ups of letters, objects and faces and Fantastic Mr Fox with close-ups highlighting the character's expressions and stop-motion details.

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