Wes Anderson’s Symmetry and Symmetrical Editing Explained

Wes Anderson’s use of symmetry in shot composition has long been widely discussed—but did you know that symmetry also extends into his editing style? Anderson applies symmetry to every aspect of his filmmaking, from event patterns to blocking and production design. This article will walk you through the art behind Wes Anderson’s symmetrical editing; by the end, you’ll understand how it works and why it’s so stylistically powerful.

Breaking Down Wes Anderson’s Style

For most filmmakers, it’s difficult to carve out a truly unique stylistic category for themselves, but Wes Anderson is a director whose style is entirely his own. Anderson’s use of color is one of his most iconic visual traits—but his work goes far beyond vibrant characters and exquisite production design. First, let’s define what symmetrical editing is.

What Is Symmetrical Editing?

Symmetrical editing is an editing style characterized by one or more elements that match from shot to shot. This is not limited to simple match cuts; it also includes blocking, production design, and timing. Symmetrical editing is not mutually exclusive with continuity or discontinuity editing—rather, it’s a stylistic extension of both temporal techniques.

Key Elements of Symmetrical Editing:

• Composition

• Blocking

• Staging

• Patterned events

• Rhythm

Symmetrical Editing: Shot–Reverse Shot

Since the birth of cinema, filmmakers have been using a technique called “shot–reverse shot,” in which you first film one subject, then reverse the angle to film the other subject. For example, these shots are often framed in contrasting angles; you might start with an over-the-shoulder from the right, then reverse to an over-the-shoulder from the left. Anderson, however, often takes a very different approach—he typically places his subjects in the center of the frame.

Wes Anderson’s symmetrical framing in The Royal Tenenbaums

For Anderson, this is far more than a gimmick; symmetrical composition in shot–reverse shot is a core component of his directorial style.

Using this strategy, Anderson employs various shot sizes, from medium shots to close-ups, and everything in between.

Wes Anderson’s symmetrical shot sizes in Isle of Dogs

So if you want to edit in an Anderson-like way, don’t be afraid of symmetrical shots. Use different shot sizes to vary the perceived distance between the audience and the subject. You can easily practice this at home with just two subjects—place them on opposite sides of the frame along a 180-degree line.

First, film the first subject head-on, centered in the frame. Then film the second subject in the same way, also centered. And there you have it: a symmetrical shot–reverse-shot pair.

Symmetrical Editing: Patterned Events

In many of Anderson’s standout films, including Moonrise Kingdom, you can find highly patterned techniques at work. For example, Anderson turns something as simple as walking in a straight line into a textbook case of symmetrical editing. The mirrored blocking and production design, and the way they visually align Sam and Suzy, all demonstrate this.

In other scenes, Anderson uses patterned events as a narrative device of “juxtaposition.” In this sequence, he uses a telephone relay game to guide us through the world of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Each segment ends on a symmetrical shot and cleverly uses an iris transition.

The process of shooting each frame can also be seen as symmetrical; in the world of The Grand Budapest Hotel, concierges and lobby boys are equally important to both plot and composition.

Patterned events are everywhere in cinema, from training montages to interrogation scenes. Harold Ramis’s Groundhog Day is a great example that showcases the effectiveness of repetition in symmetrical editing. You’ll notice that Ramis keeps changing the framing of the clock, bringing the camera progressively closer to the ticking digits.

Remember, symmetrical editing is not only about symmetrical composition! It can also manifest in patterned events and rhythmic cutting. Groundhog Day is a perfect example that demonstrates the full range of elements in symmetrical editing.

Wes Anderson’s Metric Montage

What do Wes Anderson and Soviet montage theory have in common? As it turns out, quite a lot. Soviet montage theory—a film movement that emerged in the Soviet Union in the 1910s, 1920s, and early 1930s—outlined five types of montage.

One of these is “metric montage,” defined as cutting shots to match a specific number of frames. For example, any two or more consecutive shots that are cut to precisely the same frame length would be considered an instance of metric montage.

In contemporary cinema, metric montage has largely fallen out of fashion. However, some directors still employ this technique, and Anderson is one of them.

In The Royal Tenenbaums, Anderson uses what is largely a metric montage approach when introducing each major character. Some theorists argue that this kind of symmetrical shot composition distracts from the underlying rhythm.

Wes Anderson’s use of shots • Metric montage in The Royal Tenenbaums

Rhythmic montage is a type of montage designed to echo musical rhythm. Used well, rhythmic montage can give a film a smooth, propulsive narrative flow. Anderson skillfully employs rhythmic montage in many of his films.