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 extends into his editing style as well? Wes Anderson applies symmetry to nearly every aspect of his filmmaking, from patterns of events to blocking and production design. This article will show you the art behind Wes Anderson’s symmetrical editing; by the end, you’ll understand how it works and why it’s such a powerful stylistic choice.

Breaking Down Wes Anderson’s Style

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

What Is Symmetrical Editing?

Symmetrical editing is an editing style in which one or more elements are matched between shots. 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; instead, it’s a stylistic extension of both temporal techniques.

Elements of Symmetrical Editing:

• Composition

• Blocking

• Staging

• Patterned events

• Rhythm

Symmetrical Editing: Shot/Reverse Shot

Since the birth of cinema, filmmakers have used a technique known as “shot/reverse shot,” which shoots one subject and then reverses the angle to shoot the other subject. For example, these shots are often framed with contrasting angles: you might first see an over-the-shoulder shot from the right shoulder, then cut to an over-the-shoulder shot from the left shoulder. Anderson, however, often takes a radically different approach—he usually places his subjects in the center of the frame.

Wes Anderson’s symmetrical framing in The Royal Tenenbaums

For Anderson, this is more than a gimmick; symmetrical composition in shot/reverse shot is a vital part of his directorial style.

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

Wes Anderson’s use of symmetrical shot sizes in Isle of Dogs

So if you want to edit like Anderson, 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, shoot the first subject straight on, centered in the frame. Then shoot the second subject the same way, also centered. There you have it: a symmetrical shot/reverse-shot pair.

Symmetrical Editing: Patterned Events

In many of Anderson’s best films, including Moonrise Kingdom, you can find patterned techniques. For example, Anderson turns a simple action—walking along a straight line—into a textbook example 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 takes us on a tour of the world of The Grand Budapest Hotel through a telephone chase. Each segment ends on a symmetrical shot and cleverly uses an iris effect.

The process of filming each frame can also be seen as symmetrical, because in the world of The Grand Budapest Hotel, concierges and lobby boys are equally important to both the story and the compositions.

Patterned events are everywhere in cinema, from training montages to interrogation scenes. Harold Ramis’s Groundhog Day is a great example that shows how repetition can be highly effective in symmetrical editing. You’ll notice that Ramis constantly reframes the clock throughout the film, moving the camera progressively closer to the ticking digits.

Remember, symmetrical editing is not just about symmetrical compositions! It can also appear in patterned events and rhythmically structured cuts. Groundhog Day is a perfect example that showcases the various elements of 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—laid out 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 cut to exactly the same duration are examples of metric montage.

In contemporary filmmaking, metric montage is almost obsolete. However, some directors still use this technique, and Anderson is one of them.

In The Royal Tenenbaums, Anderson largely uses metric montage in the introduction of each main character. Some theorists argue that this symmetrical compositional style distracts the audience from noticing the rhythm.

Wes Anderson’s shot strategy • Metric montage in The Royal Tenenbaums

Rhythmic montage is a type of montage designed to echo the rhythm of the music. Used well, rhythmic montage gives a film a smooth narrative flow. Anderson skillfully employs rhythmic montage in many of his films.