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 to his editing style? Anderson applies symmetry to every aspect of his filmmaking, from patterns of events to blocking and production design, without exception. 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 is 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 unmistakably his own. Anderson’s use of color is one of his signature visual traits—but his work goes far beyond vibrant characters and exquisite production design. First, let’s define what symmetrical editing actually is.

What Is Symmetrical Editing?

Symmetrical editing is an editing style in which one or more elements are matched 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 editing or discontinuity editing; rather, it is 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 been using a technique called “shot–reverse shot,” which first films one subject and then reverses the angle to film the other subject. For example, these shots are typically done from contrasting angles; you might see a right-shoulder over-the-shoulder shot followed by a left-shoulder over-the-shoulder shot. Anderson, however, often takes a very different approach—he usually places his subjects in the center of the frame.

Wes Anderson’s symmetrical shot in The Royal Tenenbaums

For Anderson, this isn’t just a gimmick; symmetrical composition in shot–reverse shots is a key component of his directorial style.

Using this strategy, Anderson employs a wide range 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 to use symmetrical shots. Use different shot sizes to vary the sense of 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 head-on, also centered in the frame. And there you have it: a symmetrical shot–reverse shot.

Symmetrical Editing: Patterned Events

In many of Anderson’s best films, including Moonrise Kingdom, you can see the use of patterns. For example, Anderson transforms something as simple as walking in a straight line into a textbook case of symmetrical editing. This is evident in how the mirrored blocking and production design visually align Sam and Suzy.

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 game of telephone tag. Each segment ends on a symmetrical shot, with a clever use of iris effects.

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

Patterned events are everywhere in film, 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 continually changes the framing of the clock, moving the camera closer and closer to the ticking digits.

Remember, symmetrical editing is not just about symmetrical composition! It can also manifest in patterned events and rhythmic cutting. 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—outlined five types of montage.

One of these is “metric montage,” defined as cutting shots to a specific number of frames so that they match in duration. For example, any two or more consecutive shots that are cut to exactly the same number of frames are considered an instance of metric montage.

In contemporary cinema, 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 when introducing each major character. Some theorists argue that this type of symmetrical shot composition distracts the viewer from the underlying rhythm.

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

Rhythmic montage is a type of montage meant to echo the rhythm of the music. Used well, rhythmic montage can give a film a smooth narrative flow. Anderson skillfully uses rhythmic montage in many of his films.