The 'Wes Anderson trend' is TikTok's latest and perhaps more creative obsession to date—as it sees users reimagine their lives in the aesthetic of the cult-favorite director's style. Here's exactly what the trend entails and how to create your own mini, perfectly symmetrical masterpiece...
From The Grand Budapest Hotel to The Darjeeling Limited (which gives us all the 2000s nostalgia), Wes Anderson is famed for his unique and completely mesmerizing cinematography. His films are whimsical, bathed in saturated colors and centered around symmetry and composition. Essentially, they make you feel like you're watching a real-life doll's house, which is actually a trope present in a number of his movies.
To put it simply, every title is a feature-length piece of art and one that we would do anything to live in. So much so in fact, that the phrase "You better not be acting like you're in a Wes Anderson film" is sweeping TikTok (much like that Barbie movie meme), with users transforming their everyday lives into Oscar-worthy short films. Here's everything you need to know about the trend and how to film your own Wes Anderson-core video...
What is the 'Wes Anderson trend' on TikTok?
Unlike style trends like the coastal-cowgirl aesthetic or the moon phase trend, this new movement is all about debuting your creative and filming talents...
So, what is the Wes Anderson trend, you ask? Well, If you've ever tuned into a title from Wes Anderson's extensive filmography, you'll notice that they all have a defining aesthetic of symmetrical square shots, quick zooms and vibrant, saturated colors. There are no panning shots—only swift 90-degree turns and flat perspectives, where characters move sideways through the frame, as opposed to the camera following them.
Primary colors are prevalent, as are interesting objects; and a collection of minimal and clean fonts are used throughout the films, giving the perfect Wes Anderson continuity, no matter the differing plots.
Now, because of the distinctive style, fans are now taking to TikTok (and Instagram too!) to try their hand at creating their very own Wes Anderson aesthetic-esque video. Thus, the 'Wes Anderson trend' was born—and the hashtag alone already has over 11.6 million views to its name.
So, what does this trend entail? It's probably best if we just let the videos do the talking...
@kyle_rothwell ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat
@avawillyums ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat
@keithafadi I’ve recently discovered Wes Anderson and his films so here’s a quick & fun little video for this trend
♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat
The trend either sees users frame their vacay videos in the style, or reimagine their everyday, sometimes mundane routines through Wes' lens.
How to do the 'Wes Anderson Trend' on Tiktok
To create your own Wes Anderson video, you'll need to shoot some clips that are square on, and frames which see people or yourself moving sideways through. You'll also want to avoid the 'TikTok pan' because your sequence is all about composition, as user @thewanderingcass explains:
@thewanderingcass ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat
From our sleuthing of the many, many videos of this trend, your video should have an opening shot, followed by a title card (featuring the iconic Wes Anderson fonts, see below on a block color background), with each line appearing in time to the music—'Obituary' from The French Dispatch's soundtrack—usually the videos name i.e. 'The Train', location and time.
What are the Wes Anderson fonts?
Perhaps the most iconic of Wes Anderson's go-to fonts is Futura—in particular Futura Bold. He also uses Archer and Poster Gothic, luckily though Instagram user @andretazizov has rounded them all up for us...
How to do the 'Wes Anderson Trend' in life
If you want to thread the Wes Anderson theme throughout different aspects of your aesthetic, here are some ways to do it IRL:
- Opt for bright colors—particularly primary colors—in your clothes
- Choose the same sorts of colors for your interiors
- Go for bold prints in interiors
- Do simple or very unique hair and makeup looks
- Create signs or prints for your home using the above Wes Anderson fonts
- Go thrift shopping to find unique ornaments and decorations for your home
- Stock up on bright books from a second-hand book shop
If you're wanting to add a bit of the Wes Anderson aesthetic into your capsule wardrobe, we've recommended a lot of yellow, red and blue as well as boxy, classic shapes. Most of his films have a very vintage feel, so opt for staples—like a nice pair of cigarette trousers or a trench coat, for instance.
Time to go and sit in a bookshop and wait for our Wes Anderson main character moment...
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