How Wes Anderson uses miniatures

In order to go big, sometimes filmmakers go small.

Miniatures in movies are way more common than you may realize, and one of the most stylish filmmakers keeping them alive is Wes Anderson. In this video we spoke to Simon Weisse, prop maker and model marker for some of Wes Anderson’s recent projects, like The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City.

Older movies, like 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, had no choice but to use miniatures to make their worlds feel real. But even in the modern day of CGI, filmmakers are still using minis — just look at projects like The Mandalorian, Blade Runner 2049, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight series. In those movies, miniatures are used for expansive sets that establish the world of a film, otherworldly vehicles like spaceships, and more.

But fully fabricating a 1/18th scale hotel is just the beginning. Then filmmakers have to film it in a way where it looks huge, or, at least, life-size — using the movie magic of cameras, lighting, and forced perspective.

[charlieg]

Weird that everyone in the comments is only complimenting Wes Anderson. Simon Weisse is clearly a master at what he does!

[ohshamelessgravity]

Simon Weisse is a genius and a master at what he does. Wes Anderson on the other hand is equally smart for actually wanting people to recognize that he's using miniatures for his films and at the same time they're conveying a sense of realism. I salute them both!

[ICharlyl]

Ive always felt like wes Anderson's movies are just pure passion, movies filmed, acted and edited with pure joy and love for cinema.

[MadMovieMakers]

Great video about the pros and cons of a unique filming method!

[sophiaisabelle]

We Anderson is a brilliant filmmaker with a vast color palette. His films are willing to go the extra mile. The cinematographies and stories all work together seamlessly to create masterpieces onscreen.

[las]

These miniatures and practical effects is what makes the Lord of the Rings movies hold up so well 20 years later

[mareecuree]

i love love miniatures. it excites me to see the whole process on how these artists put all those tiny little details to make every piece look and feel realistic.

[nigelcarren]

My name is Nigel Carren and I am a professional miniature medieval armour maker. I typically working in 1/6th and 1/12th scale and each hand-forged steel knight is typically comprised of 73 separate parts. WE enjoyed this video immensely thank you!
Best wishes from me and all the mice in the workshop. ⚒️🐭🐁🐭🐁

[wxlurker]

I absolutely love the craftsmanship that goes into making miniatures and props.

[mikesouthworth]

This video was really well done. Great job of showing the process in layman's terms while still making it exciting and interesting.

[theawesomer]

So happy to see that miniatures and practical effects are being preserved by masters like Simon!

[RapidActionAnimations]

It’s unfortunate that miniatures aren’t used as often as they once were as they are an amazing art form. Practical effects just made films so much better.

[ojtheaviator]

Miniatures feel real not because they fully authentic to our world but because they are fully authentic to their own. They are a 'real miniature'. And there's a charm to that which can't be understated.

[artlovepeace]

Thank you so much for showing this! These artists are the epitome of talent! Would be an incredible video to go to a model shop and show all the departments and artists working through a large scale model, start to finish.

[zaneverovati]

The thing that had me fall in love with Wes Anderson's filmmaking is the fact that I feel like I'm constantly pulled in through the screen onto the set, most of the time by the miniatures but also by the feeling that the film sets, and then I get into this sort of swaying back and forth, back onto the seat in the movies as a spectator watching a film, and then back inside of the set, and so back and forth, it makes me enjoy his films on a whole another level. And the miniatures themselves make a part of that feeling, being made in such a glorious way that they don't interrupt that feeling, yet still making themselves apparent - I know they're miniatures, but they're made so good that it doesn't matter, the momentous "okay, it's a miniature, but it's a part of the story so it's just another way for Anderson to convey his storytelling" is there for a second and it just makes the miniature blend in and feel as a natural part of the story. It's apparent that it's a miniature, but it's not tacky, B-movie style, but rather gloriously made sculpture, put there to help with telling the story.

[Aloddff]

Physical effects are really captivating

[mastermavrick]

Great video, miniatures like stop motion are rare but amazing artistic works and this goes over why you get that feeling from it.

[rickfazzini]

I’ve always been in love with the art that is miniature model making. Thanks for sharing this great little film, what’s a treat!

[rohitmishra]

its amazing to hear from Simon Weisse . I can feel the enthusiasm he has and emotion of fun he has doing the work.

[andybearchan]

Can you do a video on matte paintings? So many movies from the 80s and 90s had amazing detailed paintings. Do they still exist? Do people collect them?