With some directors, you can immediately tell you’re watching a movie they directed just by looking at a still frame without any context. There’s a visual style they stamp on their films, a certain special effect they like, a narrative preference they utilize, basically, a trademark they have. WatchMojo came up with a list of the 10 most famous movie director trademarks in the video below.
In order:
Quentin Tarantino’s shared universe
M. Night Shyamalan’s twist endings
Alfred Hitchcock’s personal cameos and preference for blondes
Frank Capra’s use of Jimmy the Raven
Wes Anderson’s symmetrical framing and slow motion
Sergio Leone’s extreme close ups and drawn-out long shots
The Wachowski’s bullet time
Guillermo del Toro’s nightmarish creatures
Stanely Kubrick’s bathrooms
JJ Abrams’ lens flares
These tricks are just one tool among many but they’re clearly identified with the director who used ’em enough to become a personal trademark.
