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Poll: "Director's Trademarks" Featurettes

A poll by brijeshmarand.
"Director's Trademarks" is a show created by IMDb to showcase the signature trademarks of the filmmakers.

Which of these director's trademarks do you think is the most unique?

Discuss the poll here

See results without voting »

Make Your Choice

  1. Vote!

    Luc Besson (2017)

    Breathtaking visuals, Strong female characters, Amoral but honest male characters (often played by Jean Reno), Oppressive societies, Underground worlds, Above shot of a character jumping down from height, Guns and lots of guns, Comic-book influences.
  2. Vote!

    James Cameron (2017)

    Fierce female characters, Squad goals, Monitors and lots of monitors, The color blue, Aerial awe, Underwater worlds, Record-breaking budgets, Vanguard VFX, Superior firepower.
  3. Vote!

    Steven Spielberg (2018)

    Shooting stars, Striking silhouettes, Foreboding pianos, Reflective perspectives and Rearview mirrors, The setting sun, Circles and lots of circles, Masterful child performances, Absent fathers, The Spielberg close-up, Tracking shots, Glowing lights, Historical realism and Grounded fantasy and often both.
  4. Vote!

    Wes Anderson (2018)

    Novel storytelling, Overhead shots, Hand-placed objects, well-dressed iconoclasts, Pastel pallets, Often center-framed, Tracking shots, The whip pan, Maps and lots of maps, Slow-motion endings.
  5. Vote!

    Stanley Kubrick (2018)

    Emotionally distant characters who are often dehumanized, Dangerous worlds with controversial social themes, Startling symmetry, Bold and simple colors, Fluid camera movements with steadicam mastery, The Kubrick stare, The end cards.
  6. Vote!

    Christopher Nolan (2018)

    Gothic worlds with manipulated time, Conflicted men in suits (often in aquatic peril), Contrasting psychological themes, Order vs. Chaos, Dreams vs. Reality, Identity vs. Self-deception, Large format & IMAX cinematography with mind-bending visuals, Practical special effects, The arc shot, A steady hand.
  7. Vote!

    M. Night Shyamalan (2018)

    Supernatural realities found in Philadelphia, Quite characters and young outcasts, Religious themes, Use of God's eye angle, Revealing reflections with first person POV, Foreground doorways framing background depth, Foreboding footsteps, Use of the color red, Cameos by the director himself, A surprising twist.
  8. Vote!

    Peter Berg (2018)

    Directing and Acting in Films based on true events, Grounded everyman characters (often played by Mark Whalberg), Gritty action sequences, Rapid editing, Chaotic fight scenes with slow-motion moments, Hand-held camera work, Aerial shots.
  9. Vote!

    Spike Lee (2018)

    Films set in Brooklyn (often starring Spike Lee), Fearless approach to social themes, Strong female characters, Saturated colors and grainy high-contrast shots, Actors talking to the camera, Double dolly shot, Evocative end credits, A wake-up call.
  10. Vote!

    Alfonso Cuarón (2018)

    Determined characters in worlds gone wrong, Mesmerizing interiors displaying famous art, Impossibly long takes and a constantly moving camera, Voyeuristic viewpoints and wide-angle vistas, Soft and natural light (often from cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki), Aquatic endings.
  11. Vote!

    Steve McQueen (2018)

    Stories set in the real world (often starring Michael Fassbander), Unflinching approach to heavy subjects with documentary realism, Detailed close-ups and single-take dialogues, Warm colors in nature and cool-toned cityscapes, Stunning stillness and characters on the run, Emotional performances and cathartic finales.
  12. Vote!

    Quentin Tarantino (2018)

    Nonlinear narratives about plans gone wrong, Honor among thieves, Resurrected acting careers and iconic appearances by Samuel L. Jackson, Long, vulgar exchanges and bursts of violence, Pop-culture references and cinematic pastiches, Big kahuna burgers and Red Apple cigarettes, Kinetic tracking shots and iconic dance scenes, Close-ups of feet and inside-the-trunk shots, Comedian cameos and the director himself.
  13. Vote!

    Peter Jackson (2018)

    Vast New Zealand landscapes as epic fantasy worlds, Unlikely heroes and the dead alive, CGI characters (often played by Andy Serkis), DIY special effects and CGI mastery, Wide-angle close-ups of faces, Axes and lots of axes, Dark and twisted slapstick down to the bloody end.
  14. Vote!

    Damien Chazelle (2018)

    Characters with remarkable talent defined by their own ambition, Domestic realities with a musical pulse, Impromptu songs and elaborate dance numbers, Complex tracking shots and rapid-fire edits, Whip pans and Iris wipes, Couples destined to meet but not to stay together.
  15. Vote!

    Luca Guadagnino (2018)

    A voyeur's eye, Filming on real location, Characters with emotional truth, Often featuring Tilda Swinton, Spontaneity vs. Control, A taste of horror in Suspiria.
  16. Vote!

    The Coen Brothers (2018)

    Wide-open country with small-time crooks, Half-baked heroes caught in hard-boiled blackmail, Psychos for hire with unusual hair, Recurring stars (Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Jon Polito, George Clooney, John Turturro), Dramatic eyes (often shot by Roger Deakins), Repeated phrases with plots that echo, Ringing phones and (lots of) hotel rooms, Surreal dream sequences and shocking crescendos.
  17. Vote!

    David Fincher (2018)

    Innovative title sequences, Social outcasts in dark, urban settings, Dimly lit rooms with green and blue tints, Distorted points of view and compartment angles, Impossible shots and time-lapse sequences, Anamorphic lens flares and piercing flashlights, Faces of evil and shocking reveals.
  18. Vote!

    James Wan (2018)

    Haunted Heroes in suburban nightmares, Small, contained chills to massive action thrills, Old troupes reinvented (Creepy puppets, Half-seen ghosts, Self-moving objects), Bluish tones and shades of red, Frequent collaborators (Patrick Wilson, Leigh Whannell, Joseph Bishara), Extreme horrors with a wicked sense of humor.
  19. Vote!

    Kevin Smith (2019)

    The askewniverse, Films set in New Jersey, Endearing everymen and women, Frank/crass dialogue, Often edited by himself, Pop-culture references, Jay and silent Bob.
  20. Vote!

    Catherine Hardwicke (2019)

    Teenage outcasts struggling with identity, Empowered female leads, Collaborations with Nikki Reed, The power of friendship through life-changing moments, Sweeping camera movements with Saturated color pallets, Fast editing and documentary realism, Blurred camera shots and extreme close-ups, Water scenes and innovative credits sequences.
  21. Vote!

    Yorgos Lanthimos (2019)

    Awkward adults in surreal, sterile environments, Childlike characters dealing with loss and longing, Dark humor and absurd circumstances, Odd behavior and blindfolds, Behind-the-head angles and hand-held tracking shots, Slow-motion and heads cut out of the frame, Sudden bursts of violence and ambiguous endings.
  22. Vote!

    Harmony Korine (2019)

    Young protagonists fighting boredom, Non-linear journeys through American decay, Non-professional actors and Recurring stars (Chloe Sevigny, Werner Herzog, Rachel Korine), Documentary realism and camcorder video, Slow-motion sequences and still-image photography, Haunting masks and neon colors, Out-of-control parties and disturbing endings.
  23. Vote!

    Tim Burton (2019)

    Custom studio logos and fly-through opening sequences, Misunderstood outcasts and rebellious youths, Recurring stars (Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee), Blonde love interests, Horrifying faces, Generic suburbs and Gothic fairytale worlds, Striking use of Red and shades of Green, Rube Goldberg machines and miniature models, Caged birds and floating people, Macabre humor, Moonlit nights,
  24. Vote!

    Alfred Hitchcock (2019)

    Murder plots with blonde victims, Characters on the run often falsely accused, Foreboding shadows and ominous staircases, Doppelgangers and suave villains, Voyeuristic perspectives and deep-focus composition, Ticking clocks and conversations on trains, Iconic wardrobe by Edith Head and director cameos, Newspaper headlines and handwritten notes, Gripping climaxes often at famous landmarks.
  25. Vote!

    Guy Ritchie (2019)

    Innovative title sequences, Larger-than-life characters, Fast-talking dialogues, Robberies gone sideways, Chess and card games, Gangsters with nicknames, Musicians as actors, Foot chase scenes, Bare-knuckle brawls, Slow-motion speed ramps, Split screens, Quick cuts.

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