With his approach to design and obsessive attention to detail, Wes Anderson, writer, director and author, is best known for his highly stylized films . His extremely visual and nostalgic worlds give meaning to the stories in his films, contrary to popular critical beliefs that he favors style over substance. Through an analysis of his work, I intend to show that design can on the contrary give substance to style. Wes Anderson began directing Super 8 films and writing plays as a child. Anderson's parents, Melver and Texas Anne Anderson, divorced when Wes was young. He describes this event as "the most pivotal event in the history of my brothers and my childhood." (IMDB) Anderson did not major in film, but instead earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1992 from the University of Texas at Austin. His filmography includes eight feature films and five short films, all of which have similar themes of childhood, discontent in life, alienation, desire and elitism. His films have all been described using a well-established list of adjectives. See “quirky,” “whimsical,” and “twee” in your nearest dictionary. Regardless, his style is never without purpose. Anderson builds all of his worlds from scratch. Everyone is a microcosm: a miniature version of humanity. Independent film critic Calum Marsh once said that "people tend to talk about Wes Anderson films as if they were toys: dioramas, playsets, miniatures. They certainly have a certain handmade quality, in the way they have been assembled and furnished, but it is much more than that. I think it has something to do with the way their components and parts seem so meticulously and painstakingly put together, organized and orchestrated as if by a very dedicated child. (Marsh). Anderson p...... middle of paper ......rand Budapest Hotel." The Dissolve. Np, March 14, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014. Emerson, Jim. "Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson's Miniatures. "RogerEbert.com. Np, June 24, 2012. Web. May 12, 2014. Hoffman, Ashley. "PAPERMAG: The Amazing Stories Behind 10 Memorable Accessories. " PAPERMAG: The Amazing Stories Behind 10 Memorable Props. Paper, March 10, 2014. Web, May 15, 2014. Jones, Alice. “Hollywood's Best Props: Wes Anderson." The Independent Independent Digital News and Media, March 1, 2014 . Web, May 15, 2014. Marchant, Beth of Color at the Grand Budapest Hotel." StudioDaily. Np, March 26, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014. Marsh, Calum. “The Evolution of Wes Anderson.” Esquire. Np, March 5, 2014. Web. March 10, 2014.Murphy, Mekado. “You can watch, but you can’t record yourself. » The New York Times, March 1, 2014. Web. 2014.