films on film

Now let's take a second to move away from analog photography. Lets focus on something new- perhaps films that have been shot on film.
Now, personally I have never had the chance to experience this but I have done a fair amount of research. Most of you are familiar with the popular film by Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom. Well, did you know that movie was shot on 16mm film? It doesn't seem like that big of a deal at first, but if you dive into it you'll see how incredible doing something on that scale can be. When first viewing the film you'll probably notice the soft grain effects that barely seem to touch the characters. It's not distracting, but it does subtly give the film a "home video" feeling.
An article with Robert Yeoman and Studio Daily talks about the process it took to shoot on Super-16mm. The article dives into the specifics of the film and how Anderson used a color correcting manipulator to give the film special effects. Towards the end of the article, Yeoman talks about how Anderson wanted to give the ending scenes a blueish tint, "it almost had an old-time, silent film feel," and Yeoman told Anderson to keep up with that aesthetic.
Below is a still shot from the ending of the movie.

Notice the deep blue hues that seem to overtake the frame. This kind of intensity of color covers the actors faces in shadows making the scene seem much more ominous and frightening. Also notice the way Anderson has positioned his characters. Captain Sharp (played by Bruce Willis) is located in the middle of the frame with the rest of the characters placed behind him. Shots like this invite audience to feel a sense of urgency when watching. 

On the other hand, Anderson is definitely not opposed to bright colors. The vibrant oranges that contrast the soft blues give this scene two different emotions. The color orange can symbolize stress or caution, while the baby blue of the sky and water can symbolize tranquility and peace. This type of shot gives the audience mixed feelings. It causes them to sit on the edge of their seat- waiting for what will happen next.
When colors can be associated with films it makes them more memorable. Even though Anderson shot this on Super-16mm the dullness or vibrancy of the colors is still there- making this one of Moonrise Kingdom's most iconic shots.