1. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
MOVIES: The Dark Knight, Inception, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Memento
TRADEMARKS: Men in suits, muted colors, and wide framed scenes, and fractured timelines
2. WES ANDERSON
MOVIES: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenebaums, Rushmore, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou TRADEMARKS: Use of tracking shots, symmetry, saturated color palettes, and repeat actors (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, and the Wilson brothers are just a few).
3. STEVEN SPIELBERG
MOVIES: Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
TRADEMARKS: Use of reflection shots, reoccurring themes of parental conflict, and incorporation of glowing lights.
4. ALFRED HITCHCOCK
MOVIES: Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest
TRADEMARKS: Inclusion of cameos, murders, mother issues, staircases, and “the double.”
5. QUENTIN TARANTINO
MOVIES: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Bastards, Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight, Natural Born Killers, Django Unchaine TRADEMARKS: Characterized by nonlinear storylines, use of extreme violence, extended dialogue scenes, and incorporation of scenes in black and white.
6. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
MOVIES: The Godfather (Part I, II, and II), The Outsiders, Apocalypse Now
TRADEMARKS: Casting of relatives, uses wide-pan shots, and often works with cinematographer Gordon Willis
7. STANLEY KUBRICK
MOVIES: The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket,
TRADEMARKS: Utilization of one-point perspectives, protracted sequences, and tracking shots.
8. JAMES CAMERON
MOVIES: Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator, Aliens, True Lies
TRADEMARKS: Use of special effects, machines vs. humans/nature themes, and strong female leads.
Other Directors You Should Check Out: George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Orson Welles