THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

On Wes Anderson’s secret service…

01 SNOW TIME TO DIE

After a confession-box murder, Willem Dafoe’s assassin Jopling prepares to flee by ski… The shot’s a nod to George Lazenby’s James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, confirms director Wes Anderson, who wanted to do “the snowglobe version” of 007. But how do you make Bond Anderson-esque?

02 SMALL WONDERS

Dafoe hurtles down the slope… except, says Anderson, “Willem Dafoe didn’t spend a lot of time on skis for this movie.” Anderson didn’t have Bond-level money; besides, he liked the charm of the old-fashioned. Duly, he used miniatures and stop-mo animation for the chase: this Dafoe stands about 3-4in tall.

03 SPEED CHASERS

Ralph Fiennes’ concierge Gustave and Tony Revolori’s bellhop Zero pursue Jopling on bobsled… Prep for the sequence involved a soundstage with toy trees and white paper; the camera was mounted on a skateboard pushed with a stick. The results looked “pretty cool,” says producer Jeremy Dawson: the chase was on.

04 VIEW TO A THRILL

A big jump beckons… Anderson fused old-school techniques with modern methods, integrating miniatures and cast footage with helicopter-shot Alps footage for scope. The effects team added fog, mist and snowflakes, rushing by to suggest speed, while composer Alexandre Desplat incorporated subtle Bond-ian flourishes.

05 FAST AND FURIOUS

The bobsled hits a slick racing track… While production designer Adam Stockhausen’s crew created miniature sets from Styrofoam and other rudimentary materials, a 10ft bobsled run was also constructed. Close-ups of the leads were integrated into the footage, acted before a white screen with fans blowing to simulate movement.

06 PHOTO FINISH

The skiers hit the finish line… From planning to animation and integration to meticulous postproduction work, the sequence took months to perfect. Stockhausen bagged a production design Oscar, though sadly, Wes awaits the call to direct Bond. “They go to Sam Mendes,” he says. “They don’t go to me.” Kevin Harley