Anamorphic Is A Storytelling Tool

Anamorphic can feel intimidating at first, but once you understand how it behaves, it becomes a tool you can use intentionally. I’ve shot anamorphic on everything from corporate and political videos to narrative and commercial work. What I found was that shooting anamorphic wasn’t reserved for big-budget films.

In the video below, I break down why anamorphic works the way it does, how key characteristics influence what audiences feel, and why those traits continue to matter. This isn’t about trends. It’s about making choices that help your visuals connect.

Whether you’re working on a short film, commercial, or branded content, understanding this visual language helps you use it with purpose.

What Makes Anamorphic Feel Different

Once you understand why anamorphic works, the next step is recognizing what creates that difference on screen.

Anamorphic has specific visual traits that influence how a project feels. These traits aren’t just aesthetic. They shape how an audience perceives a scene. Used intentionally, they become part of your visual storytelling.

They’re also what separate anamorphic imagery from more common visuals, giving your work a sense of character and presence that stands apart.

Anamorphic Lens Test – Atlas Orion Series

Understanding the characteristics is helpful. Seeing them in practice makes it actionable. This lens test walks through the Atlas Orion anamorphic lenses at different focal lengths and T-stops so you can see how flares, bokeh, and depth of field change in real scenes.

After timecode 15:19, you’ll see side-by-side comparisons showing how each stop shapes the image.