The Genius Way Better Call Saul Starts its Scenes

how do you start a scene in an interesting way you can reach for a wide shot that establishes the location but that's often overused and sometimes the location is not actually that important to the scene you could just open on a character in the middle of some dialogue you could choose a shot that corresponds with the end of the previous scene to create a smooth transition you could open on something that creates a question that will be answered later intriguing the audience you could open a scene on a visual call back to the first shot of the season yes tell Howard you're not quitting retiring or whatever or with an action that you'll repeat at the end of the scene allowing you to show contrast and giving the scene nice structural bookends you could build a motif of opening shots that helps the audience understand what's important to the character in this case her work the audience will subconsciously place emphasis on the subject of the first shot of the scene you can use this emphasis to your advantage better call Saul opens scenes in a variety of creative ways but they employ one technique that I think creatively uses the full potential of an establishing shot sometimes they'll open a scene on a subject that is a symbol of the scenes conflict here's an example you're kidding right you realize how far behind I am not to mention now I've got eight entire wills to finish up what are you talking about I'll do the Wills of course it will do the Wills they're my clients they're my clients the conflict of this scene centers around Kim taking on some of Jimmy's clients so how do you start the scene with a shot of one of those clients this seems underlying conflict is Jimmy trying to butter up to a prosecuting attorney with food to gain some information so was it how was what the scenes conflict rests on the fact that the attorneys normal lunch is undesirable making Jimmy's casual bribe desirable so how do you start this scene with a shot of the attorneys weak coffee being poured in the machine the shot also by the way acts as a callback to the first season where shots of coffee being poured in this machine were used repeatedly so it also establishes the location mine is a cartel business but it is mine and it is legitimate in this scene the conflict created for Gus by Hector Salamanca's presence in his business is symbolized by the locked door Hector is intimidating Gus by taking control of the restaurant and that control is perfectly summed up by the image of one of Hector's thugs unlocking the door for Gus whatever we do in this scene the conflict created by Jimmy having to stall for time until someone arrives is symbolized by the clock actually would you mind if I messenger that over tomorrow morning first thing I'd like to take one last look before we submit just double-check a few things sure so tomorrow first thing this scenes conflict centers around Kim's perfectionism the actual cause of the conflict Kim's work is used here not a symbol Chuck was right about you all alone he's mentally ill what is your excuse enjoy your champagne in this scene the champagne in the opening shot is a symbol of the scenes conflict about how to appropriately respond to the bar hearings outcome you see in this scene the lamps given prominence in the center of the opening shot are a symbol of the conflict in the scene over Chuck's condition and are themselves one of the causes of conflict for Chuck sometimes the conflict symbolized is one that's deeper or more subtextual this opening shot of the log chuck has made of his symptoms emphasizes the disconnect between his rational evidence-based approach to life and his psychosomatic illness which is the internal conflict that led to him reaching out to his therapist for this meeting this shot symbolizes both the legal conflict created by the state border that Kim is trying to help resolve in the scene and the conflict created by the depth of the sand when her car gets stuck in it later a conflict which itself is symbolic of the broader conflict of her overworking herself there are many other examples throughout every season of better call Saul of this kind of technique you didn't drain your bank account did you in order to use this technique you have to have a writer that writes scenes that have a clear subtextual or textual conflict and you have to have a cinematographer who can get an interesting shot that symbolizes that conflict and an editor who doesn't always reach for the most obvious wide shot when establishing a scene and of course these types of opening shots can be combined with others you can have a transition to an opening shot of the symbol of conflict you can have an establishing shot that generates mystery and also shows the object of conflict in a show where the future is a fixed point and where the audience knows at least some of the outcomes the drama at the scene to scene level has to be engaging and it's this kind of attention to detail that makes 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Channel: Thomas Flight

Views: 242,220

Keywords: Better Call Saul, Video Essay, What's Better About Better Call Saul, Establishing Shots, Better Call Saul season 3, jimmy, chuck, better call saul season 4, Better call saul video essay, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Breaking Bad, TV analysis, scene, breakdown, review, filmmaking, Thomas Flight, Wes Anderson, Mindhunter

Id: EeOUVXXZX_M

Length: 7min 15sec (435 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 18 2018