3. It Is Shot Like Nothing Else on TV
Ever since the nineties television has been steadily becoming more and more filmic, and with the increasing use of high definition the quality is ever approaching that of the big screen. And this is no more apparent than with Breaking Bad. One episode starts with a close up of a floating pink bear in a swimming pool. Another starts off with a wide of the desert. So many shots come from within machines or from impossible angles. There are also some of the most beautiful and engrossing time-lapses this writer has ever seen, which never happens in TV! The camera work is different but not in that independent film showy way, its always there for a reason and makes the audience really sit up and take notice. The Director of Photography Michael Slovis who took over the series in the second season has always made a point of making sure that the show is never giving the audience anything easily, he never treats the audience like they need to be spoon fed; instead the team creates difficult shots to add depth to the complex narrative. Did I mention it also looks beautiful? The whole series is shot on 35mm and takes full advantage of the advent of high definition television making every shot as dynamic and interesting as possibleand this comes down to some fantastic directors who have worked on the show including Rian Johnson (Loopers, Brick)that make everything gleam with a specific texture and tone that makes Breaking Bad a visual statement by itself. You can take a frame of any episode, whether its an explosion or its a two person conversation, and you would see the texture and tone of Breaking Bad all over the shot.