Camera Shots
Medium Close up
The camera here gets up close and personal with Breaking Bad‘s Walter White, right after his brother-in-law Hank was shot dead in an intense showdown. This spot highlights Walt’s facial expression, showing immense emotion as Heisenburg’s empire crumbles down. Walter is no longer powerful, rather vulnerable.
Close up
The camera here is uncomfortably close to Hank’s face, as he realises that his beloved brother-in-law is a drug kingpin. Emotion is the name of the game here, as his curious raised eyebrows slowly lower into a shockec frown. As one YouTube comment puts it, “A moment of pure, perfect silence”.
POV Shot
Breaking Bad heavily uses POV shots, typically from down below. This is used thoughout all seasons, in many different scenarios, such as Skylar laundering cash or Walter opening the fridge. These scenes are typically connected to a character building moment, like Walt and Jesse’s production. These also typically highlight risky situations, inferred by the claustrophobic feeling of these close ups.
Camera Movements
Zoom out
The iconic final scene brings closure to Walter’s story, with a gentle zoom out. This brings a sense of peace, bookending the long tumulturous journey in the events preceding. As the camera pulls back, his body becomes increasingly still, underscoring the end of his demise.
Camera Angles
Low Angle
This places the camera below the subject, making them appear taller and intimidating. In this scene from Breaking Bad, this camera angle makes Walter White look powerful, and in charge of the situation.
Wide angle
Wide angle shots places the camera further away from the scene, to capture the environment around the situations. In this scene, this captures an unclothed Walter White, contemplating his choices outside his crashed RV. This creates a sense of confusion, creating a sense of peace amongst the chaos of Walter’s activities.
Birds Eye
This unique Birds Eye view of Skylar White renders her as a piece in a board game. He is stood at the famous Four Corners Monument, which marks the meeting point of Arizona, Colorado, Utah and her home state of New Mexico. This shot highlights her undecisive mood, following the events of Walt’s iconic “I am the one who knocks” scene. She has the choice to run away, and this scene highlights her option to flee. But she’s also trapped, and has no choice but to stick by her phycotic husband.