Research: Breaking Bad Representation Essay

 In the very first shot, the camera pans from left to right across a shelf full of paint to reveal the main character. This immediately establishes the setting as a hardware store and makes the audience question why the main character is there. The camera follows the man as he picks up a can of paint that says “Kilz”, followed by a tracking shot which also showcases the name of the paint, which I will touch on later. After this there is a low-angle wide shot followed by a close up, an over the shoulder shot and mid shot zooming into a close up. This carefully tracks the movement of the main character as he walks past a trolly, shows the audience the contents have significance by the look on his face in the close up, and turns around to examine it (hence the final close up on the trolly). When the second character walks up to the trolly their interaction is captured with a shot reverse shot, two shots, mid shots and low-angle wide shots. These shots enable the audience to observe and contrast the appearance, body language and diction of both characters. The low-angle wide shot even makes it feel for the audience like they are there in the store. Finally there is an extra wide shot of the first man walking out of the store. There is a sign that says “Building Supplies”, confirming that it is indeed a hardware store. We see a wide shot of the young man and another figure standing in front of a parked van. In a series of midshots, low-angle wide shots, and over the shoulder shots, we see the main character walk up to the two men by the van and essentially tell them to stay away. The camera catches the dominance, fear and frustration shown by these characters and finally a smug look when the main character watches the van speed off.

The mes en scene in this extract has a very key part in creating meaning. The first and most notable thing the audience notices is the attire of the characters. The first man is wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans, and we see a wedding ring on his finger, implying that he is married. At first glance he seems fairly normal, but he has a fully shaved head and clean shaved face which gives him criminal-like connotations or makes him look as if he has been in prison. He is a middle aged man, so when the younger (possibly mid twenties) guy comes along, the first immediately seems more dominant due to his age. The latter is dressed in black and brown which makes him seem dirty, he has a skull on his beanie and his greasy hair is sticking out from underneath it. He also has lines and bags under his slightly red eyes, pale skin and cracked lips, which makes the audience believe he could be involved in the consumption of drugs. The second guy immediately looks more vulnerable and when the older man exposes that he does not know what he is doing in terms of buying materials to make drugs, he stutters and runs off, leaving the trolley behind. The final man we see is wearing a sleeveless shirt, has shaved hair and a moustache, and walks in a very staunch maner inferring that he too is a criminal. There is contrast between the borderline sickening white lighting inside the store and the darkness of the night outside. It's almost as if the store represents being in the public eye, and the darkness outside represents what goes on behind closed doors. There is also significance in the name of the paint. The paint is the first thing the audience sees and the fact that it is called “Kilz” immediately implies that the characters shown are up to no good.

The sound in the extract is kept very simple and is effective because it highlights the tension without any music or effects. For the first half, all we hear is diegetic sound, the shop radio, beeping at the checkout, footsteps and the echo of the large shop. This emptiness creates an eerie and almost exposed feel which continues right until they leave the shop. This can also be seen in the interaction with the two men, because they talk quietly, almost under their breath. The older of the two says “and don’t buy everything in one place”, by then they are practically whispering because they do not want anyone to know what they are up to. When they leave the store there is a huge contrast. Loud, grunge, pop-rock music starts playing, the characters voices are loud and deep and the car doors slam before it screeches as it speeds off. This once again contrasts the separation from being in the public eye and the secret deals and interactions that happen out of it. The older man finally says to the other two “Stay out of my territory.” which immediately sends them speeding off in their van.

The editing in this extract is fairly linear. There are mostly straight forward cuts between shots, and they are all in chronological order. There are no visual/ special effects that are used and no jump cuts or fade to black transitions. It is kept simple so that there is definite conituity and verisimilitude. That way the editing does not destract from the story itself. There is however, a few cases of eyeline match and match on action. This is used when the man looks into the trolley, and then the audience sees the trolly and when he sets down the two cans of paint before going outside. The editing is smooth and simple and therefore is effective in creating a clear canvas for camera, mes en scene, and sound to create meaning in the film.

In conclusion, this extract from the tv series “Breaking Bad” contains effective use of the four technical elements of camera, sound, mes en scene and editing to create meaning. Due to the clear denotations and connotations in this extract, I would expect that the most common reading would be a dominant reading because the messages portrayed are clear and precise. The audience is introduced to several suspicious characters and are given the tools to accurately read them and the messages portrayed. The narrative is clear, and the representation of the type of people involved in crime and drug dealing is accurate according to modern steriotypes. The audience therefore would therefore would find it believable and have a dominant reading for this peice of crime-thriller entertainment.