Official - Better Call Saul - Discussion Thread

you know....

I understand what you saying now...

they are a little leisurely with the Saul episodes

that slow burn building anticipation with no real payoff.

That COULD be because when they did it on Breaking Bad for so long with those particular actors

Who were so damn good especially working off each other that they were able to convey so much emotion and subtext from body language and facial expressions...

not just words.

You could be right...if I am being unbiased, I see it.
Keep in mind this fact:
BCS already has a 2 year commitment.
BB's first season was only 7 episodes. Plus the show had a built-in resolution - Walt had cancer – shit was going to end one way or another.

BCS will always be a much slower burn than BB. More characters you have to explain their backstory and how they ultimately become a part of the BB universe.

Expect to see Gus's backstory sometime towards the end of the season or beginning of season 2.
 
I love the show but I just find myself looking forward instead of watching the here and now.
 
Keep in mind this fact:
BCS already has a 2 year commitment.
BB's first season was only 7 episodes. Plus the show had a built-in resolution - Walt had cancer – shit was going to end one way or another.

BCS will always be a much slower burn than BB. More characters you have to explain their backstory and how they ultimately become a part of the BB universe.

Expect to see Gus's backstory sometime towards the end of the season or beginning of season 2.

^^^^

last nights episode to me was excellent now we are seeing how each character has been broken MUCH like how Walt is broken from being a 'good person' and then breaking bad...

Saul, Mike etc are all being broken bad now we are seeing all the peripheral characters descent into villainy.

That is why I laugh at people complaining about the slowness (even though I think Bills had a point about to many lingering shots trying to FORCE weight and emotion into a scene because the acting isn't doing it.

But it took like 5 seasons to see Walt descend and just because Gus's back story was essentially told in 2 episodes of BB doesn't mean it COULDN'T have been drawn out expanded. And I completely agree I think it will be and I don;t want it rushed.

Hell I would love to see how Skyler was when she was working in finance at the company screwing her boss.
 
I loved last night's episode. It was probably the best television I had seen in years. Genius what Mike did.
 
This is a good show...period.

and Gilligan can always bring in an old character from BB (Walt, Skyler, Hank, Marie, Jesse) simply by having Saul walk pass them in the street on some casual "I don t know you" type shit and then following the old character into their past....

its too easy and will make this show even better....

I don t think he would bring back Walt though because the BB aficionados would probably not like that
 
Editor Kelley Dixon on Cutting AMC’s ‘Better Call Saul’

kelly-dixon-better-call-saul-editor.jpg

Even before the fifth season of “Breaking Bad” ended, the editorial team knew the show’s weasely lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) would return in AMC’s prequel spinoff “Better Call Saul.”

But when he did, he surprised even them by his transformation. Now called Jimmy McGill, he’s “nowhere near” Saul Goodman, says editor Kelley Dixon. “We know what he becomes, we just don’t know how he gets there.”

Created by “Breaking Bad” mastermind Vince Gilligan and writer Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” presented Dixon with a chance to reunite with earlier collaborators.

She also enjoys the material, especially Gilligan’s use of deliberate pacing, shots that highlight solo characters, and wide shots that focus on beautiful vistas.

Each script provides many details to inform the editors, and Dixon and fellow “Breaking Bad” editor Skip Macdonald offer creative suggestions to serve up the writer’s vision.

For example, in episode two, after witnessing a brutal scene, a distraught McGill visits a bar and flirts with a woman. Dixon removed their dialogue and redirected the focus to the sound of snapping breadsticks, stressing McGill’s anxiety.

“It was Vince’s idea,” Dixon said. “We made the changes, and it worked.”
 
Each script provides many details to inform the editors, and Dixon and fellow “Breaking Bad” editor Skip Macdonald offer creative suggestions to serve up the writer’s vision.

For example, in episode two, after witnessing a brutal scene, a distraught McGill visits a bar and flirts with a woman. Dixon removed their dialogue and redirected the focus to the sound of snapping breadsticks, stressing McGill’s anxiety.

“It was Vince’s idea,” Dixon said. “We made the changes, and it worked.”

that scene was so unnecessarily drawn out that it was totally out of place. he never talks to random pretty chicks, but in this one scene he happens to talk to one, and then it was muted.
 
that scene was so unnecessarily drawn out that it was totally out of place. he never talks to random pretty chicks, but in this one scene he happens to talk to one, and then it was muted.

Thought it was interesting to hear THEORY thought process vs. the fans. Remember the context of the seen he was in another place mentally he was JUST starting to find himself. He was always a hustler small time no real violence it was messing with him mentally a recurring theme on Saul's journey is he is doing good but now he has discovered his conscience...
also the blonde at the law firm is considered hot snd he got her so it is not far fetched at all and he is a con man.
Structurally I thought it worked but I understand the frustration with the pacing.
 
Chuck got into a zone and poof his condition is gone, that white lawyer bitch is gonna fuck Saul so she can be partner.

Saul seems to get fucked over left and right :smh:
 
Every scene is purposely poorly lit. Its become annoying and distracting to an otherwise enjoyable show. Even Sauls brothers home should have more natural sunlight during the daytime in the fucking desert.
 
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Every scene is purposely poorly lit. Its become annoying and distracting to an otherwise enjoyable show. Even Sauls brothers home should have more natural sunlight during the daytime in the fucking desert.

Thats what makes the scene. Its not the Real House Wives.
 
Chuck got into a zone and poof his condition is gone, that white lawyer bitch is gonna fuck Saul so she can be partner.

Saul seems to get fucked over left and right :smh:

yeah thats what I'm thinking, and after he handed her that case that got her back in.

I think her betrayal will be what causes Saul to "break bad"

What if she turns into that prostitute that Jessie used to use?

:lol: that shit would be crazy
 
Thats what makes the scene. Its not the Real House Wives.
Its over done. And what does RHW have to do with wanting better lighting in the scenery from time to time? As is its like viewing the show during a nonstop eclipse. Will a mere lighting adjustment automatically negate the writing, acting, backdrop, and premise and immediately turn it into reality tv trash? You make no fucking sense. Go back to lurking.
 
Its over done. And what does RHW have to do with wanting better lighting in the scenery from time to time? As is its like viewing the show during a nonstop eclipse. Will a mere lighting adjustment automatically negate the writing, acting, backdrop, and premise and immediately turn it into reality tv trash? You make no fucking sense. Go back to lurking.

They keep the lighting low on purpose.

The lighting sets the MOOD. :yes:

- Remember, this show was kinda introduced as a ‘dark comedy’. (ie 80% drama + 20% comedy)
- It's about ’shadowy’ characters doing LOTS of ‘shadowy’ shit (so the lighting plays with that metaphor :D)
- Plus the creators wanted to create a distinct “Film Noir” look & feel (and the lighting helps achieve that also)


Also, I think the lighting is meant to throw the audience a few curve balls… to keep us guessing.

Since very mundane activities & benign conversations on the show are lit with dim lighting…. so it puts these scenes into a different context (overtly or subconsciously).

As a result…. at weird times… you may find yourself asking…

Wtf is up with the lighting? :hmm: Is there something ‘sneaky’ happening right now? :dunno:

Is this convo meant to be important? or is it just filler? :dunno: Why the fuck is it so dark in there? :hmm:

Did I miss something important? WTF is written on that paper? :dunno: What the fuck does it say? :hmm:

It messes with your head….. to keep you off balance… ON PURPOSE. :yes:

Bright lights makes it easier to focus.... but if the audience is not completely ’focused’… it’s harder (for the average person) to ‘predict’ what will happen next. :cool:

If they are worried (or getting annoyed) about the lighting…. they may be spending a bit less time trying to figure out the next ‘plot twist’. :yes:

———————————————————

Also, here’s a bit more insight……

The Formats, Framing and Film Noir Influences of ‘Better Call Saul’

http://www.c2meworld.com/creation/the-formats-framing-and-film-noir-influences-of-better-call-saul/

BetterCallSaul-1.jpg



(Vince) Gilligan and (Peter) Gould wanted Better Call Saul to “honor the look of Breaking Bad” without having it feel like the same show. Breaking Bad was noted for its distinctive look, and Better Call Saul has taken that a step further.

“Vince [Gilligan] and Peter [Gould] both said repeatedly, ‘We don’t want this to look like anything else on TV,’” says Albert. Both Gilligan and Gould believe that most TV shows within a genre look similar; they wanted Better Call Saul to stand out.

“When you shoot wide and low, you can’t hang lights,” says Albert, who credits gaffer Steve Litecky as “a brilliant collaborator.” He continues, “Because the panel lights are an inch deep, you can get them to the edge of the frame without them intruding into the shot.”

———————————————————

Seems the lighting is a combination of ‘intentionally done’ + ‘quick workarounds’ needed for the camera angles they use.

From a technical standpoint, it's a smart way to film :yes:... because, if they consistently light the set a little bit darker…. the times when they have to improvise a ’workaround’ lighting effect won’t stand out like a sore thumb & create dramatically mismatched lighting if they ever need to re-shoot any scenes at a later time.

This helps maintain ‘continuity’ - so they can shoot scenes quickly :yes:
 
I'm hooked...

that slow burn made his brother's 'recovery' even more hilarious.

Mike's daughter in law goes from I can't keep this money what should I do with it Can I use it too...

This is just a drop in the bucket.

:hmm:

Like I said earlier we are witnessing how EVERYONE is breaking bad...

Mike becoming a criminal to support his dead son's family

down to Saul potentially being betrayed (not just the blonde but maybe even by his own brother too) much like Walt was with his partners.
 
What makes the show brilliant is that it's all backstory. From watching BB, you never heard anything about Saul's brother, how he changed his name, how he ended up in that strip mall, how he met Gus. The number of layers that gets to be revealed you are aware of in BCS makes the show that much more intriguing.
 
What if she turns into that prostitute that Jessie used to use?

it would be CRAZY but I don't think so since we have already seen Saul with Wendy.



Who's peeking out from under a stairway
Calling a name that's lighter than air?
Who's bending down to give me a rainbow?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)

And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who's reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it's Windy

Wendy1_2684965c.jpg


http://www.amctv.com/breaking-bad/videos/another-satisfied-client-of-saul-goodman-wendy
 
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Finally in a good groove. stopped the paint drying on the wall segments and got to everything having a distinct purpose.

cuz...

the LOOK on the brother's face when he saw Saul passed the bar

pretty much did more character develop for the brother then the entire first 4 episodes.

that scene where you ONLY heard the printer near silence and Hamlin is essentially breaking his soul doing his BROTHER'S bidding essentially btw...telling him he can't be hired.

and he TOOK THAT CAKE WITH HIM.

now THAT is a scene.

And nicely mirrors when Saul heard the bread sticks/breaking bones in the bar scene earlier.
 
cuz...

that scene where you only heard the printer and Hamlin is essentially breaking his soul doing his BROTHER'S bidding essentially

and he TOOK THAT CAKE WITH HIM.

now THAT is a scene.

And nicely mirrors when Saul heard the bread sticks/breaking bones in the bar scene earlier.

that's what they needed more of.

the endless maze stuff. the scenery shots
the routine shots. just a waste.

this stuff they're doing now is what's gold.

every time i say a show needs more cowbell somehow they end up doing exactly what i said to do :lol:
 
the episode seemed like it was film by a kid who just graduated from film school and wanted to show off all the cool camera angles, distant and zoom in shots he could do in one episode.
I said this the first week and they are still at it, I swear there was one scene where they were filming from a zoomed out distance behind a fence, I'm guessing that is suppose to be artistic or some shit? Every fucking scene there is a conversation or some dialogue, then everyone gets quite, the camera then zooms out, then rinse and repeat.
 
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