We often talk about the exceptional direction that makes film productions memorable, without however realizing that some TV series boast techniques and styles truly surprising. Let’s think about the vertigo (or dolly zoom) effect of Peaky Blindersor to sequence plan (long shot) of almost 17 minutes in The Haunting of Hill House. These certainly boast the best directions of the TV series, and have some truly noteworthy gems within them.
To reward the directors, like the Oscars for cinema, there are the Emmy Awards, which over the years have consecrated some directors as the best of all time. However, without dwelling on the entire season, we decided to select alcune scene which contained some of the best directorial techniques ever.
Let’s see 7 scenes with the best directions of the TV series
1) Peaky Blinders – Vertigo Effect
Let’s start with one of my favorite directorial styles, the vertigo effect. This technique, also called dolly zoom, is the combination of a zoom in and a tracking shot backwards, or a zoom back and a tracking shot forwards. The name, as many will have noticed, derives from the film by the most famous director of all time Alfred Hitchcock, who used it in his very famous film The woman who lived twice (Vertigo).
In Peaky Blinders this technique is used several times on Tommy Shelby, in particular we find it in the fifth season in which it is often exploited. The effect, combined with slow motion and the spectacular music of the series, they build a scene that is difficult to forget, perhaps one of the most beautiful. We find Anthony Byrne directing.
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2) Fleabag – Breaking the fourth wall
Another truly particular series from a directorial point of view is Fleabagthe series known for having within it the so-called breaking the fourth wall. Fleabag is a small masterpiece, and the awards received can only confirm it. The series earned four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes for Best Comedy or Musical Series and Best Lead Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series.
Certainly this series she is not the first to use this technique, but no one had used it so much before. It almost feels like you’re watching a theater show, and that’s not surprising given that the show was created specifically for the theater.
The screenplay is written by the same actress Phoeby Waller-Bridge, while Tim Kirkby and Harry Bradbeer direct.
3) Breaking Bad – Point of view
Among the best directions of TV series we find that of Vince Gilligan.
Breaking bad is one of the most famous series of all time, in its 5 seasons it has proven to have truly excellent direction. In this case, the technique that distinguished it from the others is certainly that of the point of view, however entrusted to the objects.
Many of you perhaps don’t know that the creator of the series Vince Gilligan has always had a profound visual imagination, also made known by his other projects such as Better Call Soul o Hancock. Inspired by directors of the caliber of Kubrick, he managed to create a style of great value.
In Breaking Bad the vision is often entrusted to objectsin fact we see the scenes from a washing machine, from a pipe, inside the fridge, from a car, from a safe, and I could go on forever.
4) Dark – Split screen
After Peaky Blinders and Vince Gilligan’s spectacular direction of Breaking Bad, it’s time for Dark.
The German Dark series can also boast one of the best directions of the TV series that have ever been seen in the TV series. To create the magic behind the gloomy environments we see we find Baran bo Odar, who with his new series coming out 1899 promises another place on this list.
Baran Bo Odar in his Dark uses a directorial (and visual and sound editing) effect, called Split Screen. Basically two scenes are contrasted different ones that share the same filmic space.
In Dark this effect is widely used, essential to explain the detailed and very complicated plot that the director himself wrote. In fact, we are shown the characters in various time frames, in particular the scene in which we finally understand everything is one of my favorites of all time.
5) The Haunting of Hill House – Long Shot
Speaking of favorite TV series, I couldn’t help but tell you about The Haunting of Hill House and of amazing use which makes the Long Shot. Personally, I have always been a fan of the use of the sequence shot, capable of granting immersion almost impossible with other directorial techniques.
The Haunting of Hill House, and in particular its director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Bly Manor e Midnight Club), makes extensive use of this effect in various scenes, you will all remember the nocturnal ones in which with every movement of the camera some ghost appears in the background.
However, the scene that has consecrated this series as one of the best ever is the sequence shot of almost 17 minutes at Nell’s funeral. In this particular scene the camera continues to revolve around the characters for 17 minutes, needless to tell you how many takes were taken for such a spectacular result.
6) Euphoria – Long Shot
Among the best directions of TV series we also find Euphoria
In Euphoria there are so many peculiarities (which is why it was so successful), with one Crazy soundtrack and an editing that true connoisseurs will certainly have included among the best of the TV series, even the direction provides some particularity.
In particular, also in Euphoria long shots play an important role. The scene in question it’s the one at Luna Park, in which starting from Fezco we see all the characters followed by a camera that never seems to stop.
For some expert and attentive eyes the hidden cuts will be evident, but it matters little because such a scene is impossible to forget.
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7) True Detective – Long Shot
True Detective also boasts one of the best directions of the TV series.
Also True Detective makes use of the technique of sequence planand despite not reaching 17 minutes Hill House, clearly exceeds 3’s Euphoria arriving at 6 minutes of take.
In particular the fourth episode of True Detective he will forever be known as “the one with the six-minute tracking shot.” Watching just the show it seems as if the camera floats effortlessly, as if they aren’t there obstacles or barriers. On the contrary, shooting that scene was a real nightmare for the director. In fact, the place was a real construction site, and the troops were unable to break or modify any walls or fences, ultimately having to improvise. In any case, to say that they succeeded very well.