I hadn’t thought of that. Very good point. As I get older I struggle sometimes with shows that have many flashbacks. Even when I want to enjoy a show sometimes I find myself online reading what’s going on to help me because flashbacks are hard to follow. This show does not have that problem
well considering that traditionally opening credits don’t necessarily matter (except in this show of course) I’d say there’s still a lack of flashbacks.
It also adds a level of voyeurism. We wouldn’t normally be in these high-class parties or top-level boardrooms. It makes it feel like we’re peeking in where we don’t belong.
The camera style always feels to me like paparazzi or someone trying to steal a glimpse of this powerful family and this sense that they are not quite supposed to be there and the extension of that feeling is that we the viewer shouldn't be seeing it and that its almost a privilege! Such a great show and a hadn't even realised season 3 had started until I saw this video!!
Yeah this is also similar to the office style. Just better (warm)lighting and outfits. It’s erratic close and distant. The way our eyes naturally move is what I feel it’s similar to.
The Office?!! That show.. ...Was straight-off taken from its Brit original. And the only-&-only way NBC owns it is because back then, BBC was naïvé enough about their IP - "@@propositionjoe1515".
here's one thing i'm curious about... who are the characters behind the cameras filming documentary-style shows like Parks and Recreation and Modern Family? (The Office's last season delved into this - and I'm in the minority thinking it was a fun move)
Making a mountain out of.. Well.. Just know that unless you also gonna be in the "RU-vidr" biz: Go watch those shows a-gain with full mind and time on your hands. You would notice how "un-Succession" are those shows, Mr "@@MikeMeehan". Or if you can't.. Try another newer show, currently ongoing involving the creator of this show with his [writing-]partner Mr Samuel "Sam" Bain, the US adaptation of "What We Do In The Shadows" for FX. The 2 of them together are "executive consultants" for that one.
What? That's called narration. Most people would never be in any place the story is about regardless of class or anything else. That's what storytelling is
The camera work focusing heavily on reactions instead of the people talking or the things that are happening is a big part of what makes a the show so funny.
When Kendall gets approached by Logan’s security at the buffet after the wedding was amazing. They made him look so tiny in the room. You knew he knew he got caught killing the worker. The camera did an amazing job.
@@jacquianderson7504 True, it was an accident. Kendall was driving, but he should have gotten help right away instead of running away. Chappaquiddick, Kendall style.
@@jacquianderson7504 a bit murky tbh. Kendal was certainly over the drunk drive limit, and driving under the influence of cocaine so if caught or found guilty is definitely getting prison time for manslaughter, even if it was the boy who turned the wheel to avoid the deer.
@@NT-or9wh Well @jamesheywood was not Only comparing them because of the camera style. He was saying that the camera style is an additional similar aspect. But arrested development is similar for more than just the camera style. They are both about wealthy toxic, complicated family dynamics
This is such a fantastic analysis! I absolutely love the cinematography in this show, yet don't have a deep enough understanding of cinematography to know why I like it so much. This really helped me, and increased how much respect I have for the art of these camera ops.
No, its bullshit, this style has been used by so many movies and series before, not because its deep cinematography or because its meaningful but because the camera operator just took hand held camera and started filming, to achieve a realistic effect.
I have never felt such empathy for characters I find so reprehensible. I would never want to know any of these people in real life. In the first episodes of the first season I found the dialogue and situation compelling enough to keep watching. But now I find myself feeling right along with them, understanding why they do what they do even while viscerally disliking their actions. This essay really helps me understand how the creators achieve this balance. This is huge because I’m not someone who typically likes antiheroes. I usually can’t get over my disgust of the actions enough to care for the protagonist. Somehow this show got under my skin and “tricked” me into sympathizing with objectively morally reprehensible people. I don’t know much about cinematography, but it seems to me from this essay that this method took me deeper into their world before I even knew it. Thank you so much for this analysis!
Which is why I felt so bad for Greg because he seemed like the only character who was “pure” but then I started seeing changes in him too. I mean I get it he has to adapt to the family in order to get what he wants too.
@@jesseb280, it's hard to feel sorry for Greg when he's so calculating and methodical. I have zero doubt that he's being (seemingly) played by his Grandpa Ewan, but is in turn playing him. My only question is why Logan is allowing it. The man has undoubtedly been exposed to legions of parasites while building Waystar, yet he tolerates Greg and is too smart not to see through him. They're both using him and betting that he's too stupid to realize it. And yet he's ever present at every Roy function, soaking in information like a human sponge.
The reason you feel that way is, because despite the show being about morally reprehensible people as you said, it still manages to be the most human show I've ever seen in my life. It doesn't feel like writers are tricking us into liking shitty people, like most shows with anti-heroes do, it just shows us extremely realistic characters and their vulnerabilities, and our empathy does the rest. Some scenes in this show felt so real they triggered extremely visceral emotional reactions I could only ever get with actual human interaction. The show is just incredible.
I've read / watched a lot of interviews with the cast and they talk about how improvisation is encouraged. In one interview with Jeremy Strong, he said that the camera operators and DPs are so skilled at the craft that sometimes they follow movement and dialogue intuitively, which creates a kind of voyeuristic feel to the show. To me at least, it feels like you are a witness to their lives, seeing, hearing, and feeling things in real time along with the characters. Gives the show a very palpable feel.
@@noragracewilliams729 I know that it was producer Adam McKay who directed the pilot that encouraged improv. He learned at second city and every movie he’s made has used improved dialogue.
@@t221000 Adam McKay is certainly one of the amazingly talented people behind this show! I thank Jesse Armstrong and Adam McKay, among many others, for giving us this brilliant, sharp show. :D
Yeah, they feel EXTREMELY real. The kind of real of a Shakespeare's character who ALWAYS has the exact best thing to say in any given moment. Like if all of them are the greatest, wittiest writers of all time. Naaaah. No fucking way. It's just too much to feel like it's real.
Man, can we also talk about the score, tho? I can't think of a work that's more adept at cueing the audience in on the *precise* emotional tone when it whiplashes between the darkest of comedy and sincere pathos.
@@ThomasFlight that's why i don't like this kind of videos. show don't tell. I think most savvy "cinephiles" don't need to be told the obvious. and nobody is gonna make a boring video out of deconstructing nicolas britell either. but you do you.
I think that’s why I love the dinner scenes and the crash zooms as the crash zooms serve to force the audience to think how will this character react or scheme having now received this information.
you don't use cinematography to add substance to the scene or suggest something if its not specifically dictated by the screenplay, because it might confuse the message
@@Sandmandud I think that is the magic of the camera / production on this show. The show makes you feel like it is incidental but it is all carefully planned. Almost like all the plotting plans of the Roy family…
Never thought about the camera in this show like a character. Even after watching the S3 premiere this weekend. It definitely was there subconsciously as you said. That’s why this video resonated with me. I love learning new things about film!
I just discovered Succession prior to the premiere of season 3. I binged the first two seasons and now I'm waiting every agonizing week for the next episode. What a gem of a show, wish I found it sooner.
I was aware of it but never really started watching until this summer - when I too just binged S1 and S2 and then counted the days until S3. Now I'm happy but also frustrated I have to wait a whole week for a new episode! :D
I know! I thought that all the episodes would be released in one sitting 😅. Can't wait to watch them all, I'm really looking forward to see if Kendall brings Logan down or not.
my favorite thing about this show is no flashbacks. they have to deal w the consequences of the past without showing us what happened - keeps it immersive
So interesting. I think the character you never see is YOURSELF as an observer in the room. The cinematography does this brilliantly. Thanks for this analysis.
The creator of Succession Jesse Armstrong also co-created British comedy Peep Show that is filmed entirely through POV but this POV changes regularly- likewise the camera, or maybe the editor, exists as another character in the show. Well worth a watch
@@maazkalim I had no idea! Thank you. Go figure. I remember watching "The Big Short" and thinking "These mofos made a topic I find utterly boring & have no interest in, beyond compelling & entertaining." It is all making sense now. The VEEP connection too. That's a personal favorite.
Wonderful analysis. I also think this style of cinematography goes a long way towards deglamorizing the wealth and lifestyle of these characters. It makes it all look small, ugly, and even petty - while still keeping the drama extremely engrossing and high stakes. Love it.
I watched the first episode of this show a couple months ago and could not get into it because of the camera work, it made me think of how sitcoms were filmed (mainly the Office in its mockumentary style film work that you touched base on) and it left me feeling like I was waiting for a punchline to a joke I was never going to get. It felt so odd to film a serious show as if it were a comedy and it put me off watching it, HOWEVER within the last two weeks I picked the show back up and god am I glad I did! After the initial watching of the first episode I came to sort of expect all the jumping around and zoom ins and now the camerawork has become one of my favorite aspects of the show! You did a great job with this video and made me realize I wasn't crazy for what I picked up on when I first attempted to watch episode 1 lol.
Okay 9 mins in, and now I wanna give this like a million likes. What a wonderful analysis of this masterpiece of a show! This is easily in the top 5 video Essays I've seen about any film/series/book. I'm giving this a 9.7/10
Succession is one of my favorite tv series, and the camera work is one of the many things that I like about it. It’s dynamic, and sometimes chaotic and unpredictable, like the dialogues. There are many moments that gave me chills because of the cinematography in this show. They know how to keep you on your toes.
This is a wonderful analysis! I love how you remarked the importance of the camera work in Succession, because I agree that it is mandatory for the story. However, I was hoping you might mention how that documentary-style recording has been widely used in TV comedies, like The Office and Parks and Recreation, because I think that framing adds to the satire aspect of Succession, like the zoom ins especially often remark moments that are supposed to be funny given the context. For me that’s also one of the reasons why Succession is so brilliant, by being able to mix drama with satire in such a flawless way.
@@lyrilljackson it’s satire not sarcasm and it has a very deep function. If you watch Veep, the greatest satirical show of all time, you’ll understand.
Within the first episode of the show I immediately felt the different camera movement and bobbing like it was being filmed as a documentary from a bystander’s viewpoint rather than a typical tv show has been filmed. This show is like watching Mad Men filmed through The Office’s cameras.
I've watched this series over 30 times, first because I'm invested in the characters, and second because of the brilliant writing, performances, and directorial and cinematographic techniques teach me something new at every viewing. However, I've never been able to pinpoint this vital aspect to the camera work and how it affects me, the viewer. This is brilliant, thank you SO much for your in-depth and well-expressed breakdown.
Thomas Flight making a video about Succession!? Christmas has come early! Amazing to see you reveal something that has definitely grabbed me subconsciously. I am way more focused on what is happening in every scene of Succession, because I feel a lot can be revealed in small moments and looks - but I now realise I keep on my toes because the editing does not "steer me" the way it usually does. It's up to me to pay attention - together with the Cameraman.
This reminds me of the book Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet. Basically what the author does is remove a character (the husband) from a story and replaces him with an emotion (jealousy) that watches his wife have an affair with the neighbor on a farmstead. So it's as if the reader watches an affair from the perspective of a ghost. There will be three chairs and three place settings at the table even though there are only two people for instance. And a lot of looking through the blinds, and seeing conversations from a distance. Really cool book.
from the moment Kendall says “YO” straight into the camera, the show establishes itself as a mocumentary in substance but it’s pretending to be a high-brow prestige tv drama in style, which makes it a perfect satire. the whole premise is superficiality, style vs substance. every character is an incredibly superficial shallow person with a void in place of empathy and human emotion (their substance) pretending to be this larger than life personally essential to the wellbeing of the whole nations (style they project out to the world). but they’re not. and so the show itself is not a serious prestige tv political drama, it’s a satire comedy.
the way the scenes are shot is like we are also in the room watching the scenes happen live. every time the scenes are interrupted by more people, you see a sudden zoom out and change in demeanor in the characters especially in two people intimate conversations as if there is a change in atmosphere as to represent this is no longer intimate and more people are involved.
In my headcannon, the Succession is a reality TV/documentary that’s centred on a successful media family and who would take over as the new CEO of Waystar Royco. The opening even looks like it was used for a documentary. There aren’t any other flashbacks or previous footages before the events of the show, because it’s mainly focused on who will be named the successor, hence the title. What I love about the camera immersions are the times where the characters look at the camera. Intentional or not, it exhibits that they are actually being filmed by a small documentary crew, almost like they’re in a reality TV programme. There is one scene in the Lifeboats episode where Kendall looks directly at the camera as he gives out his speech. The camera pops in onto his face before he says yo, as if he was appealing to not just the staff in the room, but to the audience as well. At 9:11, there’s a glimpse of Shiv glancing at the camera, realising that she was still being watched by someone else. And then at 11:39, Shiv looks at the camera to her side, almost as if she was expecting the cameraman to follow Logan as he walks away, instead of still having the shot engrossed on her. This is what I love about the cinematography in Succession; it gives you an impression that the Roy family and the Waystar Royco staff are being filmed and it almost makes it look like a reality show.
i remember so clearly watching the s1 finale for the first time, and being awed by the sudden cascade of still shots that they used throughout. like they were trying to convey the calm of this old, beautiful place. a stillness before everything goes wrong.
I was speaking with a few friends about why we love this show and we couldn’t pin-point the single reason why we feel the way we do. This did so perfectly.
I love this show, but had never appreciated the camerawork until you pointed it out in such depth! Wow! Idk how I missed it, but I knew something drew me into Succession unlike any other show in recent years. Another show that draws me in with it's handy-cam work, is The Shield (FX & Hulu) - I adore camera work like this, even when I don't consciously recognize it!
Good vid...i like how this was explained. The styling also means you have to pay attention, just as if you were in the room listening to each conversation, as to not miss anything...it keeps things engaging for the viewer. youre not just watching a tv show, you are there watching things unfold in some way. pretty cool
Easily the best show on TV right now. The character arcs, the story telling, the pacing - hell the soundtrack and score, it's just all too good. Also another cool thing I just noticed through your video is that they keep the camera level whenever the characters are all seated - even if there are multiple people in the room - to show that you do indeed have a seat in the table.
Fantastic to see Sarah Snook again, she was amazing in Predestination with Ethan Hawke. I have been keeping my eye out for her, will have to watch the series now.
Imagine if Succession is just a video autobiography of Logan Roy’s life and not even bothered about the schemes running around. The camera is just shadowing all the people real-time. Won’t work for non-Logan conversations though
The camerawork reminds me of that in the office, and while I watch succession I’m always kind of expecting a character to look into the camera and react
I was going to make a comment about the shot at 13:10. It is probably the most immediately obvious example, but it achieves what was intended so well that most viewers probably didn't notice how visually incongruent it was with the rest of the scene despite being emotionally affected by it.
I found the camera to be the layman. Every person in the private rooms had connections to reveal every private conversation if it went poorly. Every conversation pretentended to be private but nothing ever would be.
I just finished Succession and this video is awesome. I’m a huge fan of your channel and podcast, but always find it hard to wrap my head around how you come up with these deep analysis. Would love to see a video or listen to a pod where you breakdown some of the steps you’ve taken to develop these skills to such a top notch ability. For sure, the repeated process of making these videos is a huge part of it, but what were some of the earlier steps you took? Thanks 🙏
The biggest downside to the hand held camera style is all my friends who get sick to their stomach because of all the movement, so I can't share those movies or shows with them.
For me, the zooms harm the subjectivity since they are such an unnatural and clearly mechanical thing. They draw attention to the physical camera itself, reminding me that it is fake, instead of just being the panning gaze of the observer.
Thank you, yes, exactly. It's manufactured, pretentious (much like this video) and FAKE. Takes you right out of the story. We "get it". We don't like it.
@@rcisneros310 It only sticks out in the first season, only noticed it like once after that, and then it felt excusable because the scene was so good overall :P
The writer, Jesse, explained it’s a two cam operation which is a comedy method used in The Office, The Peep show, In the Thick of It etc. It’s like a play in terms of the ensemble cast, with dark humour and drama. Really interesting video. Thank you.
I love that you used Mind Hunter as the foil to Succession in terms of camera work. In terms of my preferences, I'm still with Every Frame a Painting: David Fincher - And the Other Way is Wrong (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QPAloq5MCUA.html). Thanks for getting me to dislike Succession's camera work much less, since I love the show. I like your point that the camerawork makes us feel like we're playing the mind games along with the characters. I also think you are correct that the camera the panning to characters after they have already started speaking conveys the idea that most people in the room don't know who is going to speak next or what they might say. The pop-zooms, though, totally break immersion for me, unlike the other elements which I could get used to.
A great breakdown, thank you. When I describe the show to friends, I describe it as having a documentary style. But it's more than that. It's really clever and utilized brilliantly.
'The Thick of It' - Armando Iannuci's BBC hit sitcom. Jesse Armstrong was one of the leading writers on it - this is where he got the camerawork inspiration from. Watch it - it's brilliant and you'll hear much of the script from succession in it
When I first started watching the show, I remember thinking "Oh no, another show with a wobbly camera", which I usually hate. I changed my mind eventually when I realised unconsciously what you describe so well in this video.
Great video! 100% agree about the perspective of being a person at the table and looking for actions that betray the characters' behavior or stated intentions.
Cinema verite may have originated in europe, but it was The Office (US version) that brought it to mainstream viewers attention. This is telling because Succession is secretly a comedy disguised as a tense drama. The cinematic camera language works both ways. Another reason why Adam McKay is a comic genius.
I thought the shaky camera approach in "The House that Jack built," directed by Lars Von Trier, elevated the characterization of Jack and his dilemma with having an obsessive compulsive disorder. Of course, Lars Von Trier was a part of Dogme 95, so I would only expect his use of documentary-style filmmaking to be employed successfully. It'd be cool to see more videos about this style or maybe if Thomas did a deep dive on Lars Von Trier's work.
i think it was popular way before dogma. i think the originators of the shakycam style, were paula grief and peter kagan - music video directors from the mid 1980a
Didn't Armando Iannucci shows like The Thick of It and Death of Stalin do the same thing with cinematography? I think Succession is like a higher budget Thick of It. Both outstanding shows.
also very similar to the thick of it which jesse armstrong worked on. lots of memorable moments of camera operators having to run after characters or be jostled around when characters are arguing in small spaces. makes me wonder if this partly inspired jesse
Two mins in and you've got a sub from me. The cinematography in this show is phenomenal the point that I didn't even notice this kind of stuff because the screenwriting is so good I'm always like...they're not DOING anything how is this SO GRIPPING!? Best week to week show availabile rn
Exceptional video. You managed to give us an overview of Succession's entire cinematographic style without skimping on the interesting details. I didn't think twice about clicking subscribe! Thank you for making this!
This is maybe the one thing about this show that I can't stand. I literally have to stop looking at the scene sometimes because I start getting motion sick. I get what you're saying about trying to interject the viewer as a participant but TBH it's kind of a pretentious affectation at the expense of watchability.
he has a point, but this video is maybe as intentionally not advanced as the show is intentionally veering on the jejune, to cater to a more broad audience.
I agree. I just can't watch shows that are filmed this way. Whether it is Doco style or a Mocumentary or a Dramedy set up like this to be obeservational. I personally don't feel like it adds anything to the story. I just always notice the cinematography, which is not what i think cinematography should be. But that is just me. Peace!
I'm surprised to see you talk about this, not because of anything to do with you but because I stumbled across Succession earlier I didn't see this video coming! It was somthing always in the back of my mind how this was filmed as a "mockumentary" (since it's a tv show that's what I associated it with). What an awesome and insightful analysis. As always. Thank you.
