BLACK BIRD Episode 5 This is one of my favorite scenes and single shots in the entire series. Director Joe Chapelle wanted to create subtle visual changes throughout the scene that symbolized going even deeper into the realms of toxic masculinity & the evil of man. He referenced the lighting change from light to dark in the film VERTIGO. We also wanted to create a slow shift in perspective in one long single shot. This shot is within in a 10 page dialogue scene at the end of this episode. These 3 stills are from that shot as it progresses over 2.5 minutes. Jimmy and Larry sit across from one another at a table in the prison wood shop for one of most tense moments in the series, leading up to the climax, where Larry describes how he raped and killed one of the women. We begin in a wide 50/50shot, then as Larry starts his monologue, we begin slowly pushing in, ultimately landing on a clean close-up of him at the exact moment he finishes. Throughout this camera move, the lighting outside starts to dim and it begins to rain. The design of this shot wasn’t very complex in its nature, but the challenge were the multiple moving parts which had to sync up perfectly so it would be impactful. It had to be a symphony. Like all camera movements, the goal was to harmonize with the performance, not distract from it. So, we tried to create an almost subconscious dolly move - like you don’t really notice that it’s happening until all of a sudden, you end up two feet away from Larry Hall. The shift in lighting had to also be very subtle, so it would be believable and not take away from the emotion of the scene, rather enhance it. Credits below ⬇️ (I ran out of space, so the post is continued in comments).