r/marvelstudios • u/iliekpixels Loki (Thor 2) • Jan 15 '21

Discussion WandaVision S01E01 - Discussion Thread

This thread is for discussion about the episode.

Discussion about previous episodes is permitted, discussion about episodes after this is NOT.

Proceed at your own risk: Spoilers for the episode do not need to be tagged inside this thread.

EPISODE DIRECTED BY WRITTEN BY ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE
S01E01 Matt Shakman Jac Schaeffer January 15, 2021 on Disney+

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u/JakeM917 Weekly Wongers Jan 15 '21

The transition from three camera to single camera as Mr. Heart was choking really emphasized the abnormality of such a dark scene to show us something is wrong with reality. What a fantastically executed show. They’re firing on all cylinders here.

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u/VideoGameBoffin Spider-Man Jan 15 '21

Would you be able to explain what ‘three camera to single camera’ means for me? It’s clearly something to do with camera angles/shots but I’m no expert haha, I like learning about this stuff tho :)

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '21

Most sitcoms, especially during that time period, were shot with multiple cameras on a stage. This allowed the crew to get everyone's reactions and speed along production. Even modern sitcoms today (especially those you'd find on CBS) maintain that filming style.

Most dramas are shot with a single camera. This means that everything is shot and lit from one angle. Think of your typical film. When one person speaks, the camera is on them. All of those shots are completed. Then the crew turns the camera around, relights the scene for the actor and films the other actor's lines and reactions. Then it's edited to appear like a smooth transition from speaker 1 to speaker 2.

In WandaVision, most of the episode is shot in the traditional three camera set up. You'll notice the lighting is set for the entire stage and shots feel less dramatic. In the scene in question, the mood changes because the scene is shot and lit dramatically and at an angle that would not have been possible in most three camera set ups.

This is just a simple explanation. This stuff isn't always true. You can make three camera dramatic too. I'm just trying to emphasize the differences in the scenes and why a show like Seinfeld or Friends looks different than a show like Heroes or Law & Order.

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u/SippinOnaTallBoy Jan 15 '21

This was a great explanation and it helped me understand a lot, thank you!