I've been so stunned after watching the episode in 4th season, not sure about the name, when they didn't have to say a single word, not a single one except the Vega's sentence. Awesome
habtamu Tafa i don't think so, there are some other video on mr robot who are more beautiful and with more complexity and more speech in it but i love this video because i love photography
Mr Robot lost some of its appeal after the first few episodes of Season 2 which were really slow. They really missed out on the good stuff, if you ask me
Evan Day Couldn’t agree more with your post! ?: Is there a season 3 of this show? If not, has this series been cancelled? I have to admit (and it’s possible it’s just me) that there were times when I wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
I discovered how Mr Robot just isn't for everybody, I recommended it to so many people and literally nobody even finished the first season, they got "bored". It's sad, but maybe this level of beauty and complexity can be too much for some people to even appreciate.
I´m not going to lie, when I saw the first 3-4 episodes I thought the show was ok but I didn´t think it was anything special. I thought it wasn´t unique, a quirky shy protagonist with amazing talent wants to save the world from a pretty mainstream villain (Ecorp, and I thought Wellick). But DAMN I couldn´t be more wrong, it is one of the most original shows i´ve ever seen
First season is the worst season… made me stop watching altogether for a couple of years until i rediscovered it… you aren’t special you’re just easily entertained
I watched it slowly, one episode a day since the show is quite a serious slowburner and it'll be an injustice if i binge it and it'll bore/tire me out, which i think is what happened to most people who are so used to Netflix's whole season drop in one go instead of the usual weekly episodes. These are meant to be taken and savored slowly, since almost each episode throws you thought-provoking ideas/truths that best pondered over. I'm glad i finished it and found a hidden masterpiece (as i think it wasn't quite popular). It quickly became one of my favorite tv shows of all time.
I disagree that the framing adds comfort. If anything I think it adds a note of claustrophobia, or paranoia. All the empty space never seems right, because it's not conventional we always think something is wrong which makes us (the viewer) more anxious. I think it makes the viewer feel more like a voyeur, that we are in the empty space secretly watching.
That's essentially what the creator expressed about the framing in this show. Although 'A' for effort, this RUclipsr's attempt to over-analyze the cinematography left him overlooking the fundamentals of framing decisions.
Agreed. The framing has destabilizing effect, adds a sense of uneasiness. The empty space around characters speaks about their isolation, that they're involved in something much bigger than themselves. The world/system almost threatens to consume them. To continue the thought of the video's creator, if we are reflected in the shots as the world surrounding the characters, then we are the (silent, ever-present) part of the problem. There is no comfort in this.
I feel as though he made two contradictory points. He states that the cinematography helps us to be a part of the story and world and feel what the character is feeling. He also states that it gives us a sense of comfort. The only way I could logically understand "comfort" is that it gives us a sense that we belong in the story and that we are not alone as a result. It is a small sense of comfort but only because it brings out discomfort.
I think the cinematography accomplishes more than what you said. Two more things to be precise. One, it helps drive in the mind of the viewer the broken psychic of Elliot. This is achieved exactly through weird framing, broken framing. Secondly, all these shots where the characters are framed in the corner actually expands our field of vision and makes everything look deeper and more real while simultaneously hammering a constant "This isn't right" feeling. Your eyes are instinctively drawn to the face and the landscape behind that face is forced in your peripheral view which accomplishes all of the above.
Plus with the incredible lengths that F-society goes to in order to stay anonymous, the wider field of vision shots kinda show them being constantly paranoid and aware of their surroundings. It shows that even though they're in a conversation physically, perhaps mentally they are focusing on things around them much like how our eyes are drawn to other parts of the shot even though the scene's purpose may be to push the plot along with this dialogue.
The cinematography and framing in this show is unlike any other I've ever seen in my life! I've never seen a show/movie that consistently places character's heads down in the bottom corner of a screen the way Mr Robot does. It's incredible.
Reading the comments on this video it looks like people were generally displeased with season 2 which for the life of me I can't comprehend. Season 2 was a completely breathtaking spectacle to anybody who has more than just passing interest in the series at all. I see people saying the same thing about the later seasons of Breaking Bad, which in my opinion were the most important and most wisely directed, so I guess u can't rely on popular opinion for an objective, profound artistic review.
Thank you Luca! I totally agree! I thought the cinematography was even more profound in S2. But my biggest praise for S2 is of how well the writers and directors wove so many artistic hints at Reality scurrying beneath Elliot's dimenionsal realities. They utilized sounds for hidden messages, code, symbols, lighting, etc. And for once, a show took the time to really develop a character -- not in an external sense, but from an internal perspective for the audience. Elliot also represents something deeper -- society, and so allowing Elliot to "find himself" for a whole season is meant for us as the audience to find who we really are and to wake up from our own societal dimensional realities -- such as Elliot had to do. Honestlly, S1 is my favorite, but S2 was spectacular to behold -- especially in retrospect.
I think everyone agrees that Breaking bad got better every season, although some aren't keen on season 5A as it lacks a typical antagonist slower in pace. Mr Robot continues to get Better, season 3 proves that.
Don't worry. Season 2 is amazing as well. However, if you are looking for a conventional mode of storytelling (intro, problem, climax, solution, conclusion each episode) and speed -- you will not find that in Season 2. S2 drove me bonkers and got me irritated at first because I had been used to something else for so long while watching television shows. I expected the usual; but this show is anything but the usual, because it is trying to communicate ideas that scurry beneath our conscious minds, but ideas that we are too afraid to unearth and confess to. Only when I realized that truth did I finally come to appreciate all of Season 2 for what it was. The cinematography was still amazing in S2 and the entire season arch is meant to be a character development of Elliot and society at large (whom Elliot is symbolically representing). I hope you enjoy it and catch up before S3 begins to air! Again great video and great analysis!
Season 2 tends to get a lot of shit for being confusing, but it is a pure masterpiece once you begin to understand it like you said. The cinematography and Mac Quayle's score are on another level, really helping to drive home the tension throughout the season. The way this season is able to convey a story without lots of explanation in dialogue is unbelievable.
S2 is not confusing, just poorly paced, and has far less direction, which doesn't necessarily have to be a negative, but the payoff wasn't there at the end of the season. Hoping S3 is better.
for me the first 7 episodes were brilliant it went down hill for after the next episode when we come 2 know elliot is in jail because i just wanted to know more about elliot.but they focused more on the rest which is fine but i wanted more elliot
You absolutely have got to see season 2, the cinematography evolves SO much in the second season, every episode gave me at least one scene that just left me breathless. truly impressive work from Sam Esmail, dramatically as well as cinematographically, can't wait for season 3!!!
3:55 - 4:06 This was one of the best camera shot in season 1. It's original a bit longer than in this video and at the end of the shot the title "Mr. Robot created by Sam Esmail" in red pops up. The zoom out, the light, the contrast, the frame - everything perfect.
I feel the framing of almost every scene shows the uncertainity of that particular character and the situation they're in. The emptiness in the framing represents the void in the character's head because of not exactly knowing what's happening. IMO cheers! great work :)
Definitely one of the best TV series I have seen in my life. I don't watch a lot of movies or series anymore because I find them repetitive and boring but Mr. Robot brought completely fresh style in amazing way with things like plot, acting, cinematography and sound design.
this channel, imo, is one of the most interesting and underrated shows on the internet. you're killing it! so mad that you don't have more subscribers. your video essays are fantastic and edited beautifully.
I missed this show when it first came out, i came at the end of season 2 and binged watched the whole thing in like 3 days. The first thing I truly noticed was the lack of using the rule of thirds and i loved that. It’s like they want you to focus on the main characters and their lives but also look around and see how the rest of the city is affected by their actions.
I was fortunate enough to see this first hand being hired to be part of the show since season 2. It was fun to see things get changed up last minute and still work out in the final product. For the most part, you are supposed to be there with Elliot and it is brought forth when he breaks the wall and starts talking to the viewer as if they were right there with him.
About 6 months back I was binge-rewatching Mr. Robot, and during/immediately after that I fell into one of the worst depressive periods I've had for quite a while. I get bouts of unexplainable, unpredictable anxiety riddled with panic attacks that last for maybe 3-5 days before promptly vanishing, and I've never had one since that felt quite so cut off from reality and filled with despair and a sense of pointlessness like the one I had with Mr. Robot fresh on my mind. I don't know how much of that came from the show, but I feel like it definitely got to me on a psychological level in a way that very few, if any other tv show or movies ever has. For that period, the only song I could listen to was the instrumental of Daydreamin' that's played in the first episode of season 2. Everything else just grated, but I could have that on repeat. Basically, I think it's a very intense piece of television and the cinematography definitely plays a great part in making it what it is.
I'm so glad I finally found a video talking about Mr. Robot's cinematography! I've always found it so different yet interesting and love the style, particularly how they frame headshots ( the heads at the lower portion of the screen usually cut off by the neck or upper torso and the rest of the screen taken up by the environment such as a wall etc) Great video!
Look at this five-year-old gem I just found. immediate follow the way you mentioned Breaking Bad, Louie and Mr. Robot all right in the world like that. I didn't necessarily consciously love them for their cinematography. But 3 truly great shows all around
I love this show so fucking much. In my opinion, this beat Breaking Bad on my number one list. Mr. Robot’s tone is so immersive that it’s scary and relatable. How one idea can turn to shit.
This popped up in my recommandations, while waiting in an airport (because of a flight delayed) and for once, pretty good recommandation RUclips algorithm overlord ! I love Mr Robot, and this video is great, I think you captured the essence of this part of the show and is well explained to those more about cyber security than framing and cinematography (which is my case) Just subbed and am going to watch what you've already uploaded
I also love the fact that the show sometimes uses wide shots... like the one in season 3 (spoiler alert) of the shooting in the diner where Cisco gets killed... that was pure wonderful cinematography! I like this show very much, both for his contents, and for the amazing way it’s done... And of course for Elliot’s characterisation
The show really influenced me and my last two years of high school it helped me kind of just try to be myself instead of trying to pretend, I got to give the show credit for helping me try to be me
My first time watching a video from this channel, thanks man. As a budding but dedicated hobby photographer and a longtime and dedicated Mr Robot fan, this video was so enjoyable. Gonna check out your channel page now.
Awesome Video Essay! Mr. Robot is one of the few shows where I could just watch large parts of it without the audio and just be mesmerised by the cinematography, framing, and context given just by the scene. Love the show and can't want for Season 3.
okay i know this show is pure fire and i even bought the first season a while back but i never got myself to watch it to the end. now i stumbled upon this video but i can't watch this before i've seen the season because i don't want any spoilers. so i'm going to watch that season now, when i should really be going to bed. thanks dude
Great video. I don't know much about cinematogrophy myself, yet what you said made perfect sense. I've watched this show twice already, it definitly is one of my favorites. The way Mr. Robot is framed didn't even seem unusual to me when I first watched it, but I remember that I was HOOKED on the show, I guess the way it was framed is one reason for that for sure. thanks for sharing.
Awesome video! I can name a few shows with great cinematography as in the following Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Black Mirror, or recently Handmaid's Tale, but the cinematography in Mr. Robot has a special place that feels sometimes emotional and a psychological piece set in the real world of hacking and Cyber Security.
2:54 While this makes sense, episode 1 was made by a completely different cinematographer that the rest of the series. While talking about it, the current one said that that in job interviews people usually ask if he's able to replicate a look of a different show, but this time he replied "Mr. Robot will be the show others want to replicate".
great video!!! I've always appreciated Mr. Robot's cinematography. I thought it was unique and special, and yeah it does convey a feeling. I've always wondered what kind or what type of framing they follow and how it sets up the mood.
Very interesting video. I like your argument that the city/society is a character, but I think the intention of the framing is that WE are a character. Elliot addresses us in his internal narrative. We are his "imaginary friend" that he talks things out with. As another commenter noted "it makes the viewer feel more like a voyeur, that we are in the empty space secretly watching." I know you haven't seen the second season yet, but there's a scene where elliot addresses "you" (us) and asks "Can you see it?" Then the camera pans around the room as if we are in the world, looking around. The framing throughout the show accomplishes a feat of both immersing us in the world by making us a character, and also making us aware of the fact that we are watching, that we are an audience being addressed.
Okay, you got me! I am gonna watch Mr. Robot! I had my eye on it for so long, but never got myself to get interested, due to me not knowing anything about cyber hacking aswell!
I actually thought the framing had less to do with the inclusion or focus on society, and more about framing the characters as "outsiders" to society. You can make an animated film like Ghost in the Shell or a sequel like Blade Runner: 2049 and interject many quiet scenes of the world around the characters to include society and the world as a major theme. You don't need the off-kilter framing of Mr. Robot to do that. The framing is about creating an uneasy tone, and about painting the characters as unstable outsiders. The entire show is about what it's like to feel like an outsider but still hold onto the connections and relationships that keep us apart of it. The main character is fighting with this question all the time. Destroy society as an outsider or protect society because of his love for the people inside of it. Everyone considers themselves an outsider in this show as well, even the FBI agent investigating them. (though that character introduction doesn't come until season 2) The framing is also about tone. But breaking the convention of the comfortable rules of thirds, it gives the viewer a sense of unease. That something is "off". And in this world, everything is off, everything is off-balance, and things are always about to be flipped upside down. It's a sense that nothing is stable.
I always takes it like this : we the audience are there, we are following Elliot, bcs he talks to us, he "sees" us. I prefer the cinematography which sees him not in the center (literally or not) but right corner or left corner or whatever so we can put and fit ourselves in that scene and also situation. Thats my take.
I think adding to the “empty space” in which we’re supposed to fit in, we’re constantly being pulled into the show by elliot, who is speaking to an “imaginary friend” (who is not mr robot, it’s the audience).
oh you should definitely catch up and watch the whole third season. probably the best season so far; cinematography is next level and the plot is way better than the second season
Yeah, this show is cinematographically incredible. In the latest season (Season 4, the last one) we've recently had 2 very special episodes one of them was mostly silent: 405 Method Not Allowed and the latest at this point in time was "film noir" which is my favorite (I acted in a film noir for a school project but that's beside the point): 407 proxy authentication required. I thought that last one was brilliant more so than the silent one.
My teacher first told me about the obscure cinematography of mr robot. To be honest, I felt like it made sense compared to the rest of cinema, and oddly comforting, for reasons I don't understand yet
I feel like this video didn't aged well. After 4 seasons, this is about Elliot, always has been. It doesn't reflect the society in the background, it reflects the overthinker, multilayered personality disorder that Elliot has. It provides emotional depth and loneliness. It is a crazy good show.
After watching this I'm convinced that the major reason movies look so much better than TV shows, on average, has little to do with the oft-cited "soap opera effect" and much more to do with the thought that goes into the cinematography. With the rule of thirds, close-ups going back and forth between two characters talking, it's like the setting or background are just afterthoughts that are only there because having nothing there would be too jarring, but they hardly matter as they often won't even be in focus. But, they do matter, and there is so much more going on than someone's expression on their face. And perhaps more importantly, the different shots evoke subtle reactions, make you feel - something - as you say. I wouldn't go so far as to say you could fabricate some obvious meaning that someone watching, without actively analyzing it or, at least, really shoving it in their face, would notice, like the kind of subtle symbolism that you might read into while analyzing an old painting, but the shots can stimulate emotions like you mentioned. It can inform a mood that relies not just on the characters' facial expressions, body language or other nonverbal communication as seems to be the general method for achieving such an effect. I really wish this were more of a consideration, as it really makes a huge difference when employed effectively, but I'm afraid that maybe there aren't enough risk takers and visionaries. Also, the cost is probably prohibitive for a lot of projects, being more time consuming to plan and execute in many cases. Still, any step in the direction of utilizing it more could be invaluable to the quality of TV in general. Is it as I fear? Way more expensive and time consuming on average or is it just underutilized more because of a lack of talent or creativity? If the latter, at least people can learn.
with season 2 the art was better than the actual story by a long shot. It is shot in a unique way. They took a year off so I'm sure this season won't be nap inducing.
This is my favorite TV show. Every episode feels like a movie.
@@sihyun313 I agree, the pacing of Mr Robot is incredible.
Same ! 10/10
Carter Herrigstad me too
before Mr Robot, Breaking Bad is my most favorite TV Show. But after I finished watching Mr Robot, now it is my top list TV Show for so many reasons.
Well, as Esmail put it he's just making a movie that happens to be really long
Season 4 is a magnum opus for cinematography !
the 8th episode's one shot is an piece of art.
Stairway shot at Virtual Realty♥️
@@sandeshpandey2076 THAT!
I've been so stunned after watching the episode in 4th season, not sure about the name, when they didn't have to say a single word, not a single one except the Vega's sentence. Awesome
@@tomasjaros3658 Amazing, the tension when Eliot went on the run was unparalleled.
Criminally underrated show.
Good. The eaters dont deserve to be aware of this masterpieces existence.
I agree.
This channel is criminaly underrated
habtamu Tafa i don't think so, there are some other video on mr robot who are more beautiful and with more complexity and more speech in it but i love this video because i love photography
No one talks about this show, it is so good and Idk how people don't talk about it more!
@Zelena Trešnja can you please be less edgy? I cut my finger while scrolling down
Mr Robot lost some of its appeal after the first few episodes of Season 2 which were really slow. They really missed out on the good stuff, if you ask me
Evan Day Couldn’t agree more with your post! ?: Is there a season 3 of this show? If not, has this series been cancelled? I have to admit (and it’s possible it’s just me) that there were times when I wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
@@chanel58style70 There is a Season 3 and in fact, it has been renewed for a fourth and final season
Evan Day Is season 3 available on DVD? Have they given a date for season 4? Appreciate the information!
this series went from great to a masterpiece - the finale is superb
I discovered how Mr Robot just isn't for everybody, I recommended it to so many people and literally nobody even finished the first season, they got "bored". It's sad, but maybe this level of beauty and complexity can be too much for some people to even appreciate.
It did get a bit lost as it went on, but always enjoyable
I´m not going to lie, when I saw the first 3-4 episodes I thought the show was ok but I didn´t think it was anything special. I thought it wasn´t unique, a quirky shy protagonist with amazing talent wants to save the world from a pretty mainstream villain (Ecorp, and I thought Wellick). But DAMN I couldn´t be more wrong, it is one of the most original shows i´ve ever seen
same like EXACTLY SAME
First season is the worst season… made me stop watching altogether for a couple of years until i rediscovered it… you aren’t special you’re just easily entertained
I watched it slowly, one episode a day since the show is quite a serious slowburner and it'll be an injustice if i binge it and it'll bore/tire me out, which i think is what happened to most people who are so used to Netflix's whole season drop in one go instead of the usual weekly episodes. These are meant to be taken and savored slowly, since almost each episode throws you thought-provoking ideas/truths that best pondered over.
I'm glad i finished it and found a hidden masterpiece (as i think it wasn't quite popular). It quickly became one of my favorite tv shows of all time.
I disagree that the framing adds comfort. If anything I think it adds a note of claustrophobia, or paranoia. All the empty space never seems right, because it's not conventional we always think something is wrong which makes us (the viewer) more anxious. I think it makes the viewer feel more like a voyeur, that we are in the empty space secretly watching.
Yes! So true.
That's essentially what the creator expressed about the framing in this show. Although 'A' for effort, this RUclipsr's attempt to over-analyze the cinematography left him overlooking the fundamentals of framing decisions.
Agreed. The framing has destabilizing effect, adds a sense of uneasiness. The empty space around characters speaks about their isolation, that they're involved in something much bigger than themselves. The world/system almost threatens to consume them.
To continue the thought of the video's creator, if we are reflected in the shots as the world surrounding the characters, then we are the (silent, ever-present) part of the problem. There is no comfort in this.
I feel as though he made two contradictory points. He states that the cinematography helps us to be a part of the story and world and feel what the character is feeling. He also states that it gives us a sense of comfort. The only way I could logically understand "comfort" is that it gives us a sense that we belong in the story and that we are not alone as a result. It is a small sense of comfort but only because it brings out discomfort.
yeah I agree on this.
I think the cinematography accomplishes more than what you said. Two more things to be precise.
One, it helps drive in the mind of the viewer the broken psychic of Elliot. This is achieved exactly through weird framing, broken framing.
Secondly, all these shots where the characters are framed in the corner actually expands our field of vision and makes everything look deeper and more real while simultaneously hammering a constant "This isn't right" feeling. Your eyes are instinctively drawn to the face and the landscape behind that face is forced in your peripheral view which accomplishes all of the above.
Plus with the incredible lengths that F-society goes to in order to stay anonymous, the wider field of vision shots kinda show them being constantly paranoid and aware of their surroundings. It shows that even though they're in a conversation physically, perhaps mentally they are focusing on things around them much like how our eyes are drawn to other parts of the shot even though the scene's purpose may be to push the plot along with this dialogue.
This show deserves SO much more recognition
The cinematography and framing in this show is unlike any other I've ever seen in my life! I've never seen a show/movie that consistently places character's heads down in the bottom corner of a screen the way Mr Robot does. It's incredible.
Same
rami looks like a hexagon bless him
Why did i laugh so much at this 😂😂😂
no, his head is shaped like a trapezoid
God I’m never gonna be able to unsere that
he really does ohmygod
Reading the comments on this video it looks like people were generally displeased with season 2 which for the life of me I can't comprehend. Season 2 was a completely breathtaking spectacle to anybody who has more than just passing interest in the series at all. I see people saying the same thing about the later seasons of Breaking Bad, which in my opinion were the most important and most wisely directed, so I guess u can't rely on popular opinion for an objective, profound artistic review.
Luca Coccioli I agree 100%
Thank you Luca! I totally agree! I thought the cinematography was even more profound in S2. But my biggest praise for S2 is of how well the writers and directors wove so many artistic hints at Reality scurrying beneath Elliot's dimenionsal realities. They utilized sounds for hidden messages, code, symbols, lighting, etc. And for once, a show took the time to really develop a character -- not in an external sense, but from an internal perspective for the audience. Elliot also represents something deeper -- society, and so allowing Elliot to "find himself" for a whole season is meant for us as the audience to find who we really are and to wake up from our own societal dimensional realities -- such as Elliot had to do. Honestlly, S1 is my favorite, but S2 was spectacular to behold -- especially in retrospect.
Where the hell did you find people who didn't like the later seasons of breaking bad?
I think everyone agrees that Breaking bad got better every season, although some aren't keen on season 5A as it lacks a typical antagonist slower in pace.
Mr Robot continues to get Better, season 3 proves that.
season 2 definitley was not handing the story to you on a silver platter. maybe we were as confused as elliot
Don't worry. Season 2 is amazing as well. However, if you are looking for a conventional mode of storytelling (intro, problem, climax, solution, conclusion each episode) and speed -- you will not find that in Season 2. S2 drove me bonkers and got me irritated at first because I had been used to something else for so long while watching television shows. I expected the usual; but this show is anything but the usual, because it is trying to communicate ideas that scurry beneath our conscious minds, but ideas that we are too afraid to unearth and confess to. Only when I realized that truth did I finally come to appreciate all of Season 2 for what it was. The cinematography was still amazing in S2 and the entire season arch is meant to be a character development of Elliot and society at large (whom Elliot is symbolically representing). I hope you enjoy it and catch up before S3 begins to air! Again great video and great analysis!
I agree!
Season 2 tends to get a lot of shit for being confusing, but it is a pure masterpiece once you begin to understand it like you said. The cinematography and Mac Quayle's score are on another level, really helping to drive home the tension throughout the season. The way this season is able to convey a story without lots of explanation in dialogue is unbelievable.
S2 is not confusing, just poorly paced, and has far less direction, which doesn't necessarily have to be a negative, but the payoff wasn't there at the end of the season. Hoping S3 is better.
for me the first 7 episodes were brilliant it went down hill for after the next episode when we come 2 know elliot is in jail because i just wanted to know more about elliot.but they focused more on the rest which is fine but i wanted more elliot
I honestly thought season 2 was better than season 1
Please, now that the show has come to an end, I would really love to hear you talk about it again.
You absolutely have got to see season 2, the cinematography evolves SO much in the second season, every episode gave me at least one scene that just left me breathless. truly impressive work from Sam Esmail, dramatically as well as cinematographically, can't wait for season 3!!!
Yes
3:55 - 4:06 This was one of the best camera shot in season 1. It's original a bit longer than in this video and at the end of the shot the title "Mr. Robot created by Sam Esmail" in red pops up. The zoom out, the light, the contrast, the frame - everything perfect.
I'll never say it's underrated, I'm just sure it's a masterpiece
I feel the framing of almost every scene shows the uncertainity of that particular character and the situation they're in. The emptiness in the framing represents the void in the character's head because of not exactly knowing what's happening. IMO
cheers! great work :)
Pretty much perfect show. Everything you're just like "why is this here?" in S1 pays off in S2 and the S2 twist is awesome as well.
Amazing work man!
Verified RUclipsr and no comments?
i love your videos man
Quadrant framing was the reason I loved mr robot even more.
God I love Mr.Robot
You love hacking?
Goodbye Friend.
Definitely one of the best TV series I have seen in my life. I don't watch a lot of movies or series anymore because I find them repetitive and boring but Mr. Robot brought completely fresh style in amazing way with things like plot, acting, cinematography and sound design.
I didn't realize it until now but the color theme, his bulbous eyes, and the cinematography are what drew me in.
I watched the show and since I did, I refuse watch anything else.
I am so obsessed with this lovely masterpiece.
Spoilers: They stuck the landing and the series ends really well IMO.
this channel, imo, is one of the most interesting and underrated shows on the internet. you're killing it! so mad that you don't have more subscribers. your video essays are fantastic and edited beautifully.
I missed this show when it first came out, i came at the end of season 2 and binged watched the whole thing in like 3 days. The first thing I truly noticed was the lack of using the rule of thirds and i loved that. It’s like they want you to focus on the main characters and their lives but also look around and see how the rest of the city is affected by their actions.
I was fortunate enough to see this first hand being hired to be part of the show since season 2. It was fun to see things get changed up last minute and still work out in the final product. For the most part, you are supposed to be there with Elliot and it is brought forth when he breaks the wall and starts talking to the viewer as if they were right there with him.
About 6 months back I was binge-rewatching Mr. Robot, and during/immediately after that I fell into one of the worst depressive periods I've had for quite a while. I get bouts of unexplainable, unpredictable anxiety riddled with panic attacks that last for maybe 3-5 days before promptly vanishing, and I've never had one since that felt quite so cut off from reality and filled with despair and a sense of pointlessness like the one I had with Mr. Robot fresh on my mind. I don't know how much of that came from the show, but I feel like it definitely got to me on a psychological level in a way that very few, if any other tv show or movies ever has. For that period, the only song I could listen to was the instrumental of Daydreamin' that's played in the first episode of season 2. Everything else just grated, but I could have that on repeat.
Basically, I think it's a very intense piece of television and the cinematography definitely plays a great part in making it what it is.
IT HAPPENED THE SAME TO ME
most iconic tv series, i fucking love this show
I'm so glad I finally found a video talking about Mr. Robot's cinematography! I've always found it so different yet interesting and love the style, particularly how they frame headshots ( the heads at the lower portion of the screen usually cut off by the neck or upper torso and the rest of the screen taken up by the environment such as a wall etc) Great video!
Look at this five-year-old gem I just found. immediate follow the way you mentioned Breaking Bad, Louie and Mr. Robot all right in the world like that. I didn't necessarily consciously love them for their cinematography. But 3 truly great shows all around
It broke every rule of composition and cinematography and made it compelling. Loved it!
I love this show so fucking much. In my opinion, this beat Breaking Bad on my number one list. Mr. Robot’s tone is so immersive that it’s scary and relatable. How one idea can turn to shit.
Mr. Robot isn't underrated, it's adored. :-)
This popped up in my recommandations, while waiting in an airport (because of a flight delayed) and for once, pretty good recommandation RUclips algorithm overlord !
I love Mr Robot, and this video is great, I think you captured the essence of this part of the show and is well explained to those more about cyber security than framing and cinematography (which is my case)
Just subbed and am going to watch what you've already uploaded
This is one of the best shows ive ever seen thsnks btw explaining about the cinamatography of the show
Season 2 was initially troublesome but Season 3 acted as the payoff for what happened before so I think going through Season 2 was definitely worth it
ALL damn good
I also love the fact that the show sometimes uses wide shots... like the one in season 3 (spoiler alert) of the shooting in the diner where Cisco gets killed... that was pure wonderful cinematography!
I like this show very much, both for his contents, and for the amazing way it’s done... And of course for Elliot’s characterisation
The show really influenced me and my last two years of high school it helped me kind of just try to be myself instead of trying to pretend, I got to give the show credit for helping me try to be me
My first time watching a video from this channel, thanks man. As a budding but dedicated hobby photographer and a longtime and dedicated Mr Robot fan, this video was so enjoyable. Gonna check out your channel page now.
i binged watchwed mr. robot just so i could watch these videos without any spoilers :)
Boul Shyte same 😂
Awesome Video Essay! Mr. Robot is one of the few shows where I could just watch large parts of it without the audio and just be mesmerised by the cinematography, framing, and context given just by the scene. Love the show and can't want for Season 3.
Still my fave tv show. I love everything about mr. robot.
I need another video on this show after the finale!! Absolutely moving and I’d love to hear your thoughts about it
okay i know this show is pure fire and i even bought the first season a while back but i never got myself to watch it to the end. now i stumbled upon this video but i can't watch this before i've seen the season because i don't want any spoilers. so i'm going to watch that season now, when i should really be going to bed. thanks dude
Season 3 will blow your mind
@Debbie jep
This show is a masterpiece
Mr robot is literally the best piece of art ever done.
Great video. I don't know much about cinematogrophy myself, yet what you said made perfect sense. I've watched this show twice already, it definitly is one of my favorites. The way Mr. Robot is framed didn't even seem unusual to me when I first watched it, but I remember that I was HOOKED on the show, I guess the way it was framed is one reason for that for sure. thanks for sharing.
Season 4 cinematography is top notch
It definately is the best fucking series I have ever watched!
Outstanding show! Thanks for this analysis =)
beautifully written essay :) loved this
Awesome video! I can name a few shows with great cinematography as in the following Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Black Mirror, or recently Handmaid's Tale, but the cinematography in Mr. Robot has a special place that feels sometimes emotional and a psychological piece set in the real world of hacking and Cyber Security.
2:54 While this makes sense, episode 1 was made by a completely different cinematographer that the rest of the series.
While talking about it, the current one said that that in job interviews people usually ask if he's able to replicate a look of a different show, but this time he replied "Mr. Robot will be the show others want to replicate".
I binge watched all three seasons of this show in three days bc that’s how good this show is
what a beautiful way to narrate Mr Robot.
beautiful!
The Leftovers next, please?
Make another episode about the whole show!
so true. the show is so underrated but amazing :'( so is your channel. love the video keep making more
Season 2 is as good as season 1. It's awesome!
Great video. Did you ever finish the show? Final season just ended. One of my favorite shows ever
thanks for helping me understand just why I love this show so. damn. much.
we need an update before s4 comes out, i love your content Karsten & mr robot
great video!!! I've always appreciated Mr. Robot's cinematography. I thought it was unique and special, and yeah it does convey a feeling.
I've always wondered what kind or what type of framing they follow and how it sets up the mood.
Very interesting video. I like your argument that the city/society is a character, but I think the intention of the framing is that WE are a character. Elliot addresses us in his internal narrative. We are his "imaginary friend" that he talks things out with. As another commenter noted "it makes the viewer feel more like a voyeur, that we are in the empty space secretly watching." I know you haven't seen the second season yet, but there's a scene where elliot addresses "you" (us) and asks "Can you see it?" Then the camera pans around the room as if we are in the world, looking around. The framing throughout the show accomplishes a feat of both immersing us in the world by making us a character, and also making us aware of the fact that we are watching, that we are an audience being addressed.
Okay, you got me! I am gonna watch Mr. Robot! I had my eye on it for so long, but never got myself to get interested, due to me not knowing anything about cyber hacking aswell!
So good. Love ya man, this was really well put.
I actually thought the framing had less to do with the inclusion or focus on society, and more about framing the characters as "outsiders" to society. You can make an animated film like Ghost in the Shell or a sequel like Blade Runner: 2049 and interject many quiet scenes of the world around the characters to include society and the world as a major theme. You don't need the off-kilter framing of Mr. Robot to do that.
The framing is about creating an uneasy tone, and about painting the characters as unstable outsiders.
The entire show is about what it's like to feel like an outsider but still hold onto the connections and relationships that keep us apart of it. The main character is fighting with this question all the time. Destroy society as an outsider or protect society because of his love for the people inside of it. Everyone considers themselves an outsider in this show as well, even the FBI agent investigating them. (though that character introduction doesn't come until season 2)
The framing is also about tone. But breaking the convention of the comfortable rules of thirds, it gives the viewer a sense of unease. That something is "off". And in this world, everything is off, everything is off-balance, and things are always about to be flipped upside down. It's a sense that nothing is stable.
Underrated channel. You deserve my subscription
and now we got an episode that felt like a single take(it was well edited to make it feel like it.Pretty smart)
This aged well. Good insight !
Thanks for this video. Very well done! I'm kind of obsessed with Mr. Robot.
take a shot every time he says cinematography
Take a shot every time he says shot
Cinematography in Hannibal show is brilliant
Make again this please... your video is so good ❣️❤️
okay Yoda
Season 3's cinematography is even better. That "knight rider" episode has to win some awards. *HAS TO*
I always takes it like this : we the audience are there, we are following Elliot, bcs he talks to us, he "sees" us. I prefer the cinematography which sees him not in the center (literally or not) but right corner or left corner or whatever so we can put and fit ourselves in that scene and also situation.
Thats my take.
Great work man, you should watch Westworld, the cinematography is amazing
Dude you’re going to get your mind blown in season 4…
i just finished this series with my bf it was such an amazing show loved all of it and the story that was elliot
I think adding to the “empty space” in which we’re supposed to fit in, we’re constantly being pulled into the show by elliot, who is speaking to an “imaginary friend” (who is not mr robot, it’s the audience).
oh you should definitely catch up and watch the whole third season. probably the best season so far; cinematography is next level and the plot is way better than the second season
Yeah, this show is cinematographically incredible. In the latest season (Season 4, the last one) we've recently had 2 very special episodes one of them was mostly silent: 405 Method Not Allowed and the latest at this point in time was "film noir" which is my favorite (I acted in a film noir for a school project but that's beside the point): 407 proxy authentication required. I thought that last one was brilliant more so than the silent one.
The way he positions characters on the screen during scenes is going to make this reavealnso awasome....tee..hee.hee
My teacher first told me about the obscure cinematography of mr robot. To be honest, I felt like it made sense compared to the rest of cinema, and oddly comforting, for reasons I don't understand yet
Season two gets sooooo much better I watched it 3 times get on that
Love this show from Brazil
You should make an essay about Fargo. If you love cinematography then you will love Fargo.
*MR ROBOT*
my favorite of all time
Dude, you should check out Hannibal, another genuinely brilliant but underrated show.
I feel like this video didn't aged well. After 4 seasons, this is about Elliot, always has been. It doesn't reflect the society in the background, it reflects the overthinker, multilayered personality disorder that Elliot has. It provides emotional depth and loneliness. It is a crazy good show.
You just earned yourself another subscriber!
After watching this I'm convinced that the major reason movies look so much better than TV shows, on average, has little to do with the oft-cited "soap opera effect" and much more to do with the thought that goes into the cinematography.
With the rule of thirds, close-ups going back and forth between two characters talking, it's like the setting or background are just afterthoughts that are only there because having nothing there would be too jarring, but they hardly matter as they often won't even be in focus.
But, they do matter, and there is so much more going on than someone's expression on their face. And perhaps more importantly, the different shots evoke subtle reactions, make you feel - something - as you say.
I wouldn't go so far as to say you could fabricate some obvious meaning that someone watching, without actively analyzing it or, at least, really shoving it in their face, would notice, like the kind of subtle symbolism that you might read into while analyzing an old painting, but the shots can stimulate emotions like you mentioned.
It can inform a mood that relies not just on the characters' facial expressions, body language or other nonverbal communication as seems to be the general method for achieving such an effect.
I really wish this were more of a consideration, as it really makes a huge difference when employed effectively, but I'm afraid that maybe there aren't enough risk takers and visionaries. Also, the cost is probably prohibitive for a lot of projects, being more time consuming to plan and execute in many cases. Still, any step in the direction of utilizing it more could be invaluable to the quality of TV in general.
Is it as I fear? Way more expensive and time consuming on average or is it just underutilized more because of a lack of talent or creativity? If the latter, at least people can learn.
with season 2 the art was better than the actual story by a long shot. It is shot in a unique way. They took a year off so I'm sure this season won't be nap inducing.
Nicely done, love your work.