Those hallmarks are present from the pilot, in which Walt, shortly after his 50 th birthday, learns that he has lung cancer and strikes up a meth-cooking partnership with Jesse. Like its protagonist, "Breaking Bad"'s style is one that regularly segues between the mundane and the outrageous, charting its various characters' emotional, psychological and logistical circumstances through an exciting blend of anxious handheld camerawork, tense spatial compositions, evocative visual angles, and vibrant use of shadow and light. That development grew out of its narrative, which details high-school chemistry teacher Walter White ( Bryan Cranston) entering the criminal world of meth production and sales alongside former student-turned-dealer Jesse Pinkman ( Aaron Paul).
Over the course of its maiden seven episodes, AMC's hit series set itself apart from much of its small-screen competition via a distinctive and daring look, one whose bracing realism evolved to include ever-more-inventive stylization. While cinematographer Michael Slovis has, since he came aboard in season two, helped define the visual signatures of "Breaking Bad," the show's aesthetics were firmly established from the beginning. Gliding Over All: The Cinematography of Breaking Bad, Season 1 from Press Play Video Blog on Vimeo.