Known for photographing cult-classic television such as Felicity and Monk, Marshall Adams, ASC knows how to identify and respond to a story that subverts expectations. His latest entry comes on the heels of writer-producer Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad, the genre-defining series about of a chemistry teacher turned meth lord. After a one-episode exploration during that show's fifth and final season, Adams reprised his role behind the camera for seasons 3 through 6 of Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould's Better Call Saul. Shortly after the final episode aired in August, Adams caught up with Panavision to reflect on his time with the show.
Panavision: How would you describe the cinematography of Better Call Saul?
Marshall Adams, ASC: The look relies on symmetry, simplicity and storytelling. We all love finding symmetry when it lends itself, which, in my opinion, allows you more potential screen time to let the scene unfold within that frame because its interesting and has a lot to say. We often tried to find and hold a frame that worked for the action but, most importantly, was true to the story. As much as possible, we strove to boil each shot down to the information conveyed within it. The simplest frames can often be so elegant in their storytelling.
We also tried to keep the camera operation as minimal as possible. And as funny as it sounds, the operators worked very hard to not operate. Say we were following someone out of a car and walking to meet and talk with another character. Landing when the actor lands is pretty standard, but the hard part is landing in the exact frame that can play out for another 2-3 minutes and not be adjusted. The operators Matt Credle, Jordan Slovin and Wally Sweeterman were so locked-in to exactly where they needed to land that frame, that two months later they'd still know exactly where the frame lines were.
Something else we did was to keep the operation to a single axis. That meant we could pan, tilt or push, but we only got one.
Were there any particular references that inspired the visual approach?
Adams: Vince and Peter often talked about sitting down with Arthur Albert, the cinematographer on seasons 1 and 2, and his crew to watch Bernardo Bertoluccis The Conformist. I know it was a significant influence on them and certainly contributed to the visual approach to Saul, as did the apparent film-noir influences and many of the classic westerns. I certainly had big shoes to fill when I started on Season 3, but the style was a great fit with my own and, with Vince and Peters help, we continued to develop it right up through Season 6.
What brought you to Panavision for this project?
Adams: I had a great working relationship with Panavision in the past, and then in December of 2017, when we were beginning Season 4 of Better Call Saul and I was having a hard time putting together the package that I needed, Bob Foertsch [director of sales and marketing at Panavision Woodland Hills] came to my rescue. I havent done a series without him or Panavision since.
At the beginning 2019, we decided Saul Season 5 was going large format. Again Bob and the whole gang at Panavision helped us put the right package together, and it made all the difference. The Panaspeeds were a perfect match because their speed allowed me a lot of control over the depth of field. We used depth of field as a storytelling device more than I ever had in my career before, even during day exteriors.
How else did Better Call Saul differ from other projects in your career?
Adams: I had done one full episode and a few pickup days on Breaking Bad, so I knew how different the Gilligan-Gould experience was already. After getting Better Call Saul, I went to meet with Vince, Peter, and executive producers Melissa Bernstein and Diane Mercer for lunch, and they were very clear that they were not only going to support anything I wanted to try visually, but theyd rather have to reshoot a scene than feel like I took the safe route and didnt take risks. It was a conversation I'd never had in my career Id never heard of anyone hearing that from the executive producers before!
I quickly realized one of the biggest reasons everyone on the crew was so invested in the show and the stories was the way the producers enabled everyone to think out of the box and bring ideas sometimes even crazy ideas because they wanted to hear them. That and the fact that the show was written by the best writers in the business and everyone from the showrunner to the day players were the nicest folks youd ever want to meet.
How did you get started in this business?
Adams: I had loved the industry since visiting the Rockford Files set as a teenager, so I wanted to explore working as a crew member. I started in camera on smaller projects and had all my days to join the camera local, but I realized I was a terrible camera assistant, mostly because I was so busy watching the lighting, and I really belonged in the electric department. After working my way up and working as a gaffer for a number of years, I really wanted to shoot. The opportunity came along in 1999, with some bumps in the road, and by 2001 I had moved up permanently.
Unit photography by Greg Lewis, courtesy of AMC/Sony Pictures Television. Additional images courtesy of the filmmakers.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/06/2026
Step sequencer-style panning tool revealed
Alongside their flagship self-titled sound-design platform, Sound Particles offer an array of creative effects an...
03/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
03/06/2026
Significant discount available until 1 October 2026
Aim Audio have just announced a promotion that sees a significant discount applied to their Essence micr...
03/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to supply CERTIUM advanced communications system to Memmingen Ai...
03/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
03/06/2026
03 Jun 2026
VEON to Release 2Q26 Earnings on July 31, 2026 Dubai and New York, June 3, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON or t...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
28/05/2026
Company introduce most affordable interface yet
SSL's range of audio interfaces has just gained its latest, and smallest member, the SSL 1. Designed to ...
Known for photographing cult-classic television such as Felicity and Monk, Marshall Adams, ASC knows how to identify and respond to a story that subverts expectations. His latest entry comes on the heels of writer-producer Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad, the genre-defining series about of a chemistry teacher turned meth lord. After a one-episode exploration during that show's fifth and final season, Adams reprised his role behind the camera for seasons 3 through 6 of Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould's Better Call Saul. Shortly after the final episode aired in August, Adams caught up with Panavision to reflect on his time with the show.
