We’re analyzing the opening 10 minutes of Breaking Bad.

But before we analyze each scene, let’s see how many scenes are in the opening ten minutes and each scene’s length.

Scene 1: Series of 5 shots: 0.00 – 0.26 (26 secs).

• 3 still shots of the New Mexican Desert 0-0.15 (15 secs).
• shot of trousers falling through the air: 0.15-0.22 (7 secs).
• shot of an RV as it runs over trousers. 0.22-0.26 (4 secs).

Scene 2: Walt driving his chaotic truck, until it crashes to a halt. 0.26-1.00 (34 secs)

Scene 3: Walt makes his video to his family and waits for the police 1.00 – 3.50 (2.50).

Scene 4: OPENING CREDITS. Periodic Table animation. 3.50 – 4.08 (17 secs).

Scene 5: Exterior transition shot of Walt’s house 4.08 – 4.13 (5 secs).

Scene 6: Walt and his wife Skyler in bed. 4:14 – 4.40 (26 secs).

Scene 7: Series of shots: 4.40 – 5.15 (1.15).

• shot 1: Walt gets up to exercise. Shots of baby things. 4:40 – 4:52 (12 secs).
• shot 2: Walt exercising on the step machine 4:52 – 5.02 (10 secs).
• shot 3: Walt’s Nobel Prize for “Crystallography.” 5.02-5.05 (3 secs).
• shot 4: Walt finishes exercising. 5.05 – 5.15 (10 secs).

Scene 8: Breakfast in Walt’s household. 5.15 – 6.50 (1.35)

Scene 9: Walt arrives at work with his (disabled) son. 6.50 – 7.17 (1.07)

Scene 10: Walt teaches a chemistry class. 7.17 – 8.58 (1.41)

Scene 11: Walt has a snack in the empty staff room 8.58 – 9.06 (8 secs).

Scene 12: Walt works his second job at the car wash. 9.06 – 10.23 (1.17).

So, that’s:

Scene 1: 0.26

Scene 2: 0.34

Scene 3: 2.50

Scene 4: 0.17

Scene 5: 0.05

Scene 6: 0.26

Scene 7: 1.15

Scene 8: 1.35

Scene 9: 1.07

Scene 10: 1.41

Scene 11: 0.08

Scene 12: 1.17

It’s interesting to note 2 things:

1. Steven Knight’s crime drama Peaky Blinders also has exactly 12 scenes in its opening 10 minutes!
2. Unlike Peaky Blinders the ‘hero’ of Breaking Bad – Walter White – is present in every scene.

But that’s our next post…

Stay tuned to find out which characters are introduced in the opening 10 minutes of Breaking Bad!

Click here to compare scene length in the opening 10 minutes of Peaky Blinders.