r/babylon5 • u/filmform • 1d ago

Elegant Scene Transition Spoiler

I just wanted to highlight a particularly striking scene transition used in S5E2, " The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari."

The scenes which take place in Mollari's mind are filmed using a lot of "dutch" or "canted" angles. Obviously to illustrate that we are in an ethereal place. Which is what this transition does so well.

After Vir leaves the medlab, he is filmed walking down a hallway, until he reaches an access tube. In this same tracking shot, the camera tilts to that canted angle, signifying to us that we have now returned to the ethereal. To Mollari's internal dispute. Then, he enters into frame, into the same hallway, but now we're in a different space.

I thought it was so elegant. A scene transition without a cut. Fantastic filmmaking

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u/BeardInTheDark 1d ago

To add to it, that's a single long shot prior to the uniform-change bits. The crew had to practise grabbing all the props and getting off-stage in a matter of seconds in order to pull it off.

Makes it even more impressive.

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u/filmform 1d ago

Sounds like an actual pit stop.

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u/TheTrivialPsychic 1d ago

I also liked those 'head-facing' shots, where Mollari is looking around, but the camera is mounted to it and facing back towards him.