Shameless is yet another recent addition to Showtime’s slate. The song here is called “The Luck You Got” by The High Strung, and I think it’s meant to be ironic because the family on Shameless ISN’T lucky. They’re unlucky (because they’re poor). It’s a good song, though, even if it does sort of smack of the “wealthy people making shows about poor people” vibe (see also: anything that uses the song “Ain’t We Got Fun?”).

The title sequence, the real star of this post, was directed by Erin Sarofsky (she’s also responsible for the excellent title sequence for Community!). The DP was Adam Santelli and the Production Designer was Naomi Slodki. Sarofsky further describes the production details: 

Because this was a live action production, we designed and constructed the bathroom set, then shot the cast in Los Angeles using the RED ONE camera. 

Hey, Red Cameras! Everyone loves those, you know?

Writing on the sequence, Hitfix.com’s Alan Sepinwall said:

The sequence places a fixed eye on the lone bathroom shared by the sprawling Gallagher family. …  We watch Fiona and her brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and everyone’s assorted boyfriends and girlfriends use the bathroom for both its intended purposes and many others, from sex to the toddler using the toilet to brush his teeth.

That’s “Shameless” in 30 seconds or less: messy, overcrowded, unapologetically frank and, at times, darkly funny.

Sepinwall isn’t wrong, for the most part. I love the messiness of this sequence; it definitely gets you into the tone of the show, for the most part. But I’d like to focus on the camera itself (the Red Camera, you may recall). Sarofsky refers to it as “slightly voyeuristic.” Sepinwall calls it a “fixed eye.” But Sepinwall’s wrong.

Watch the camera throughout the sequence. At a few points, it jerks a bit. There’s a jump cut, and the camera moves slightly. This actually gives the sequence even more of a documentary feel. It conjures up a story: This family has been given a camera with which to document their lives. As something of a prank, they set up the camera to tape their bathroom. But throughout the day, the kids borrow the camera to tape, you know, whatever. Someone has cut out everything that isn’t a shot of the bathroom. Hence, jump cuts and movement. This subtle kineticism, in my opinion, ADDS to the messy feel of the sequence. This may be a stretch, but watch it the way I described it. I’m kind of right, right?