‘Joker’ Director Todd Phillips Breaks Down the Opening Scene

The Joker is the No. 1 movie at the box office and a cultural sensation. How did director Todd Phillips nail the opening scene?

Unlike some of our other columnists, I spent the money and saw Joker opening weekend.

The movie is a twisted descent into insanity that follows Arthur Fleck as life treats him like a dog and he succumbs to his more animalistic tendencies and learns to laugh — as horror beleaguers the city of Gotham. There are parts I liked, parts I didn’t, but overall I think superhero movies are better for Joker existing. I think the door is open for new tones and genres, and at the end of the day that means more jobs for us writers and directors.

One thing I did admire about Joker was the direction and cinematography.

Lucky for us, Todd Phillips recently broke down the opening scene and discussed his tactics when it comes to opening a movie. I think it’s a valuable lesson in pacing and tension. So let’s diagram what Joker got right.

Read more at No Film School

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

AI
What Does Winning Look Like in the Age of AI-Driven Marketing?
November 24, 2025

As AI-powered tools—from agentic browsers to enterprise copilots—rapidly reshape how consumers search, learn, and buy, leaders are being forced to rethink not just their tech stack, but their teams, processes, and expectations. With 92% of companies planning to increase AI investments while only 1% consider their deployments mature, a clear disconnect emerges between AI excitement…

Read More
Karen Alter
Why the Best Leaders Don’t Climb Straight Ladders: How Karen Alter Built Success Through Detours
November 24, 2025

As companies push to decarbonize, modernize infrastructure, and bring new technologies to market, the leaders who stand out aren’t always the ones who followed a straight career path. Increasingly, it’s the people with the zigzags—the folks who’ve worked across different industries, adapted to new environments, and learned to make decisions under pressure—who bring the clarity…

Read More
intuition
Allowing Inspiration to Grow from Intuition: How Inner Guidance Drives Real Career Growth
November 21, 2025

In a workplace culture increasingly shaped by rapid change, rising expectations, and new definitions of leadership, professionals are redefining success beyond titles and output. Empathy, intuition, and inner alignment — once seen as intangible “nice-to-haves” — are now emerging as competitive advantages. As recent workforce studies show that human-centered leaders drive higher engagement and…

Read More
SEO
SEO in the Age of AI: What CMOs and CEOs Need to Know About AEO and GEO
November 20, 2025

In an era when AI-driven search experiences are reshaping how customers discover brands, marketing leaders are navigating a confusing landscape of new acronyms, shifting behaviors, and bold industry predictions. Despite widespread claims that “SEO is dead,” the data tells a different story: organic search traffic has continued to grow even as platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini,…

Read More