Breakaway (1966 film)
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| Breakaway | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bruce Conner |
| Starring | Toni Basil |
| Cinematography | Bruce Conner |
| Edited by | Bruce Conner |
| Music by | Toni Basil |
Release date |
|
Running time | 5 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Breakaway is a 1966 American short film by Bruce Conner.[1] It shows Toni Basil dancing to her song "Breakaway". The film has a palindromic structure in which the second half of the film reverses the image and sound of the first half. Breakaway is often cited as a precursor to the development of the music video.
Breakaway is a 5-minute black-and-white film showing Basil against a black backdrop, set to her song of the same name. As it begins she poses in a black leotard, with black frames which create a strobing effect. During the first verse, she is shown in a white slip, and fast zooms move back and forth between extreme close-ups and medium shots. The first chorus contains a longer unbroken shot of Basil blowing a kiss and caressing herself. In the second verse, the film cross-cuts between shots in which Basil appears in different outfits, moving in and out of focus. The second chorus uses a slow motion of her jumping.[2] The second half of the film is a reversed version of the sound and images in the first half, such that the two sections are mirror images of each other.[3]
Production
Conner and Basil met through a group of mutual friends including Conner's roommate Dean Stockwell and Basil's boyfriend Dennis Hopper.[4] Long before Basil had recorded her song, Conner approached her about putting her in a film. Basil provided her own wardrobe, making a flower garland and cutting out holes in her tights.[3][5]
Shooting happened in October 1964, in an apartment on the Santa Monica Pier. Conner used a Bolex 16 mm camera. Stockwell was also there, filming the shoot. Footage from the first day of filming was largely unusable, so they continued for a second day with Hopper helping to light it.[3][6] Basil improvised her choreography.[5]
In February 1966, Basil released her debut single "I'm 28", with "Breakaway" as the B-side. Conner edited his earlier footage of Basil to the song later that year. Because of the hundreds of splices used, the editing process was laborious and lasted several weeks.[3]
