Single Shot Filming

Having recently looked at this type of filming I have decided to explore it further and post this blog about what I find.

Single shot filming does not feature scene cuts, it is a continuous rolling scene where the camera follows an actor or subject and uses varieties of angles, shot distances and focuses to achieve a flowing section of film. Single shot scenes can be extremely aesthetically pleasing as many appear busy, with the changing of locations and characters within them, one example of this type of single shot scene is in the Club scene in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, Goodfellas. If a single shot sequence is accomplished successfully it can tell a story in one shot and it demonstrates; impressive technical skills, imagination, style and a sense of real time - adding immediacy and impact to whatever it is included in. To achieve all of these aspects the scene must be choreographed to perfection to avoid hazards and unwanted action. The camera must be kept still to allow the flowing feel to continue throughout (this is a challenge that armature film makers will be sure to encounter, as they will obviously not possess the same technology and equipment).

Atonement - 2007

Directed by Joe Wright


This remarkable and aesthetically moving 5 minute single shot sequence is from the Dunkirk beach scene. It represents the aftermath of the battle of Dunkirk in World War 2. The camera follows main character Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) through the disasterous battlefield. The scene displays complete hoplessness with drunken soldiers stumbling around the surroundings of the beach as they believe that there is no hope in securing the area from the germans. Soldiers can be seen shooting horses and demobilizing army trucks so the germans cannot use them once they invade. The music and footage together provoke emotion in everyone who watches it and who did not experience the actual event. The single shot filming creates a flowing effect and allows the whole scene to be depicted as a continuous event. I believe that director Joe Wright succeeds in everything this scene intends to show, nothing short of amazing.