Researching the One-Shot Scene

    As I begin research for my film opening, I am certain about one thing. I want to make a piece which incorporates longer shots. I don't know if I will do a singular shot for the whole two minutes, but I would like the least amount of cuts possible. Something about one singular, continuous shot is very intriguing to me. It may have to do with how much experience I have with live theatre and performing in it. In live theatre, there are no "cuts." I have been a part of good theatre and a part of bad theatre and they both have one thing in common: The show must go on. I would really like to experiment in creating the longest scenes possible with this project to mimic the exhilaration of a live performance where the audience chooses what to focus on. I have researched some great examples:

Scene from Joe Wright's Atonement

    This 5 minute long take takes the viewer through the aftermath of a Nazi attack in Dunkirk. The camera takes the audience through the beach as hundreds and hundreds of soldiers find their own ways to recover and rebound after the battle. I read the book Atonement in an AICE Literature class, and seeing this scene played out on screen was incredible. In just one shot, you can see such a variety of stories about peace and mayhem. 

    Although I respect the effort it took to create this beast of a scene, I cannot say that I will be taking inspiration from it for this project. It is truly just too ambitious. This long, wide tracking shot is the same type of technique you can see in movies like Sam Mendes's 1917 and Park Chan-Wook's Oldboy (2003). I don't think showcasing a sprawling landscape will be a smart idea with my resources (none) and my location (Florida). Still, I found one aspect of the Atonement scene to spark my interest. A group of men, perched up on a hill and blaring a soldier's tune, comes into frame. The calm melody that comes with this picture completely contrasts the chaos of the event. I found the use of music very riveting, and I am thinking about adding something like it to my scene.

Scene from The Bear (Episode 7, Directed by Christopher Storer)

    This (snippet of a) scene is where I think I could see my film opening heading towards instead. Originally an 18 minute singular shot, the scene above showcases 2 minutes of it. It is a stressful nightmare after a character accidentally forces the staff into a spiral of cooking, frying, baking, and yelling. The shot featured above is basically all filmed in the restaurant. While the scene from Atonement was a mix of establishing and long shots, there is no time for that here. The team has gotta get this food out! 

    Medium shots follow the cast through each of their tasks. This is something that I think I may follow for the long shots in my piece. The luxury of filming in one building is much easier than finding something like the stretch of beach in Atonement. Although the one-shot technique mixes very well with the stress and "dramedy" of The Bear, I would assume that it can work well with other genres as well. As I begin to decide on my genre and plot of the opening, I will see if all of these ideas holds up. If I make my film a one-shot scene, or even if I use a small number of long takes in general, I cannot make it look like I am showing off. If I decide to give in to the fun anxiety that can come from watching a one-shot, that would be very hard to make realistic (loud ≠ stressful). I am excited to see if all of this works out. Worst case scenario: I'll actually have to edit :(