The Art of Continuity: A Reflection on One-Shot Cinema and Daigo Matsui's Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops
This blog is written as part of a Film Studies task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. As part of this assignment, students were required to study the concept of the one-shot film through the Wikipedia article on one-shot filmmaking and the case study of Adolescence (2025). The ideas presented here are informed by classroom discussions, the study material prepared by Prof. Barad, and the recommended academic resources. Here is the link to the professor's Research article for background reading: Click here.
The purpose of this blog is to examine the concept of the one-shot film as a distinctive cinematic technique that challenges conventional editing and narrative structures. It explores the historical development, technical execution, aesthetic significance, and storytelling potential of continuous-shot filmmaking. Through a detailed analysis of Adolescence (2025) as a case study, the blog demonstrates how the one-shot format enhances realism, audience immersion, emotional engagement, and thematic depth. Ultimately, the blog seeks to show that the one-shot film is not merely a technical achievement but a powerful artistic and narrative form that expands the expressive possibilities of contemporary cinema.
.png)
What is a One-Shot Film?
1. Definition of the One-Shot Film
A one-shot film, also known as a one-take film, single-take film, or continuous-shot feature film, is a full-length cinematic work that appears to unfold in one uninterrupted camera shot from beginning to end. According to the Wikipedia article on one-shot films, such a film may either be genuinely recorded in a single continuous take using one camera or be carefully constructed through hidden cuts and digital editing to create the illusion of a continuous shot.
Unlike conventional films, which are assembled from hundreds or even thousands of individual shots through editing, the one-shot film minimizes or completely eliminates visible cuts. This uninterrupted presentation creates the impression that events are unfolding naturally before the audience, making cinematic time closely resemble real time. Consequently, the one-shot film challenges the traditional dependence on montage and instead relies on camera movement, mise-en-scène, choreography, and performance to tell the story.
More importantly, the one-shot film should not be understood merely as a technical accomplishment. It is an artistic choice that shapes the audience's emotional and psychological relationship with the narrative. By removing visible edits, the filmmaker encourages viewers to experience the story continuously, intensifying realism, suspense, and emotional engagement.
Origin and Historical Development of One-Shot Cinema
The one-shot technique has a history extending over eighty years. Long before digital filmmaking, directors experimented with extended takes to create a stronger sense of realism and dramatic continuity. One of the earliest and most influential pioneers of this technique was Alfred Hitchcock.
Alfred Hitchcock and Rope (1948)
Hitchcock's Rope is widely regarded as the first major experiment in continuous-shot filmmaking. During the 1940s, a film reel could record only about seven to ten minutes of footage. To overcome this limitation, Hitchcock filmed the movie in a series of long takes and cleverly concealed the edits by moving the camera behind furniture, dark walls, or the backs of actors.
His objective was not simply technical innovation. Hitchcock believed that if the audience were allowed to remain continuously within the same dramatic space and time, the suspense would become much more intense. Since viewers never left the room through editing, they remained constantly aware that a murdered body was hidden inside a trunk while guests continued their conversation around it. The absence of visible cuts therefore became an essential part of the film's psychological tension.
Development in the Digital Era
Advances in digital cinematography transformed the possibilities of one-shot filmmaking. Modern digital cameras are capable of recording for much longer durations, while lightweight stabilizers, drones, Steadicams, and sophisticated visual effects allow directors to create seamless camera movements across complex locations.
These technological developments led to internationally celebrated films such as:
- Russian Ark (2002)
- Victoria (2015)
- Birdman (2014)
- 1917 (2019)
- Boiling Point (2021)
- Adolescence (2025)
These productions demonstrate that the one-shot technique has evolved from an experimental curiosity into an internationally recognized cinematic form.
Types of One-Shot Films
Although all one-shot films appear continuous, they are produced in two different ways.
A. Actual One-Shot Films
Actual one-shot films are genuinely photographed in one uninterrupted take without stopping the camera.
Examples include:
- Russian Ark (2002)
- Victoria (2015)
- Boiling Point (2021)
Producing such films requires perfect coordination among actors, camera operators, lighting technicians, and sound engineers because even a small mistake may require restarting the entire production.
B. Simulated One-Shot Films
Many famous one-shot films are actually composed of several long takes connected through invisible editing.
Hidden cuts are concealed by:
- darkness
- walls
- passing objects
- rapid camera movements
- CGI transitions
Examples include:
- Birdman (2014)
- 1917 (2019)
Although technically edited, these films successfully preserve the illusion of continuous action, ensuring that the audience experiences uninterrupted storytelling.
Major Characteristics of One-Shot Films
1. Continuous Camera Movement
The most distinctive feature of a one-shot film is its uninterrupted camera movement. Instead of using multiple cuts and camera angles, the camera continuously follows the characters through different locations, creating a seamless flow of action. This movement makes the audience feel as if they are experiencing the events firsthand.
2. Real-Time Narrative and Spatial Continuity
One-shot films usually present the story in real time while maintaining continuous spatial movement. Since there are no visible cuts, viewers experience events in chronological order and develop a clear understanding of the relationships between characters, locations, and the unfolding action. This enhances realism and strengthens audience immersion.
3. Minimal or Invisible Editing
Unlike conventional films that rely heavily on montage and editing, one-shot films minimize or completely conceal editing. Narrative meaning is created through camera movement, blocking, choreography, and mise-en-scène rather than frequent cuts. Hidden edits may be used to maintain the illusion of a single continuous take.
4. Continuous Performance and Technical Coordination
One-shot filmmaking demands uninterrupted performances from actors and precise coordination among the entire production team. Actors must perform lengthy scenes without mistakes, while cinematographers, lighting technicians, and sound engineers work in perfect synchronization. Extensive rehearsals and careful planning are essential for successful execution.
5. Realism, Immersion, and Emotional Engagement
The continuous-shot format creates a strong sense of realism and audience immersion. By eliminating visible cuts, the film allows viewers to remain emotionally connected to the characters and events throughout the narrative. This uninterrupted experience enhances suspense, psychological intensity, and the overall impact of the story.
Cinematic Techniques Used
Several filmmaking techniques make one-shot cinema possible.
- Long Take
The long take forms the foundation of continuous-shot filmmaking.
- Steadicam
Allows smooth camera movement while walking or running.
- Gimbal Systems
Provide highly stable digital movement across uneven terrain.
- Drone Cinematography
Modern one-shot films frequently transition between ground cameras and drones to extend camera movement.
- Hidden Cuts
Invisible edits remain one of the defining techniques of simulated one-shot films.
- Blocking
Blocking refers to the carefully planned movement of actors and camera within the frame.
Why Do Directors Choose the One-Shot Technique?
Directors use the one-shot technique to create greater realism, making events appear as if they are unfolding naturally in real time. The continuous camera movement enhances audience immersion, allowing viewers to feel like participants rather than mere observers. It also increases emotional intensity and suspense by eliminating visible cuts, keeping the audience engaged throughout the narrative. Additionally, the uninterrupted shot reflects the characters' inner experiences, creating psychological realism, while showcasing the director's artistic innovation and the technical excellence of the entire filmmaking team.
Production Challenges of One-Shot Films
Producing a one-shot film is one of the most demanding tasks in filmmaking because it requires extensive rehearsals, technical precision, and perfect coordination among the entire cast and crew. Actors, camera operators, lighting technicians, sound engineers, and production assistants must work in complete synchronization throughout the continuous take. Since there are no visible cuts to correct mistakes, even a minor error may require the entire sequence to be filmed again, making the process high-risk, time-consuming, and financially expensive.
Critical Perspectives on One-Shot Films
Film scholars have interpreted the one-shot technique from different theoretical perspectives. André Bazin viewed long takes as a means of preserving cinematic realism, allowing audiences to experience reality without excessive editing. In contrast, Sergei Eisenstein believed that meaning is primarily created through montage, making one-shot films a challenge to his theory by relying on duration, mise-en-scène, and continuous observation instead of editing. Similarly, Gilles Deleuze's concept of the time-image suggests that one-shot films enable viewers to experience the continuous flow of time itself, rather than time constructed through cinematic cuts.
Significance of One-Shot Films in Contemporary Cinema
The increasing popularity of one-shot films reflects broader changes in cinematic technology and storytelling. Modern audiences seek immersive experiences, while digital cinematography has made continuous-shot filmmaking more practical than ever before. Contemporary filmmakers use the one-shot technique not simply to display technical expertise but to create narratives that feel immediate, authentic, and emotionally engaging. Whether exploring war, crime, family conflict, or psychological trauma, the uninterrupted camera enables viewers to inhabit the characters' world with unusual intensity.
Moreover, the success of productions such as Birdman, 1917, Boiling Point, and Adolescence demonstrates that the one-shot film has moved beyond experimental cinema into mainstream filmmaking. It has become a distinctive narrative strategy capable of redefining the relationship between cinematic form and storytelling.
Case Study: Adolescence (2025) – The One-Shot Technique as Narrative, Ethics, and Immersion
Introduction
Adolescence (2025), created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, is one of the most significant contemporary examples of the one-shot (continuous-take) technique. Each of its four episodes is filmed in a single uninterrupted take, making the camera's continuous movement an integral part of the narrative rather than a technical spectacle. Unlike conventional television, which relies on editing to manipulate time, space, and emotion, Adolescence unfolds in real time, compelling viewers to experience events alongside the characters. The series demonstrates that cinematic form can itself become an ethical and narrative argument, transforming the one-shot from a stylistic device into a means of psychological immersion and moral inquiry.
1. The One-Shot as an Immersive Narrative Design
The defining feature of Adolescence is its commitment to filming each episode as one continuous, uninterrupted take, without any visible cuts. This approach removes the mediation of editing and creates the illusion that events unfold exactly as they happen.
The creators intentionally designed the series to resemble live theatre, where neither actors nor audiences can pause or escape from the performance. Once the episode begins, viewers are drawn into the narrative without interruption, experiencing every moment in real time.
The production often compares this process to a swan gliding effortlessly across water while its legs work frantically beneath the surface. The audience perceives seamless movement, but beneath that elegance lies extraordinary coordination between actors, camera operators, sound engineers, lighting technicians, and production assistants. Thus, the apparent simplicity of the one-shot conceals immense technical complexity.
2. Extraordinary Production Discipline
The success of the one-shot technique depended upon exceptional preparation.
Each episode required three weeks of intensive production.
First Week – Building Muscle Memory
Actors rehearsed repeatedly until every movement, dialogue, and emotional transition became instinctive. This "muscle memory" ensured that performers could remain emotionally authentic while simultaneously executing highly precise choreography.
Second Week – Technical Integration
The entire production crew joined the rehearsals. Camera movement, blocking, focus pulling, lighting, and sound recording were synchronised with the actors' performances. Since there would be no opportunity to correct mistakes through editing, every technical element had to function perfectly.
Third Week – Filming
Only after weeks of rehearsal did filming begin. Approximately ten complete takes were attempted each day, with the hope that one would be flawless enough to become the finished episode. A mistake occurring even during the final moments required restarting the entire performance.
The challenge became even greater because several episodes involved around three hundred schoolchildren, teachers, and chaperones, all of whom had to move according to precisely timed choreography. The production therefore illustrates that one-shot filmmaking demands not only artistic vision but also extraordinary collective discipline.
3. A Narrative Shift: From "Who Did It?" to "Why Did It?"
Traditional crime dramas revolve around discovering the criminal.
Their central question is:
Who committed the crime?
Adolescence deliberately rejects this structure.
The audience learns almost immediately that Jamie has already been arrested for murder. Consequently, suspense no longer depends on identifying the culprit.
Instead, the series asks a much more profound question:
Why did this ordinary boy commit such an extraordinary act?
This narrative shift transforms the series from a detective story into a psychological and social investigation.
The uninterrupted camera reinforces this objective. Without flashbacks, explanatory montages, or editorial shortcuts, viewers remain continuously present with the consequences of the crime, gradually uncovering the emotional, social, and psychological pressures that shaped Jamie's actions.
4. Refusing to "Other" Jamie: Empathy Without Excusing Violence
One of the creators' most radical choices is their refusal to explain Jamie's crime through familiar stereotypes.
Unlike many crime narratives, Jamie does not come from an obviously broken home.
There is:
- no abusive father,
- no neglectful mother,
- no dysfunctional family environment.
Instead, his family appears ordinary.
This decision deliberately unsettles the audience because it challenges the comforting belief that violent behaviour always emerges from visibly damaged families.
The creators encourage viewers to ask themselves:
"Could this happen in my own family?"
The one-shot format intensifies this effect. Since the camera never abandons Jamie or escapes into reassuring subplots, the audience remains emotionally engaged with his humanity even while condemning his actions.
The series therefore promotes understanding rather than simplification, demonstrating that empathy is not the same as justification.
5. The Ethics of the Unbroken Camera
The continuous take creates what may be called an ethics of attention.
Conventional editing allows filmmakers to determine precisely when audiences should look away from painful moments.
Adolescence refuses this privilege.
The camera remains with the characters during fear, confusion, guilt, grief, and emotional collapse.
Its refusal to cut away becomes an ethical statement:
Reality cannot always be edited into comfortable fragments.
The series therefore rejects simplistic divisions between good and evil.
Instead, it presents human beings as morally complex individuals shaped by multiple social, emotional, and psychological forces.
The uninterrupted image asks viewers not merely to watch but to endure difficult emotional experiences alongside the characters.
6. Four Episodes as Four Narrative "Windows"
Although every episode is filmed in one continuous take, the entire series is not one continuous narrative.
Instead, it is divided into four separate one-shot episodes, each functioning as an independent window into different stages of the story across approximately thirteen months.
Each episode explores a different perspective:
- Episode One: Jamie's arrest and its immediate consequences.
- Episode Two: School life, peer relationships, and the hidden influence of social media.
- Episode Three: Jamie's psychological condition and emotional development.
- Episode Four: The devastating impact of the crime on Jamie's family.
This structure is highly significant.
The one-shot discipline operates within each episode, while the gaps between episodes create narrative ellipsis, allowing time to pass without interrupting the immersive experience inside each individual "window."
7. The Camera as an Observing Consciousness
Rather than functioning as a passive recording device, the camera in Adolescence behaves almost like an independent consciousness.
The creators initially considered allowing the camera to move mechanically between locations, but rejected this idea because it resembled a video-game perspective and reduced emotional intimacy.
Instead, the camera appears to float gracefully between characters.
It is not permanently attached to any single individual.
This floating movement gives the camera an almost ethereal presence, allowing it to carry emotional energy across different spaces while maintaining narrative continuity.
Consequently, the camera itself becomes an active storyteller, silently observing rather than judging.
8. Debate Rather Than Blame
The creators repeatedly emphasise that Adolescence is not intended to provide easy answers.
Its purpose is to stimulate discussion about:
- adolescence,
- masculinity,
- emotional isolation,
- digital culture,
- social media,
- parenting,
- violence,
- responsibility.
Rather than blaming parents, schools, or technology individually, the series presents these influences as interconnected social forces.
The one-shot form supports this objective because its uninterrupted observation discourages simplistic moral conclusions.
Instead of delivering closure, the series leaves viewers with questions that continue long after the final episode ends.
Critical Appreciation
Adolescence marks a significant evolution in the history of the one-shot technique. Earlier films such as Birdman and 1917 demonstrated how long takes could generate spectacle, realism, and narrative continuity. Adolescence, however, extends the technique beyond technical virtuosity by transforming it into an ethical and psychological framework.
Its uninterrupted camera demands sustained attention from the audience, eliminating the emotional distance normally created by editing. The viewer cannot escape through montage or narrative shortcuts but must remain present within moments of fear, grief, uncertainty, and responsibility. In this sense, the camera becomes a moral witness rather than a neutral observer.
The series also illustrates an important principle of contemporary film theory: form is meaning. The one-shot is not simply the way the story is presented; it is the story's central argument. Continuous time reflects the persistence of emotional trauma, while uninterrupted observation embodies the series' commitment to empathy, accountability, and moral complexity.
Thus, Adolescence proves that cinematic technique can itself communicate philosophical ideas, making it an outstanding case study for postgraduate students of Film Studies.
Conclusion
Adolescence demonstrates that the one-shot technique is far more than a technical achievement or visual spectacle. Through meticulous rehearsal, continuous performance, immersive realism, and ethical storytelling, it transforms cinematic form into a powerful narrative language. By replacing the conventional question of "Who committed the crime?" with "Why did it happen?", the series shifts the focus from criminal investigation to psychological and social understanding. Its refusal to simplify guilt, its commitment to sustained observation, and its innovative use of the uninterrupted camera establish Adolescence as one of the finest contemporary examples of how technique, narrative, and ethics can converge into a unified artistic vision. For postgraduate Film Studies, it stands as a compelling demonstration that in cinema, form is not merely a method of presentation it is a mode of thinking and meaning-making.
Case Study: Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops (2017) as an Innovative Example of One-Shot Cinema
Introduction: The Evolution of One-Shot Cinema
The one-shot (or continuous-take) film occupies a distinctive place in film history because it challenges one of cinema's most fundamental principles: editing. Since the early years of cinema, filmmakers have experimented with long takes to preserve spatial continuity and realism. Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Aleksandr Sokurov, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Sam Mendes have each expanded the possibilities of uninterrupted cinematic narration.
Initially, continuous takes were technical experiments designed to demonstrate the capabilities of cameras and choreography. Over time, however, they evolved into expressive narrative devices that intensify realism, sustain dramatic tension, and immerse viewers within the unfolding present. Film theorist André Bazin famously argued that the long take preserves the integrity of reality by allowing spectators greater freedom to interpret events without the manipulation created by rapid editing. Gilles Deleuze later suggested that modern cinema increasingly constructs "time-images," in which time itself becomes the primary subject rather than merely supporting action.
Within this tradition, Daigo Matsui's Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops (Aisu to Amaoto, 2017) represents one of the most original developments in one-shot filmmaking. Rather than using the uninterrupted take merely as spectacle, Matsui transforms it into an exploration of theatre, memory, performance, fiction, and cinematic time.
Production Background
Daigo Matsui is equally recognised as a theatre director and filmmaker. While studying at Keio University, he founded the experimental theatre company Gojigen, and much of his cinematic style reflects theatrical principles rather than conventional film grammar.
The inspiration for Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops emerged from a deeply personal disappointment. Matsui's planned stage production was unexpectedly cancelled only two months before opening. Instead of abandoning the project, he reconceived the cancelled play as a film about the cancellation itself, describing the film as a "revenge for a lost play." This autobiographical origin gives the film its emotional authenticity.
A significant collaborator was the Japanese rap duo Moroha, whose live musical performances become an integral narrative element rather than background accompaniment. Matsui also cast many inexperienced teenage performers selected through open auditions, believing that emotional sincerity mattered more than professional experience. Two weeks of intensive rehearsals preceded production, and the film was ultimately completed during the very dates originally scheduled for the cancelled theatrical performance. Four complete takes were attempted, with the final take becoming the finished film.
Technical Achievement: Filming a Genuine 74-Minute One Shot
Unlike digitally assembled "one-shot" films, Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops consists of a genuine uninterrupted 74-minute take.
This required extraordinary technical coordination.
Camera Choreography
The camera never remains passive. Instead, it continuously travels through classrooms, rehearsal rooms, corridors, rooftops, backstage spaces, and outdoor locations. Camera movement functions almost like another performer, responding emotionally to conversations rather than merely documenting them.
Blocking
Every actor had to execute movements with perfect precision.
Blocking included:
- entrances and exits timed to the second
- repositioning while remaining visible
- seamless interaction with props
- synchronisation with camera movement
Since there were no opportunities for editing corrections, every gesture became permanent.
Rehearsal Process
The film resembles theatrical rehearsal itself.
Weeks of rehearsals enabled performers to internalise:
- dialogue
- physical movement
- emotional rhythm
- spatial awareness
- interactions with camera operators
Rather than memorising isolated scenes, actors performed the narrative as a complete dramatic event.
Sound Recording
Continuous filming presented equally difficult sound challenges.
Dialogue had to remain intelligible despite constant movement between indoor and outdoor spaces. Ambient sounds, live music, actor voices, and environmental acoustics all had to blend naturally without visible microphones entering the frame. Instead of correcting sound through extensive post-production, the film embraces subtle imperfections that reinforce its documentary realism.
Theatre and Cinema: Dissolving Artistic Boundaries
The film's greatest innovation lies in its dialogue between theatre and cinema.
Its story follows a group of teenagers rehearsing Simon Stephens' play Morning, only to learn that the production has been cancelled. Yet rehearsal continues.
Gradually:
- actors become their characters,
- characters reveal the actors,
- rehearsals become performances,
- reality becomes fiction,
- cinema becomes theatre.
This collapse of artistic categories produces an unusually fluid narrative. The audience constantly questions whether conversations belong to scripted drama or genuine personal experience.
Performance studies scholars often argue that theatre exists through presence, while cinema traditionally depends upon recording. Matsui merges these two ontologies. Although preserved on film, the uninterrupted take generates the immediacy and unpredictability normally associated only with live performance.
Meta-Cinema and Self-Reflexive Storytelling
The film functions as a sophisticated example of meta-cinema because it constantly reflects upon its own creation.
Its narrative contains multiple layers:
- actors portraying actors
- rehearsal inside a film
- cancelled theatre production
- fictional play (Morning)
- real filmmaking process
Consequently, audiences become aware of filmmaking itself while simultaneously remaining emotionally engaged with the characters.
Rather than concealing cinematic construction, Matsui foregrounds it. The audience watches performance being created before their eyes, making the film both narrative and commentary on narrative.
Time Beyond Real Time
Perhaps the film's most remarkable achievement is its treatment of cinematic time.
Ordinarily, continuous-take films unfold in real time. Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops deliberately rejects this convention.
Although filmed continuously, the narrative spans several weeks.
This temporal expansion is achieved through:
- title cards announcing time changes,
- live performances by Moroha,
- transitions between locations,
emotional rather than chronological continuity.
As a result, viewers simultaneously experience uninterrupted physical duration and discontinuous narrative time.
This innovation closely resembles Gilles Deleuze's concept of the time-image, where cinema ceases merely to represent chronological events and instead directly presents subjective temporal experience.
Camera as Participant
Unlike conventional cinematography, the camera here behaves almost as another character.
It:
- follows emotional energy,
- anticipates dramatic conflict,
- circles performers,
- occasionally distances itself,
- observes without judging,
- shares physical space with actors.
Rather than functioning as an invisible observer, the camera possesses its own presence.
The result resembles theatrical spectatorship while retaining cinematic intimacy.
Mise-en-scène and Emotional Immersion
The film's emotional power emerges through several interconnected formal elements.
Mise-en-scène
Ordinary rehearsal spaces become emotionally charged through repeated movement and performance. Empty classrooms, corridors, and rooftops gradually acquire symbolic significance.
Blocking
Actors' physical positions constantly shift, reflecting changing interpersonal relationships more effectively than conventional editing.
Performance
Many performers lacked previous acting experience, producing an unusual naturalism. Their occasional awkwardness strengthens authenticity rather than diminishing it.
Sound
Moroha's live performances interrupt narrative continuity while simultaneously deepening emotional resonance. Music functions as temporal punctuation rather than background score.
Spatial Continuity
Because editing never interrupts space, viewers gradually construct an intimate geographical understanding of the environment, reinforcing immersion..
Comparative Perspective: Landmark One-Shot Films
- Unlike Victoria or Adolescence, Matsui rejects strict real-time storytelling.
- Unlike Birdman or 1917, the film does not digitally simulate continuity.
- Unlike Russian Ark, it does not primarily reconstruct historical memory.
No comments:
Post a Comment