10 Amazing TV Scenes Shot In One Take
These great moments were a one and done.
Shooting a TV show isn't easy.
Luckily, actors, directors, and crew members have the luxury of filming things multiple times if needs be. Equally, they can hide a lot of mistakes in the editing room. But what if you take all that support away?
Depending on who you ask, shooting something in "one take" can mean two different things.
In the case of most of the entries on this list, it means that a certain scene was filmed in one long, unbroken shot with no editing required.
Considering that a lot of these sequences are extremely elaborate, with multiple impressive stunts, set changes, and lines of dialogue, that's not a simple thing to pull off.
For a couple of entries though, it means something very different. It means that the take that ended up in the finished product was the only one filmed. The actors and crew nailed the scene first time to the point where the director decided that once was more than enough.
Strap yourself in and prepare to feel a lot of second-hand anxiety, as we take a look at some of the most iconic scenes in TV history made with just one take.
10. The Shootout - Stranger Things
Though infinitely more famous for introducing millions of young people to Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, season 4 episode 4 of Stranger Things actually contains another scene that is expertly pulled off.
Whilst Eleven is completing her training, Mike, Will, and Jonathan are all confined to barracks at the Byers family home. They get some protection from a couple of agents though - they're not idiots.
It's a good thing they did, because the house ends up getting stormed by a bunch of military personnel, which leads to a huge gunfight.
The scene was filmed in one long, continuous take in order to capture the mayhem and frenzy of a home invasion. Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan, was grateful for this decision, as he said it made the scene feel more real.
It's a shame that the rest of the action in Dear Billy somewhat overshadows the technical ability needed to pull off a scene like this. With all the other-worldly goings on in Hawkins, it's weird to think that relatively run-of-the-mill action sequence was done in such a spectacular way.
Still, when have the team behind Stranger Things ever done things by halves?