10 Incredible TV Scenes Shot In A Single Take

The Who Goes There episode of True Detective concludes with a six-minute tracking shot of Matthew McConaughey's Rust Cohle infiltrating a drug gang. 

Unsurprisingly, a staggering amount of planning went into the scene. In fact, it took director Cary Joji Fukunaga seven weeks before he had the permission to film it, as this showdown was so complex due to being shot in an actual housing project rather than on a set. Fukunaga then had to work out  “the most interesting path, but also the most logical path” for Cohle’s escape.

What makes this scene stand out above other action-oriented sequences is how the camera itself feels like a character. Everything is shot smoothly and slowly in the beginning as Rust tries de-escalating the situation, repeatedly saying, "Easy, easy. In-and-out, in-and-out." When things fall apart, the camera begins to frantically swing around and move sharply, accentuating how Rust feels.

The scene avoids flashy Hollywood-style gunfights, so it comes across as raw and unpredictable, which helps immerse viewers in the escalating madness. Another crucial aspect is how the camera operator stays as close to the action as possible. Though this must've made choreographing the scene unbearable, it gives the audience a front-row seat to Rust dealing with the mounting chaos.

Just to make this already flawless scene even more impressive, everybody involved rehearsed the whole thing in only one day.