11 Mind-Blowing TV Long Takes
Game of Thrones, Daredevil, and True Detective are just some of the shows with the best long takes.
If there was a cinematic technique that proved a director’s mastery of his craft, it would be the slick, demanding, and downright magnificent long take.
Also known as the one-shot or “oner”, the time and effort needed to organise the cast’s cues, camera moves, and production elements can prove too great a challenge for most professionals. One wrong move and the entire take goes down the drain.
Yet filmmakers have persisted, creating outstanding pieces of big-screen greatness. From Hitchcock's Rope and Cuarón’s Children of Men to entire movies like 1917 and Birdman, the long take has awed critics and audiences for decades.
And nowadays, with television budgets rivalling Hollywood blockbusters, TV directors are taking their shot at the big leagues with mind-blowing results. They have phenomenally executed stunning displays of camera dexterity and editing trickery with technical flair, shrewd pacing, and narrative impact.
These scenes aren't dreary two-to-three-minute exposition dumps down one dull corridor. They're thrilling, packed with technical prowess, and prove TV episodes can stand toe-to-toe with cinematic giants and give them a looooong run for their money.
11. Planet Earth - Wild Dogs Chase
You may not think documentaries are particularly action-packed, yet this breathtaking chase scene from Planet Earth may change your mind.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime shot (starting at 1:05) that they cannot afford to miss. And the cameraman does a superb job of keeping it all in frame considering they're on a moving helicopter.
The wide-angle camera captures the wild dog's swift tactics and the bison's inevitably futile escape in all its glory, so long as you're rooting for the wild dogs. Each agonising second is drawn out by the grand music and wild dogs inching closer and closer to their next meal.
The Planet Earth series has always wowed audiences with nail-biting nature sequences, with Planet Earth II's iguana vs snakes clip beating Game of Thrones for BAFTA's Must-See Moment award. And besides, who can say no to a bit of Attenborough?