Lights, camera, action! The long take, also known as the “oner,” is a challenging shot that requires the coordination of multiple filmmakers. One of the biggest hurdles is lighting the scene properly. The movement involved in this type of shot restricts the lighting setup that most filmmakers would use in a standard scene, adding to the complexity of the sequence. But fear not, low light cameras are here to save the day! With their increasing capabilities, shooting the oner has become easier than ever before.
But what exactly is the oner, and when should you use it? Let’s take a look at some examples. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, the long take adds tension to the scene. The camera follows Little Bill as he enters a lively New Year’s Eve party, searching for his wife only to find her in the arms of another man. The sequence has only one cut, a reaction shot of the party guests hearing gunfire that ends with what appears to be the end of the long take. Cinematographer Robert Elswit shot Boogie Nights on a Moviecam Compact Camera, a Panavision Panaflex Gold Camera, and Panavision C Series anamorphic lenses.
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, a strictly informational scene between Brody and Indy is dynamically blocked in a long take to give it a snappy pace. Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe used Panavision cameras and lenses and famously never used a light meter while achieving his genius use of shadows and warm, golden light. In the Russian art film The Mirror, director Andrei Tarkovsky visually stuns with a beautiful take that is lushly framed and moves on action but adds to the oddity of the unconventionally structured film with a unique sound design.
Whether it’s an art film or a big studio behind the long take, it often requires considerable resources. But with the availability of low light cameras like the ARRI Alexa, Canon C200, and the RED EPIC-W, directors don’t have to sacrifice artistic vision to get the shot and the look they desire. It’s become considerably easier on the lighting crew to pull off the complexity of these takes by being able to hide lights and use battery-operated LEDs, practicals, and available light because the noise is reduced in the footage captured by these cameras.
So, lights, camera, and action! With the help of low light cameras, filmmakers can now achieve that perfectly choreographed shot without sacrificing artistic vision.
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