How Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ perfected the one-shot drone scene in episode two
Netflix drama Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham, has been lauded not only for its acting performances but also for its technical ingenuity, especially the incredible drone shot at the end of episode two.
Audiences have heaped praise on the filming approach of one-take, continuous camerawork seen in all of the four episodes, in which Graham stars as a blindsided father whose 13-year-old son is accused of the murder of a female schoolmate.
At the conclusion of the second episode, the technicality of the camera’s continuity comes into sharp focus, as the final moments see the shot fly from outside the killer’s school nearly half a mile over to the site of the murder, where the devastated father, Eddie, played by Graham, is laying flowers.
The show’s co-writer, Jack Thorne, explained that the directors of photography seamlessly attached the camera to a drone in order to allow it to fly, saying in a social media video uploaded by Netflix: “It was an example of the technical meeting the story and finding a fusion, which is actually better than anything that the story had come up with on its own.”
Adolescence’s director of photography, Matthew Lewis, added: “If the camera could float away by itself, it couldn’t possibly be attached to a person. It kind of feels more ethereal.”
Speaking about the show’s innovative approach to filming more generally, director Philip Barantini, explained that extensive rehearsals were required between the cast and crew.
He told The Independent: “We had all the support and the runners and ADs [assistant directors] all dressed in police uniforms in the first episode and teachers in the second episode so they could be on camera and cueing things. “It was technically challenging, but a huge collaboration.”
Adolescence is currently streaming on Netflix.
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