Q Best Video: One Take Wonder
Staying creatively inspired can be a tough gig. At Q Media, we try and up our game by watching as much TV, Youtube, Netflix, HotDocs and movies as we can. Because the best way to get your creative juices flowing is to watch some killer content. Something that blows your mind, makes you smile, or takes your breath away. That’s why we launched the “Q Best” weekly contest. Each week, someone from the office poses a challenge to the rest of the office: “find me the best video on the internet that overcomes a creative challenge.” A ranking is then held over Friday lunch as we all watch them together.
This week’s challenge: the best scene as a one take shot.
Curated by Steven
When setting out to find the best video shot in one take, I knew the team would find a lot of scenes that would have been extremely challenging to execute. While some films or scenes might be shot in a style that appears to be one take but has hidden cuts (for example, the latest Best Picture winner, Birdman), some directors are determined to get it all in one go, and I wanted to see the best results of these efforts!!!
And here they are….
1st Place: The best one take of the bunch was the car scene in Alfonso Cuarón’s Children Of Men. It was amazing for three reasons:
1. There were no hidden cuts. This was a true one take.
2. This is a technically complicated scene and it would have been incredibly difficult to pull off. It’s one thing when you see two minutes of actors walking and talking in a one take scene, but another when you have tons of action including several actors. Check out the camera rig.
3. One take scenes can sometimes do more to speak to the director’s ability than actually develop the story and film as a whole, but this scene contributes a great deal to the story. The take adds to the fast pace and the blood spatter on the camera shocks the audience during what is already an absolutely insane scene.
2nd Place: Boogie Nights by Paul Anderson
3rd Place: Touch of Evil by Orson Welles
Find more Q Picks on our YouTube channel.
Do you have a suggestion for a great one take wonder? Share it with us on Twitter #QBestVideo.
