The camera work of any film literally brings audiences into the action of a story. However, a risk for any cinematographer is the long take, a form in cinema that immerses the audience but runs the risk of being noticeable, removing the audience from the story to acknowledge that what they are watching is a film.
AlltimeMovies gives a brief history of the long take and produces various examples of the difficult form, noting the risks and the payoffs of the style of camera work. Orson Welles introduced the long take with his 1958 film “Touch of Evil.” The opening scene sets the tone of the film, following a time bomb being set in the trunk of a car. From there, Welles uses a birds-eye view of the street with close ups until the bomb is set off, leading to the first cut.
The form is notably used in “walk and talk” scenes. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia,” audiences are drawn into the dialogue, thereby unobservant to the long take. Anderson also uses lighting to hide the camera, never revealing any notion that the audience’s point of view is that of the camera.
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Masterful cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has made the long take a staple of his style. “Children of Men” artfully highlights the importance of rehearsal and editing to constantly follow the action happening on screen. Similarly, “Birdman,” combines long takes with masterful editing to remove cameramen from mirrors and add effects for audiences to see the final product.
“Oldboy” cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung uses the long take to add realism and grit to a specific fight scene following men down a corridor. Once again highlighting the necessity of perfect planning, the final product is immersive and raw. Alfred Hitchcock tried to make “Rope” in one single take, but with the technology of the time, had to work with moving set pieces and the constant changing of film. With digital media and the way cinematic experiences are created now, the long take is not only a staple of some cinematographers, but also a means of enhancing storytelling and the audience experience.