The power of one: why one-shot filming is a potent storytelling technique

"Some people think it's a little bit gimmicky and, of course, there's a time and a place for it, but I love the tension it creates," says Berlin-based filmmaker and creative director Danny Feng, founder of Feng Production. "I love shooting things in one take: music videos and documentary scenes." Instead of aiming for perfection, Danny's use of this technique for these kinds of video embraces human errors and creates charm, realism and a sense of "being there".

Danny is a former sound engineer, and his first experiments with the technique were inspired by live acoustic sessions. Here, he tells us when he uses the one-shot filming technique, why he chose it for his Camel Power Club music video, Ventura (Live in Brussels), and the kit he favours when filming in one shot. Plus, Danny shares his top tips for one-shot filming.

One-shot filming refers to an entire scene or sequence filmed in one continuous take on a single camera. Some famous examples of one-shot filming in movies include the opening scene of Touch of Evil (1958), directed by Orson Welles, and the Copacabana sequence in Goodfellas (1990), directed by Martin Scorsese.

"No cuts, no filters, no post-production, we just put it how it is and then we publish it," says Danny. "I think that's awesome because in that context it really brings in that relatability: it's raw, it's real."

One-shot filming sounds like hard work, so why do it? "There's an aspect of challenge, for sure," says Danny, "especially when you have to light a scene or have time markers for where you have to be at certain times. I think those are extremely difficult to execute on a one-take basis."

"I love tech and I'm always looking out for the latest thing, but when I'm shooting, I don't want to think about equipment," Danny says. "That's why I appreciate the EOS C70 – it's easy to set up in under five minutes, and then I'm just there actually trying to capture whatever it is that I'm trying to capture."

Weight is also an important factor to consider – but light weight isn't necessarily better. "I've found that generally a heavier camera means you reduce vibrations reaching the sensor," Danny says. "I try to get cameras as heavy as possible if there isn't internal image stabilisation, but the EOS C70 is nice because it's so compact – not too heavy, not too light – and it has impressive electronic image stabilisation."

Most of the time, he shoots handheld, using "nothing fancy" in his setup, and records in 4K for maximum versatility in the edit. "Now that you can film without time limitations, and the codecs are quite efficient as well, you can film 4K on a 128-gigabyte card, which is a lot of content."

The most important advice Danny offers for creating a one-shot film is to embrace the imperfections, because they are what creates character. It's how you handle the mistakes in the moment that matters. "That's a part of live performance – you are going to have mistakes and it's part of the charm. If you have a moment that's a little bit out of focus, it's okay, just pull focus very slowly."

What else has Danny learned since he filmed his first one-shot?

1. Don't do too many takes

2. Know the key moments

3. Manually set white balance

4. Use in-camera stabilisation

5. Use manual focus

6. Extend and smooth your movements

7. Get creative with keeping visual interest