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Topic: The longest take

James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 09-14-2002 07:22 PM

A couple co-workers and I were talking about scenes or part of scenes that are made up of only one long take, usually made up of a tracking shot.
The three main people that came to mind as far as who is known for using them are Martin Scorsese, M. Night Syamalan, and P.T. Anderson.
Who else is known for these and does anyone know what movie uses the longest take ever?
TIMECODE doesnt count.

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Dennis Atkinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 129
From: Birch Run Michigan
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 09-14-2002 08:13 PM

For an older movie, I think "Touch of Evil" (1958) held the record at one time. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0052311

Dennis

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Gerard S. Cohen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 975
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 09-14-2002 08:34 PM

Wasn't "The Robe" filmed as though the entire movie was a single shot,
with camera movement but no visible cutting?

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Adam Wilbert
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 590
From: Bellingham, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 09-14-2002 08:38 PM

Snake Eyes (nicolas cage) had a very long opening shot. IMDB says it was 12 minutes. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120832

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-14-2002 08:52 PM

ROPE was the Hitchcock film made to look like a single take. I believe all shots were 11 minutes long, or 1000' of film.

Another long shot is the opening shot of THE PLAYER, which mentions the one in TOUCH OF EVIL.

If you look closely in SNAKE EYES, I think you can see where a cut is made. Doesn't the camera go real close to a balloon or blimp at one point? I don't recall the exact moment, but I think there is at least one clever cut in there.

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 09-14-2002 08:54 PM

Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 film "Rope" was done in 10 minute takes, point of view, with special sets which moved in and out of frame to accomodate the single 300 pound ( 136 KG ) Technicolor camera movement. There was also a French film about 20 years ago which was done in long takes, in real time, using a steadi-cam mount as the operator followed the actors.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-14-2002 10:41 PM

"Touch Of Evil" has the looooongest dolly tacking shot in film history. I believe it was almost a mile long. VERY COOL!
"Rope" has the longest takes on record using up a full camera load for each take.
Mark @ Claco

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Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-15-2002 03:13 AM

ROPE has a few intentionally visible cuts. I believe they occur at each reel change.

SNAKE EYES has a number of cuts in the opening sequence, the most pointless of which is a very obvious JAWS-style wipe in which Nicolas Cage actually moves substantially closer to the camera.

Another sequence with very long takes (including an elaborate steadicam shot) is the Tarantino segment of FOUR ROOMS.

One of my favorites is the seemingly single shot which opens Kathryn Bigelow's masterpiece, STRANGE DAYS. On the DVD, she has an hour-long commentary devoted exclusively to the making of that sequence.

There's also a single shot in CLERKS which, if memory serves, lasts for over six minutes.

A couple cool non-film pieces are PTA's video for Michael Penn's TRY (available on the BOOGIE NIGHTS DVD) and the Bermuda Triangle episode of THE X-FILES (I forget the name, but it was in Season 6). TRY was made to look like all one take of a steadicam following Penn down the longest hallway in North America. THE X-FILES episode featured one steadicam shot for each act. The final act did some weird split screen stuff, too.

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Christopher Duvall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 09-15-2002 06:24 AM

I am surprised no one has brought up Kubrick. I have heard he would take up entire 20 minute mags for one shot. I can only imagine what he would have done if he got his hands on the 50 minute digital mags that Lucas is using now. I know most of those shot are edited down in his movies but he would just plain torture his actors in those incredibly long shots.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-15-2002 07:14 AM

Kodak sells 2000-foot lengths of 35mm camera film.

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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-15-2002 09:08 AM

I believe there is a very long take at the beginning of BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, but it's been a while since I've seen it so I could be mistaken.

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 09-15-2002 09:43 AM

The 2000 foot 35mm length is usually used for multi-camera t.v. shows to cut down on reloading time.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 09-15-2002 10:27 AM

While not the longest take, one that I thought was used very effectively was in De Palma's "Untouchables."

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-15-2002 10:28 AM

There are several 5+ minute takes in "Sling Blade".

Something else about this movie; the female lead, Natalie Canerday, has no closeups in the whole picture. All the other principals do, but not her.

I once heard about a supposed 10-minute take in "Same Time, Next Year", but I've not had a chance to see the movie again since then, to verify it.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 09-15-2002 11:16 AM

THE BIRDCAGE had are rather long opening shot from the water all the way into the club...I don't remember the length or if any technogimicktry was used but it seemed to cover a GREAT distance.

Steve

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