Drones, lots of preparation and many attempts: how did Netflix shoot the drama series Adolescence in one take?
The Adolescence series, which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of the brutal murder of his classmate, has instantly become one of the most popular on Netflix right now, and the company has revealed the secrets of its creation. All 4 episodes of the series were shot in one take, and this style of filming immediately attracts attention.
Here's What We Know
Each of the four episodes of the series was filmed in one continuous take, which required a lot of preparation and coordination.
For the first episode, which takes place at the police station, the second take was chosen, filmed during the first day of the five-day shoot.
The second episode, which takes place in the school after the crime, was shot in the 13th take with 370 extras. The third episode required 11 attempts until the director was satisfied with the interaction between the main characters. The finale was shot in the 16th take on the last day of filming.
One of the coolest moments of cinematography in the series was the episode where the camera smoothly moves from the school to the crime scene. To do this, a drone was used to attach a camera to it. The drone flew 0.3 miles to the crime scene, where it was seamlessly caught by the camera team, moving into a close-up on Stephen Graham.
Q: How did they film the drone shot at the end of Ep 2?
- Netflix UK Ireland (@NetflixUK) 15 March 2025
The DOP carries the camera and follows a school pupil to the traffic lights with a wide shot as she walks at the end of the school day. Before she crosses the road, a team attach the camera to a drone, which then flies a... pic.twitter.com/kKk7ocLCkU
The series has already attracted more than 2.7 million viewers in the UK in just two days after its release.
Source: @NetflixUK
