If you haven’t seen Netflix’s drama series Adolescence, it is certainly worth watching. Not only is the acting very, very good, but the blocking, timing, and one-shot mastery were a great way of telling the story. Sometimes ideas can get in the way of the story, but in this case, the way it was done enhances it and adds a sense of realism.
Director of Photography Matthew Lewis chose to use a Cooke SP3 32mm alongside the DJI Ronin 4D camera, creating the desired aesthetic he was after while keeping a lightweight rig that was essential for this project.
According to an article on the Cooke website (the full article is well worth a read), Adolescence marks the second oner style project that Matthew Lewis and Director Phillip Barantini have worked together on, the first being Boiling Point.
Lewis tested out several options but finally opted for the DJI Ronin 4D paired with a Cooke SP3 lens. According to the Cooke article, the cinematographer noted that the 4D offered him “a stabilized image without the bulk usually associated with stabilization…The creative potential that it offered us because of its tiny form factor was unmatched by anything else. I couldn’t imagine trying to create the show we did with any other setup.”
“The SP3’s offered a lens that was gentle and neutral when sat at T2.8, something that felt like it sat well in the look of the show. I also didn’t want too much character at the edges of frame. A project like this is all about leaning into the realism of a one shot and I was cautious to add too much swirl or aberration to the image in case of distraction, the clarity of these lenses ticked that box perfectly.”
Matthew Lewis
As the Cooks SP3s are so light, Lewis could use a Variable ND filter.
Above you can watch a great BTS from The Making of Adolescence.
Above you can see another video where Erin and Owen take you through what it was really like to shoot episode 3 of Adolescence all in one shot. Adolescence tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder – leaving everyone around him searching for answers.
