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Oners

Every episode covering Oners.

"one of the main reasons to use a oner, and I think all these examples are, right, is one to create that sense of unity, but also kind of really bond us with character experience, right?"

— Stu Willis  |  DZ-101: Oners - Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page

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DZ-101: Oners - Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page

What can we learn by analysing how 'oners' are written on the page?
AI✦The entire episode is built around understanding how screenwriters write oners on the page--using the Copacabana shot, the Tintin chase, and the Children of Men attack to show how continuous takes are constructed through word choice and action description.✦
⏱ 1h 23m
3 JUL 2023
Listen to understand how screenwriters direct the camera without calling shots.
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Chas, Stu and Mel reunite to talk about writing the feel of camerawork in screenplays. We use “oners” — a long-playing continuous take — as a lens to talk about how some writers have “directed” from the page. We talk immediacy, camera positions, handovers, and anchoring action and more… →

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DZ-118: ADOLESCENCE -- How Questions Create Dramatic Tension

How do dramatic questions create tension?
AI✦Chas and Stu analyze how the decision to shoot in a oner constrains and clarifies the writing: it forces real-time character experience, demands careful handovers between POV characters, and prevents the spectacle-driven distractions that would undermine emotional discovery.✦
⏱ 2h 0m
1 MAY 2025
Listen when you need tension without external stakes--subtext, stillness, and thematic weight do the work.
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In this episode, Stu and Chas delve into the cultural phenomenon of ADOLESCENCE. We try to find the craft tools that have made the show so compelling and such a catalyst for conversation… →