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Netflix’s four-part crime drama Adolescence has topped the streaming service’s most-watched charts worldwide since its release on March 13. The mini-series stars Stephen Graham, known for his stellar performance on projects such as Boiling Point and Time. As with the former film, each episode of Adolescence is filmed in one continuous and unflinching shot, resulting in a story that grips you from start to finish.
The series has taken the world by storm with this unique filming technique, with many viewers questioning whether each episode truly was one shot. Cinematographer Matthew Lewis filmed each episode using the DJI Ronin 4D paired with a Cooke SP3 32mm lens and spoke with us about the challenges he faced, collaboration on set and why he chose this lens to capture this gripping story.
When 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is accused of murdering his classmate, his whole family’s life gets turned upside down in the inevitable search for what happened and who is responsible.
Adolescence marks the second oner style project that Matthew Lewis and Director Phillip Barantini have worked together on, the first being Boiling Point. Lewis commented, “Phil and I have worked together as a creative duo since he acted in my graduate film at university in 2017. When he wanted to try his hand at directing, thankfully he reached out and we began making short films together. Each project led to another and here we are!”
Having used the one-shot method previously, Lewis is no stranger to the challenges this filmmaking style poses. He reflected, “Storyboarding a one shot is often quite tricky. Only so much information can be portrayed in a traditional storyboard and so much of the important information is how the camera is moving through 3D space and where off-screen elements are moving in relation to it. For this reason, I tended to create “movement plans” splitting the piece into sections using Shot Designer and animating all the moves with keyframes.”
Lewis emphasised the importance of collaboration from the outset to postproduction during the making of the mini-series. “Collaboration on any set leads to the best storytelling and this format forces all departments to talk through every little detail. Everything from the layout of each set build and the order of vehicle convoys, down to the placement of a net curtain or the angle of a mirror had to be spot on. Equally in post, understanding where we could rely on VFX to clean up unavoidable kit (like pod cars) to understanding the limit of our sensor and what can we done in the grade was essential.”
When reflecting on the shoot, Lewis admitted that he was “acutely aware that each take presented hundreds of ways things could go wrong” and so therefore rigorous technical preparations were essential. “It’s a testament to the volume skill and tenacity the whole team brought”
Crew on the set of Adolescence. Cr. Courtesy of Ben Blackall/Netflix © 2024
When it came to camera and lens choice, Lewis tested out several options but finally opted for the DJI Ronin 4D paired with a Cooke SP3 lens. The cinematographer noted that the 4D offered him “a stablised image without the bulk usually associated with stablisation…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 set up.”
Having used Cooke Anamorphic lenses on previous jobs, Lewis came to love the characteristics associated with Cooke. He found the Cooke Anamorphics to feel “like a beautiful balance between usability and that anamorphic twirl, while making sure to gently and flatteringly capture faces and skin tones.” The choice of the Ronin 4D camera, of course, meant that the choice of lenses was more limited due to the gimbal’s payload.
“I hadn’t heard of the SP3’s until after our first wave of camera tests…the second I saw some footage and the spec’s, I knew I would fall in love. A lens weighing 520g at the focal length I wanted to use (32mm), with the beautiful look of Cooke glass and a form factor that allowed for us to mount a VND – I was completely sold.”
When asked about challenges with lighting on the shoot, Lewis explained his atypical approach and how they had to be clever with the art design of the sets with lamps, ceiling tiles and even the sun. Considering this, lens choice with an agreeable flare was crucial. “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.”
The lightweight nature of the SP3s meant that Lewis could use a Variable ND filter, essential for shooting amidst the blue skies of West Yorkshire and to add depth of field, a vital focus technique in storytelling. “Without such light lenses, it would have changed the feel of the show entirely…Sometimes, when the camera can’t move, the focus can say so much. So, without the weight saving, we would have been often sat at T8 or greater and we would have lost that ability almost entirely”.
As each episode is one shot, this meant Lewis was faced with the unusual decision of using one focal length for the entire shoot. Lewis found the 32mm SP3 to be the right option for the Ronin’s full frame sensor: “Any wider and we were going to reduce opportunities to hide lighting, cabling, rigging and booms above or sometimes underneath our frame; conversely, any longer and our ever-changing choreography could have become nauseating.” Sticking with a single focal length that the audience comes to accept allowed for full immersion of the story without distraction.
Fatima Bojang as Jade, on the set of Adolescence. Cr. Courtesy of Ben Blackall/Netflix © 2024
It was a pleasure speaking with Matthew Lewis about his time working on Adolescence. The full series is now available to stream on Netflix.
