Adolescence had an outstanding editing department despite each episode being one-shot: Here's why

Netflix's Adolescence is a technical feat that has left viewers in awe with its seamless, tension-filled storytelling. The limited series follows the riveting tale of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper), who is charged with the murder of his schoolmate, across four episodes.

What makes Adolescence innovative is the bold method: each episode was shot in one, continuous take. But in the lack of conventional shooting methods, the editing department of the series proved to be an essential part of its success.

Cinematographer Matthew Lewis confirmed to Variety,

“There’s no stitching of takes together. It was one entire shot, whether I wanted it to be or not.”

The task was daunting, demanding careful planning, spotless choreography, and incessant rehearsals. The actors, director Philip Barantini, and the entire editing team had to make every movement precise.

Lewis explained that the process was a "dance" between the actors and the camera, with no margin for error.

Behind the camera, the editors' job was not redundant—it was reinvented. Instead of conventional cuts, the team concentrated on pre-visualization, live-feed inspection, and post-production color grading to maximize the smoothness of every take. Adolescence illustrates that even in a one-shot production, the editing department still plays a crucial role.

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How did Adolescence pull off the new form of editing?

As Adolescence was shot in continuous takes, the editing process was refreshingly innovative. Unlike the traditional method of editing, which comprises cutting and splicing takes together, the post-production team had to ensure that each component of each selected shot blended effectively.

This necessitated copious amounts of pre-planning, visual effects, and strict quality control. Director Philip Barantini and cinematographer Matthew Lewis carefully planned out every scene prior to shooting.

To Screen Daily, Barantini explained that he and Lewis constructed models of the police station and utilized mini-figures for camera movement.

“...We need to know exactly where the camera can go. Me and [Matthew Lewis, the cinematographer] had models of the police station and we used little figures and a little camera to map it out.” he explained.

This pre-visualization technique served as a substitute for conventional scene changes. Also helping was real-time monitoring. The editing staff coordinated with the live feed so that every take was perfect.

Technical malfunctions, like lighting system failures or misframing, were detected in real-time and resulted in reshoots if they occurred.

As Lewis explained to Variety, even a small mistake, like bumping into a doorframe, would invalidate a take, requiring them to start over. Post-production editing wasn't eradicated but refocused.

The crew concentrated on color grading, sound balancing, and seamless visual flow, making sure each frame retained its raw, immersive look. Adolescence might not have typical cuts, but its editing crew had a critical role in its making.

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Rehearsals, choreography, and the role of the editing department for Netflix's Adolescence

Since Adolescence did not have access to traditional cuts, rehearsals had to serve as a substitute for traditional editing. Every episode took three weeks to prepare: one for blocking scenes, one for technical coordination, and one for live takes.

Actor Ashley Walters compared the experience to a live theater performance. He said to Entertainment Weekly that they rehearsed until it became "muscle memory.”

The choreography for the camera was as complex as the performances. Because the series could not afford to make missteps or mistimed movements, the editing and cinematography departments collaborated closely to craft seamless sequences. This involved charting transitions, charting the path of the camera and coordinating actors' movements in perfect sync.

Perhaps the most complicated sequence was at the end of Episode 2 when the camera soars through the air with a drone, moving fluidly from Jamie's school to a memorial site.

Originally, the intention was to fly upwards in the sky, but as Lewis told Variety,

“It was a last-minute request from the execs, we were originally going to take off and fly and stay up in the air, but they thought it would be a nice beat to go back and find Stephen Graham at the end of the scene, so we had a couple of days to work that out, but we got it.”

This needed unprecedented coordination among the actors of Adolescence and drone operators—basically, real-time in-camera editing.

The pre-planning and choreography enthusiasm of cast and crew members ultimately became a substitute for the old-style editing techniques. The outcome? A glitch-free, interactive watching experience that seems seamless despite its incredible technical sophistication.

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Adolescence can be streamed on Netflix.

Also Read: Adolescence: Is Brad Pitt being its executive producer the biggest irony of all?