Orchestrating spatial continuity in the urban realm

Any instance of filmmaking on location involves an interaction between the given space and the movement of the camera through it, the relationship of the recording plane to that movement, and the space as it is recorded and reconstituted in the finished film. Every level of this relationship has an apparent transparency but every level is in fact complex and open to manipulation and interpretation. In this context, the use of the long sequence shot takes on particular characteristics and significance in relation to real space. The long take is interested in establishing spatial continuity by offering an unbroken line of recorded action. By virtue of the path traced by the camera, and its shifting viewpoint along that trajectory, the full map of the terrain gradually reveals itself. Through analyzing a selection of long sequence shots this article examines how this particular technique of cinematography can be used as the site of design research.