One Shot Technique of Birdman: The Game-Changing Cinematic Trick That Won an Oscar

Did you know the Mexican producer and director Alejandro G. Inarritu bamboozled the world? After winning an Oscar in 2014, Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) took the film world by storm with its one-of-a-kind cinematography brilliance. Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, the dark comedy-drama, and that too, with an action-hero blend, stood out from its fellow nominations in the same category.

A decade later, the film holds the prime significance for what materialized as an epitome of modern filmmaking excellence- a single continuous take. The artistic legitimacy is only the work of Inarritu, who is the one pocketing another Oscar in 2016 for The Revenant, best known for his non-linear storytelling.

Birdman’s Oscar Wins and Iconic Cast

Here is the full list of Oscars that the movie won out of nine nominations at the 87th Academy Awards 2015:

The cast included:

• Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson
• Benjamin Kanes as young Riggan
• Edward Norton as Mike Shiner
• Emma Stone as Sam Thomson
• Naomi Watts as Lesley Truman
• Zach Galifianakis as Jake
• Andrea Riseborough as Laura Alburn
• Any Ryan as Sylvia Thomson
• Lindsay Duncan as Tabitha Dickinson

And many more…

Despite the category being there since 1934, Oscar was granted to a few movies that won “best picture” but did not win in “best film editing” category. It doesn’t mean that oner is a prerequisite to bag an Oscar. However, it does give the impression that some magic needs to happen before a film is deemed worthy of the award. 

Of course, it was clever editing in Birdman that delivered unimaginable results. Thus, the name “Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” stands true for a reason. There always remains an uncertainty attached to creativity about whether it would work or not. But it did the trick for Birdman.  

The avant-garde filmmaking method called “oner”

The technique most commonly known as the “oner” is where the camera flows flawlessly following the character without any need for several edits, sparing the cutting. The revolutionary filmmaking style still appears striking, giving the vibes of a live theatrical performance that only Inarritu could have pulled off magnificently.

Variety reported that Birdman seems as if the entire movie is filmed in one uninterrupted shot, which was Inarritu’s plan initially. However, it was crafted masterfully with careful planning and choreography. The long takes were stitched together, and despite the actors having gone several takes, the dialogue and the storytelling flow remained seamlessly intact.

Upon being inquired whether Birdman was meant to appear like a one-single shot,  Alejandro G. Inarritu confessed:

“It was always conceived like that since the script was written. The idea was born with this type of skin.” [source]

It was equally nerve-wracking for the actors not to mess up the dialogue or one small action that would have resulted in another 10-minute-long take all over again. As per Variety, Michael Keaton and the rest of the cast had to memorize up to 15 pages of the script to take that one perfect shot. The credit here again goes to Inarritu who guided the editing team to make the flow more natural with clever choreography, complex lighting schemes, sound, and post-production editing to hide the cuts.

For example, have a look at this scene:

If you scrutinize the scene like a hawk, you’ll notice the subtle transitions right from the start when Michael Keaton enters the scene from the dark and when the drumming music slyly cuts the scene to divert the attention of viewers from the two highlighted actors.

Again, it is easily noticed that the two actors might have struggled to get their dialogues right to make it through the entire one-minute and 24-second scene and to avoid any possible retakes. It was equally amazing to see Edward Norton speak his dialogues in a furious perfection like a monologue in the same one-long shot. 

Here is another example:

This is an insanely long sequence of three minutes and three seconds where the same two actors are seen engaged in a conversation about the play. Norton plays the character of a method actor who wants everything to be perfect. No cutting is observed, which is a mastery of the actors’ memory and the director’s vision of the full sequence. 

The cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, knew how to achieve the desired result by using dark spaces artfully, quick camera movements, and some CGI movements here and there to blend well, even for a 15-minute sequence, ending up in an impeccable performance. 

What are other instances of one shot technique of Birdman? 

The “oner” technique was also used in 1917 (2019), along with shows like True Detective (2014) and The Bear (2022). Why Birdman did it with par excellence and led it to net an Oscar is an aesthetically pleasing debate in modern filmmaking.

One of the recent shows that made use of this technology was in episode 5 of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Cooper Koch, who played Erik Menendez, did a fantastic job in the long emotional scene where he explained details of his alleged abuse to the defense attorney. The one-take scene was meant to be this way, enhancing the intensity and realism of the conversation, which gave the much-needed weightage to the story narrative.   

The same impactful version was previously seen in Birdman where the striking single-shot tactic gave the viewers an immersive storytelling experience, which they still cannot get out of their heads. It is not about showing off the directing skills but giving the audience a thorough hypnotizing encounter with the characters. 

It hints that Inarritu has an obsession with one shot gambit, which is identically mesmerizing for the viewers. The opening scene of The Revenant is the remarkable implication of the exact technique, which is the magisterial knack of editing, stitching, and layering several scenes, appearing to look like one single shot. 

Wrapping up…

Revisiting the film eleven years later, the commentary in modern filmmaking remains unfinished without bringing up one shot technique of Birdman. Today, superhero movies like those in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have revived the concept just like Birdman, which already blurred the lines of reality and fiction with its concise “oners”.

The auteur-driven movies like Birdman and The Revenant shed light on the cinematic as well as commercial success despite shadowing the psychological toll that they bring upon the actors. However, the performances and editing keep it relevant to a modern audience with exhaustive planning.

What’s your favorite one-shot scene in cinema? Let’s discuss in the comments!

FAQs

1. What does the subtitle “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” in Birdman signify?

The subtitle gives a reflection of the deeper themes of the film that enlist self-doubt, artistic struggle, and the uncertain nature of success. It also implies that ignorance, often seen as a shortcoming, can bring unpredictable outcomes. Birdman is all about a defeated actor who yearns for validation and feels he could find it in the form of personal redemption through artistic endeavors, even if it means chaos and failure. 

2. Why did Alejandro G. Iñárritu choose to film Birdman to appear as a single continuous shot?

One shot technique is believed to give the audience a detailed experience of the characters and a deeper dig into the protagonist’s psychological state. Riggan’s turmoil was best enjoyed by the audience where his emotions like urgency, struggles, theatrical experiences, and claustrophobia were all visible in Inarritu’s excellent idea of showing it in one shot mastery. 

3. How one-shot effective technique was achieved in Birdman?

It wasn’t actually a one shot. Rather it was made to be believed so. Birdman was filmed in long takes which afterward were stitched together brilliantly with sharp editing skills, lighting effects, and camera gliding. The cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, knew his work well, which was the ingenious use of dark spaces, quick movements, and some of the CGI-infused blending techniques. 

4. Were there any challenges faced by the cast and crew during the Birdman’s production?

Yes, there were several huge challenges like:

• Long takes, which meant that actors had to undergo grueling dialogue and movement rehearsals since making one tiny mistake meant going through it all over again. 
• Choreography, which entailed editing, lighting, and perfectly timed performances. There was almost no place for a single mistake. 
• Editing intricacies, which unfurled for the editors when they had to interweave the shots proficiently and convincingly, giving an ultimate illusion of one shot. 

5. Is there any similarity between the character Birdman in the film and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character?

No, the character of Birdman in the film is not related to the Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoon. The movie’s character is purely fictional which Riggan Thomson had played in his career previously, according to the film’s storyline. It was a symbol of glory and inner demons for him.