Video of the Week: Gravity - "Detached" One Take Film Trailer

Today the lines between films, TV, videos and online content are blurred – and getting blurrier all the time. Just this last week, Netflix got a whole slew of Emmy nods for a show that has never been broadcast anywhere – only streamed on Netflix. Google and Apple TV are pushing for the rights to air TV shows with no commercial interruptions. The latest generation is perfectly happy to watch movies, shows or whatever on the small screen in the palm of their hand.

Are film-makers just creators of content? Is a film a film, a video, online content or whatever you want it to be? And trailers for films – they are just marketing content for the films, right? So, what's a film-maker to do to stand out?

When I first heard about the movie "Gravity" I thought, "meh, it's someone lost in space – how exciting can that be?" But seeing the latest trailer changed my mind, especially after realizing not only was the two-minute trailer virtually one shot, but it's part of an entire 17-minute one take opening to the movie. That is something different.

We're so used to quick cuts and multiple angles used to build excitement in our summer blockbusters, that one long shot is intriguing. In fact, according The Film Stage, there are only 156 different shots in the entire 2-hour plus movie. That's mind-blowing. And as you can see from the trailer, just because there are no quick cuts, that doesn't mean there's no fast-paced, edge-of-your seat action. Quite to the contrary!

Gravity – "Detached"

What can you take away from this? How can you look at the content you're creating and come up with new and exciting methods that aren't being used very often today?

Mike McClure – Giving you my one take on Gravity