One Shot with Ed Sheeran: Can a single take capture a Musician’s soul?
- Ridhi Jain
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Just before shooting begins, the scene feels deceptively ordinary—an empty street, a small crew, and a quiet hum of instruments being tuned. But once the director calls action, the atmosphere changes instantly. There are no cuts, no retakes, no rehearsals to fall back on, and no chance to reset for an hour.
Ed Sheeran steps forward, knowing that every moment ahead will unfold live. Netflix’s ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran builds its tension from this very premise, creating a documentary that feels unpredictable and deeply human from the first step he takes, which is raw, immediate, and shaped entirely by what happens in real time. Ed Sheeran floats through New York in this hour-long Netflix special.
Can One Take capture the Chaos, Heartbreak, Ed Shreen’s Spontaneous Creativity?
Another single-take special from Director Philip Barantini, who directed Netflix’s searing single-take drama Adolescence, and his director of photography, Nyk Allen. Barantini guides the story through continuous movement, echoing Sheeran’s early street performances.
The camera moves closely with him, no cuts, straight for an hour, sometimes through quiet alleys, sometimes into bustling corners—while he adjusts equipment, interacts with bystanders, pausing for selfies and fist-bumps and high-fives. The absence of cuts strengthens the documentary’s authenticity and makes it more natural.
The Camera never blinks—and neither does Ed Sheeran
Director Philip Barantini guides the story through continuous movement, echoing Sheeran’s early street performances. The uninterrupted format relies on natural lighting, handheld movement, and minimal staging.
Without heavy production effects, the film allows the audience to focus on rhythm changes, vocal transitions, and emotional tone. The one-take structure heightens the sense of risk because any unexpected moment becomes part of the final product.
The Experiment That Doesn’t Let You Look Away—But Should You?
The real-time format without cuts or edits encouraged audiences to stay fully present, just as the performer must. This documentary avoids dramatic exaggeration and instead showcases what happens when music is shaped by shifting conditions—wind, space, movement, and mood.
Viewers showed a deeper appreciation for Ed Shreen’s adaptability and the concentration required to deliver a fluid performance without studio safety nets. By presenting music as a living, evolving act, the film demonstrates how creativity gains richness when allowed to unfold freely.
Where Ed Sheeran’s One-take journey finally lands
ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran stands out as it is an undeniably entertaining, daring format and honest execution. It shows music as a living, evolving act rather than a polished final product. By capturing an uncut performance shaped by environment and timing, the film sets a meaningful precedent for future real-time experiments.
ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran may inspire new directions in filming more no-cut documentaries to challenge traditional documentary formats. It demonstrates that creativity thrives when artists allow viewers to witness the process—not just the outcome. For fans, it’s a joyous delight. For directors, it’s a captivating exercise for one continuous shot, uncut, to direct with technique and precision.
Keep reading The ScreenLight for more entertainment deep-dives and reviews.
