“Chicago P.D.” is a single-camera show, meaning only one camera is used to capture everything the viewer witnesses in a scene. There are not multiple cameras recording the same thing from different angles as you’d typically see in a sitcom like “The Big Bang Theory.” All these shots are pieced together in the editing process for perfect one-hour episodes where we watch the beloved Intelligence Unit of the CPD handle the city’s most outrageous crimes.
There’s a unique “Chicago P.D.” scene that gives the impression it took several different takes with its single-cam, as it features the five main cast members in one room but at different times. The scene involves the team members being interviewed, but they all do it at different times. However, some tricky camerawork and perfect choreography from the cast and cameraperson made this a one-take scene. Some fans found it hard to believe until they saw the incredible behind-the-scenes footage.
Protect and Serve has an incredible one-take scene
Season 8, Episode 8 (“Protect and Serve”) of “Chicago P.D.” kicks off with the members of the Intelligence Unit sitting down with a CPD investigator in a bland room. The woman asks the members of the team questions to determine if they might have future problems that could affect their work. The camera spins around the room the entire time, with the investigator as the only constant. Every few seconds, a new character is sitting in a chair across from or next to her, and it looks like it was edited together.
However, the Wolf Entertainment Twitter account shared that this scene was done in one take, and the behind-the-scenes video (via TikTok) of it being shot is astounding. The breakdown depicts the scene playing out as it did on-screen, with the footage of the camerawork directly below it. The behind-the-scenes video shows the choreography the actors had to follow to make sure they were never in the shot at the same time as a colleague. Marina Squerciati, Tracy Spiridakos, LaRoyce Hawkins, Patrick Flueger, and Jesse Lee Soffer all seamlessly work together, bobbing and weaving perfectly. There are moments where you can see Flueger lying down on a chair to avoid being in the shot while Soffer keeps his head from popping into frame.
“Chicago P.D.” fans are normally surprised to find out the Season 8 scene was shot in one take, with u/ciaraelyse01 writing on the show’s subreddit, “I loved to see the behind the scenes of this! It was so cool to see how it was done. I also thought it was editing!” Fellow Redditor Mysterious-Success45 added, “Props to the cameraman, this ain’t easy at all,” with a clapping emoji. Another “Chicago P.D.” fan applauded the camera work here, as u/Rebeca-A wrote, “That was so cool! It was almost like a perfect dance. And how did they look so calm and settled when they just jumped in and out of the scene?! SO GOOD!!”
