pershot

Pershot is a neologism used in photography and filmmaking to describe the practice or ideal of capturing a scene in a single continuous shot, without cuts, when feasible. The term is informal and not widely standardized; it appears in amateur and professional discussions as a shorthand for planning and executing a one-shot sequence.

Origin and usage: The coinage likely arose from combining "per" and "shot" to emphasize the per-shot nature of a sequence or shot-level planning. It is most often encountered in online forums, production notes, and some indie projects where a long take is a deliberate aesthetic or logistical constraint. Because it lacks formal definition, "pershot" may be used variably to mean either the goal of a single take or to refer to the technique of documenting a scene in a single shot.

Technique and considerations: Achieving a pershot requires careful blocking, choreography, and camera movement; often relies on steadicam, gimbal, or tracking platforms. Audio capture may be per-shot with hidden boom or lavalier to avoid interruptions. It demands contingency planning for mistakes and external factors; in post-production, any necessary edits are minimized or embedded within the shot via visual effects or overlays.

Relation to related terms: It overlaps with "long take" and "oner" but differs in emphasis on the shot-by-shot planning metric. It is not a formal cinematography term and can be used interchangeably with "one-shot" in casual discourse.

See also: Long take, One-shot (cinematography), Oner.