This is the crazy way they filmed the van scene in Adolescence and it looks so bizarre

The way each Adolescence episode was filmed in one take is blowing everyone’s minds, and wait until you see how the van scene was done.

In the final part, Stephen Graham’s character Eddie Millier loads his wife and daughter into his van to drive to the hardware store.

They’re going to buy paint to cover up the vandalism on his van, and so much of the episode is filmed inside the vehicle.

The family has a long conversation while driving to the hardware store and on the way home, but how did Graham drive and act at the same time?!

Well, he didn’t. Photos from the set show the crazy way it was filmed, with another man controlling the vehicle from on top of the van.

A crazy metal seat contraption was installed on top with pedals and a steering wheel, so the actor didn’t have to control the vehicle at all.

Here’s a photo of it:

Credit: Netflix

And another one:

Credit: Netflix

This is a video from the set:

@sarahlucasthe1st

Quick van change! #adolescence #1stAD #netflix #fyp

♬ original sound – sarahlucasthe1st

“This can’t be road legal,” one person said on TikTok while another asked: “What, why do they drive it on the roof?”

It’s pretty simple really, there’s a massive camera on the bonnet that would restrict the driver’s view, and it would be dangerous to act and drive at the same time.

In terms of legalities, TV sets will have special licenses and insurance to use this equipment on real roads.

But wait a minute. Before they go to the hardware store, they show the van on the driveway with the graffiti, then show Graham trying to wash it off.

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So, how did they manage to remove the huge metal driving contraption in a few seconds and finish filming the whole scene in one take?

Thankfully, Netflix has answered that question too. There were two identical vans!

In an X post, they said: “There were two vans! The first one is the one you see at the start of the episode when Eddie is trying to get the graffiti off.”

“When they go back inside the house, the crew swapped out the vans for one that has a camera rig on the front.”

“As they come back out of the house and get in the van, the shot stays on them as the camera is attached to the rig on the front,” Netflix continued.

Q: Why can’t you see the camera rig on the van in Ep 4?

There were two vans! The first one is the one you see at the start of the episode when Eddie is trying to get the graffiti off. When they go back inside the house, the crew swapped out the vans for one that has a camera rig… pic.twitter.com/XRVv9DGq8f

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 19, 2025

Wow, they really thought of everything!

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Featured image by: Netflix