What is a 'Single -Camera Production'?
What are the benefits and limitations of 'Single - Camera Techniques'?
A single camera setup is a filmmaking technique originally developed in the 1910s in which every shot and every angle is filmed using the same camera. It is the standard mode of production for cinema, but in television, both single camera and multiple camera setups are used.
- Source: nevadafilm.com
Advantages of Single Camera Production:
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Cheaper; if more cameras were used, each camera man would cost money and lighting and sound units. With multiple cameras running, the costs increase.
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More aesthetic control; lighting and sound for each shot, enhances the detail and excitement.
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Don't need both actors on set at the same time; film the shots for one whilst the other is in their trailer and vice versa.
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Practicality; you aren't limited in how much space you need to set up your shot. - Source: laurenbaileysinglecameraproduction.blogspot.com
Disadvantages for Single Camera Production:
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It takes longer to set up because of all the cameras and cameramen.
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Less realistic reactions; as one actor gets filmed at a time, the reactions aren't as natural.
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Repetition; repeat the same shot 3 times to get each angle as you can only get one at a time, however use of multiple cameras you're able to capture everything at once.
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Editing time; you'll be spending a lot of time in the editing suit because of all the shots that have been taken. With multiple cameras, you could shoot different angles and takes at the same time, using different people for the cameras. - Source: laurenbaileysinglecameraproduction.blogspot.com
What is a 'Multi - Camera Production'?
What are the benefits and limitations of 'Multi - Camera Techniques'?
The multiple-camera setup is a video production method where several cameras record or broadcast a scene at the same time. - Source: pointintimestudios.com
Advantages of Multiple Camera Production
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It doesn't take as long to shoot a production because of all the cameras that are recording.
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The reactions are more realistic because you're doing the scene with the other actor so the emotion that you create; therefore enhancing the reactions.
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Using lighting and sound is a lot easier because you don't have to keep packing the equipment to move to the next location like single camera production.
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You get a lot of the scenes covered in a shorter amount of time compared to single camera as you capture various angles and shots within 1 day. - Source: laurenbaileysinglecameraproduction.blogspot.com
Disadvantages of Multiple Camera Production
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It takes longer to set up due to the large amount of equipment unlike single camera production.
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It's definitely more expensive; the camera-men you need to hire and the additional cameras are going to cost a little more than single camera production!
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The locations that the director uses are mostly sets and not real places which, in some cases, you can see through windows or mirrors the cameraman filming or a piece of their equipment. Source: laurenbaileysinglecameraproduction.blogspot.com
Continuity:
Continuity is the principle of making sure that all details in a film or TV show are consistent from shot to shot and from scene to scene. - Source: masterclass.com
What impact could single or multi camera techniques have on continuity?
If you use the single camera technique, you are more likely to have more continuity mistakes ,even though it is cheaper, than you are if you use a multi camera technique. This is because there are less cameras used so you will have to shoot the scenes over a number of days, meaning you need to edit them to make it look like they were all shot in one day whereas if you used the multi camera technique you would be able to shoot it in one day because you would have a lot more cameras. However this technique is more expensive because you will need to use a lot of cameras.
Continuity in Media
Continuity in Media is important because it makes the scene look smoother and more realistic, this is usually done with 'Multi - Camera Production. 'Multi - Camera Production' makes the scene look cleaner but it is also very expensive as it requires lots of cameras to film.
Camera Techniques
Framing
Angles/Shots
Extreme Long Shot: The camera focus is on the location, there is no subject or the subject is far away.
Birds Eye View: A shot taken from directly above, looking down on to the action or a point of interest
Movements
Tracking: Camera moving in or out, left or right, following a subjects movement ( Dollying)
Long Shot: The camera focus is on the subjects whole body, with the subject framed head to toe
Worms Eye View: A shot taken from directly below, looking up to the action or a point of interest
Zooming: Camera lens moving in or out of a subject. The lens moves but the camera remains stationary.
Medium Long Shot: The camera focus is on the subjects body, with the subject framed from the knees up
High/Low Angle: A shot taken from diagonally above/below the action or point of interest, looking down/up
Tilting: Camera moves up and down only, the camera remains in a stationary position.
Types of Media Productions
Youtube Vlog: A youtube vlog is usually a person filming their life, something very mundane such as them in school or going to the shops.
Documentary: A documentary is a non fiction movie that is usually made for educational purposes so that the audience come out of the movie knowing something they didn't before they entered it.
Source: Wikipedia
In this type of media production the type of camera technique that is used is the multi camera technique, this is because most documentaries such as nature documentaries are formatted in Ideational montages which means the video will be filmed at lots of different angles such. This means that multiple cameras will have to be used in the filming processes as it is easier and more effective. They can also use mid shots in interviews and medium closeups.
I watched the YouTube vlogs of a youtuber named Nuria Ma and I noticed that she used the single camera technique as she only carried one camera on herself, I also compared this video to her other vlog videos and noticed that she used the same framing most of the time, such as a medium close up when she was alone but when she was with her friends she used a mid shot. This was mostly the same set up for all the other vloggers videos that I watched, they all used medium close ups of themselves and they all mostly used the single camera technique. I think vloggers use the single camera technique because it is cheaper and more affordable than using multiple cameras.
Soap (UK)/Sitcom (US): A soap is a TV drama that follows the life of the same character and shows them dealing with these daily events. However a sitcom is a genre of comedy which is centred around on certain characters who a mostly the same in each episode.
Source: Wikipedia
TV Drama: A TV drama are mostly shows that are more serious and dramatic than they are funny, an example of a TV drama would be Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars.
This type of media production uses the multi camera technique as well, this is because if you use multiple cameras you will have multiple shots of the situation. So as the drama and the action takes places the audience can absorb everything for each angle. The angles that are used will be the establishing shot, that sets the tone for the scene and then a over the shoulder shot while the characters are having a conversation.
Music Video: A music video is a short video that is made for an artists songs. This usually follows a storyline and the music video is used to help promote the artists song. Source: Wikipedia
This type of media production uses multi camera technique, this is because in this video that I watched, the transition cuts are more clean than they would've been if they had been filmed using the single camera technique. I also think they used they the multi camera technique because the music video had a very large budget. If it was a bit less showy I would think they used the single camera technique, this is because the multi camera technique is much more expensive than using a single camera technique as it is only one camera.
Advertisement: Advertising is a marketing tactic involving paying for space to promote a product, service, or cause. The actual promotional messages are called advertisements, or ads for short. The goal of advertising is to reach people most likely to be willing to pay for a company's products or services and entice them to buy. - Source: The Economic Times
I think that in this advertisement they used the multi camera technique, this is because the company that is adverting the product is Apple and they are a multi billionaire company, so they have enough money to use multiple cameras. If the company was smaller and less know then I would've said single camera technique because they wouldn't have had enough money to buy lots of cameras.
Sports Events: Sporting event means an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess, usually competitive in nature and governed by a set of rules provided by a nationally recognized sanctioning body or by a local organization engaged in the development and active promotion of the athletic activity. - Source: Law Insider
I compared two sporting events (The Olympic Games 2021 and a football game between Chelsea and Tottenham) I noticed that in the both of them seemed to only use multiple cameras, this is because at first they would each have a close up shot of the athlete and then they would zoom out and have a long shot of all the other people competing. This would not be able to be done if they were using the single camera technique and it would not look as sharp.
Mid Shot: The cameras focus is on the subjects whole torso, with the subject framed head to waist
Canted Angle: An unbalanced shot, where the physical camera itself is placed at an unorthodox angle
Panning: Camera moves left or right only, the camera remains in a stationary position.
Close Up: The cameras focus is on the subjects profile, with the subject framed head to shoulders
Wide Angle: A shot taken from distance in order to frame more than two subjects at the same time
Steadicam: Camera follows a subjects movements while physically attached to a camera operator
Big Close Up: The cameras focus is on the subjects facial expressions, with the subject framed eyes to mouth
Two Shot: A shot taken at eye-level, that frames two subjects in the same place at the same time
Hand-Held: Camera is not mounted and there for has a jerky action, creating a sense of realism (this movement is shown in 1:43 and ends at 1:53)
Extreme Close Up: The cameras focus is on the subjects facial elements, with specific features framed
Over the Shoulder: A shot taken from behind a subjects shoulder, engaging in conversation with another
Point of View: A shot taken from a subjects line of sight, allowing the audience to see what the subject sees
Establishing Shot: A shot taken from an extreme distance, always occurring at the start of a scene
Focus
Focus is when you make adjustments to the lens to find the best possible resolution, sharpness, and contrast for the person you are taking a picture of or filming a video of. You can do it either by using manual focus or the autofocus system on your camera. This can help you to make the picture look more detailed and you can bring out smaller things in the background of the photo that would've have been noticed by only using your eyes. This will give your picture a more artistic and professional look to it, if it was out of focus it would look rushed and messy.
- Medium Long Shot
- Mid Shot
- Close Up
- Extreme Close Up
This picture is out of focus. Everything is blurry and you cannot see the subject or the background cleary.
This picture is out of focus because the subject is blurry and it is hard to see him.
These two are in slightly in focus, you can see the subject clearly but you cannot see the background.
This video is tracking the subject, as she is being followed with the camera and it is in focus.
Aperture
Aperture is the opening in the camera lens. A larger hole allows more light to hit the sensor, lightening your photos. A smaller hole allows less light to hit the sensor, darkening your photos. And by adjusting the aperture setting on your camera, you can adjust the size of the aperture (and, in turn, affect a photo’s brightness). -Source: Digital Photography School
1.8
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is a measurement of the time the shutter is open, shown in seconds or fractions of a second: 1 s, 1/2 s, 1/4 s … 1/250 s, 1/ 500 s, etc. In other words, the faster the shutter speed the easier it is to photograph the subject without blur and “freeze” motion and the smaller the effects of camera shake. - Source: Nikon
1/2
ISO
ISO originally referred to the sensitivity of film—it's "light gathering" ability. The higher the ISO rating, the greater the film's ability to capture images taken in low light. - Source: Nikon
Focal Length
Focal Length allows for the person taking the picture to compress the background, squeezing it so it is out of focus, this makes the subject of the image pop more so that they stand out in the picture. This is good for portrait pictures because the person who is in the photo stands out more.
100
- 18
- 50
- 135
- 200
- 300
Core Assessment
Learning Aim A
Here we analysed single camera production that had been used in 3 forms of media, I chose a music video (Hi High by LOONA). A sitcom (Brooklyn 999) and a documentary (Stacy Dooely Investigates).
Music Video - 이달의 소녀 (LOONA) "Hi High" flash warning!
In this music video Hi High by LOONA, single camera techniques have been used throughout the music video to establish the location because in the introduction of the music video they used a long-shot as the cameras focus is on the girls entire body, framing them from head to toe. This camera technique allows the people watching the music video to become more interested in the storyline happening in the music video, as it features 2 girls behind different settings each time, it allows us to see their costumes letting the audience to have a small scan over them and we can tell that these costumes are mostly used in minimalist or indie films.
They have also use an establishing shot, this allows the audience to be familiar with the scene, for example in the beginning of the music video the audience members see 2 girls: one behind the higher level of a car park and the other is near a red tower. These scenes are very prominent throughout the whole music video and it prepares the audience for what is about to be shown in the music video. The producer uses a wide angle and a two shot often, this is because they need to frame all of the girls so that the audience can see clearly.
This camera technique is also cheaper than the multi camera technique because they are only using one camera and it saved money on things such as travel. It also allows the producer more creative control and allows them to incorporate the script and the storyline into the music video, it also allows the producers to shoot scenes faster in one location.however the disadvantages of the single camera technique is that it takes longer to film than using the multi camera technique, this is due to the fact that they are only using one camera during production. On the other hand if they had used the multi camera technique it would've saved them more time and they would've been able to film the music video in a shorter amount of time. They also would've not have to edit out any continuity mistakes because they would've done it all in one shot and they would be able to edit live on the camera.
The camera zooms in on the girls slowly, this effect this forces the audience to keep their attention on the girls which is useful for a music video. For both of the girls to be in focus, the cameraman would have needed a large depth of field and a lower aperture so that everything is in focus such as the background and the girls in the video, further interesting the viewers of the music video.
Documentary - Stacy Dooley Investigates.
In this documentary single camera techniques have been used throughout. This is clear due to the fact that in the documentary it is not actors that are being filmed but real people which allows the audience to see their reactions in full. There is also lots of narration present in this documentary which will give the audience more insight into the subject that she is investigating. She also interviews people passing by which gives the sense of authenticity and this lets the audience to see the participators emotions in full which lets them feel more included in the documentary.
Sound is also used in this documentary, in the scene in which the boxes of water are being unloaded there is very dramatic music that is being played in the background which heightens the tension in the scene making the viewer curious. Single Camera techniques are also cheaper for the production and means you do not have to worry about carrying heavy cameras around on set however if the producers had chosen to use multiple cameras then they would have carry around lots of cameras. If the producers had chosen to use the multi camera production technique then the lighting in each shot would've been different, this is because they shot more than one scene.
In this, the producer often uses a medium close up and a close up shot which makes the audience feel more intimate, this also allows the producer to capture the people's emotions and their facial expression but you can still also see the background, whereas a close up shot allows the audience to see the small details of the persons emotions and it lets the audience see how they are feeling. The producer also has the camera on a high shutter speed of 1/160s which gives us a longer exposure. The producer also uses a shallow depth of field when he is focusing on the woman this helps her to stand out more from the background
TV Show - Brooklyn Nine Nine
In this TV Show, single camera production techniques have been used throughout. This scene opens with a mid shot which means the camera focuses on the subjects entire torso meaning they are framed from the head to the waist. During discussions, shot reverse shot is utilised with modest zooms when anything of weight is uttered to bring gravity to the saw. This shot reverse shot approach is used to simply transmit the conversation between the characters, demonstrating that basic camera techniques are occasionally required to advance a program's plot.
They also zoom in on the characters faces in a slightly jerky motion which gives the scenes a more realistic feel as it seem handheld, like most sitcoms such as The Office, however it is not as jerky and shaky which gives it a more polished and it is seems more organised. Like The Office, Brooklyn Nine Nine uses zooms to place emphasis on funny or important moment. For example, when Captain Holt insults Wunch the camera zooms into his expression so that the audiences focus is on what he has to say.
The rest of the show uses similar camera methods, with a more organized handheld approach throughout. Wide handheld shots are used to establish the location (usually accompanied by quirky incidental music to uplift the tone of the show), mid shots are used during character conversations, closer shot reverse shots are also used during character conversations.
Zooms are used to add emphasis on dialogue between the characters, zooms are also used when something important has been revealed, the producer uses the handheld camera technique when tracking and panning shots to follow characters during moving scenes. The same tactics can be seen in each episode, demonstrating that the show adheres to a prescribed pattern while simultaneously establishing a personal style.
Core Assessment
Learning Aim B
In this assessment we are applying the single camera techniques that we learned about and analysed in Learning Aim A, in order to use them in our music video. We created a fictional record label (DAMKZ) and a fictional artist, Jamie Hayes which is listed below in our treatment and we also planned the shooting schedule, risk assessment, equipment booking, location recce and shooting script.
Shooting Schedule
Location Recce
Equipment Booking
Equipment Booking
Risk Assessment
Shooting Script
Video Log Sheet
Treatment
Storyboard: Recogniton and Attempts
I was quite worried whilst I was drawing the storyboard because I am not the best artist, but I managed to set aside my worries and get on with it, I also asked my crew members for help while I was struggling with my storyboard.
