Single Camera Production Techniques

In this essay, I will be writing about Single Camera Techniques. I will be looking at how various different components such as lighting and sound affect shots when using just a single camera and how it differs from using multiple cameras. I am writing this essay to get a greater understanding of what the advantages and disadvantages are of using a single camera when making a production, and if it is better to use a single camera rather than several.

When making a single camera production, it is as the name says, it consists of using just one camera. Each scene which is filmed then has to be shot over and over again to make the footage look seamless. It is used to to make the viewers of the production feel a part of the scene, and it makes it more realistic. Sometimes producers may have to add another camera or more to the set if a particular scene has a lot of speech or if there is a stunt involved. This is because there would be too much footage for one camera to gather and make the scene look boring. The result is ultimaely more cameras equals more opportunities to capture difficult scenes/action.

In a single camera production, each shot is lit individually, so it is easier than using multiple camera's as every scene in a multi camera production has to have the same lighting balance. However because it takes longer to set up it looks better. Also, because every scene in a single camera production is lit individually, the director can manipulate the light to add the desired style or tone he wants to the scene. The shots are usually lit by placing the subject in the centre of all the required equipment. The camera will be placed at the angle you want it to be, with the key light placed on the right of the subject and the reflector on its left. There will also be a dark background placed behind the subject.

Sound in single camera productions also has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages are if you choose to utilise just the buit in microphone in a single camera, you will usually pick up too many background noises and can make the scenes sound poor and amateurish. It also has disadvantages against multi camera productions as it is easier to mic up anyone they require in the scene as a lot of multi camera products are able to have the microphones visible when scenes are being produced.

The editing stage of productions is always quite a long and dragged out period, this is because of the fact you have to order each shot you have captured and decide whether any scenes need re-shooting. In single camera productions it is renound that all scenes will be filmed together and when the specific characters and cast are needed. When using multiple cameras it is possible to edit whilst still filming. So with programmes such as Gilette Soccer Saturday, they can cut to shots of live sports whenever they want too. This isn't possible using a single camera, so this means when every scene is filmed it has to be taken to an editing studio, as this is the only place where editing can happen. You can edit in multi camera shows afterwards too.

Building a story is essential when thinking of making a new programme. It means choosing an idea which really interests you and getting all the necessary requirements such as the right characters, choosing the right plot, the style you want to show it in and the structure the production will take up.

When building a scene, there are five things you have to take into consideration. They are the 'fives P's', people, place, plot, progession, and point. People are important because you have to know who is in the particular scenes you are filming. The place is important because you need to know the location you're filming at and if it is suitable for the scene you're shooting. Plot is also improtant. As the director you have to be up to date with what parts of the plot are in which scenes. The last two, progression and point are important as progression means how well the footage you collect helps to keep the drama rolling, and point is if the scene keeps with tone of the story (or drama).

There are various genres linked with single camera productions, these include period dramas, dramadocs, crime, horror, soap opera and comedy. Period dramas are programmes which have been set in the past, the likes of Downton Abbey, and more recently Mr Selfridge are examples of period dramas. Drama documentaries uses "the language of drama" to create interest around certain documented content. They are widely criticised for not being wholey accurate. Programmes such as The road to Guantanamo are dramadocs. Crime dramas are centered around criminals and authorative figures such as the police. Examples of this genre include Sherlock, Silent Witness and Law and Order. Horror is another genre which uses single camera as they can utilise it to make the scenes look more realistic and make the audience feel more involved. Soap Opera's are set in real life circumstances, and come across like day-to-day life. Programmes which fall under this genre are Eastenders and Coronation Street (however these shows are multi camera). Comedy also use single camera techniques, not all of them but some do and these include programmes like The Peep Show and My Name Is Earl. 

Single camera techniques are also used in formats like series, serial and single dramas. Shows like CSI and Law and Order are examples of series. Each series will have central narrative which will create a specific storyline. This will carry over several episodes or maybe even the whole series. Eastenders and Coronation Street are popular examples of serial dramas. They do not have start and end date, they are continuous so will therefore run for long periods of time. Single dramas are on the other end of the scale to serial and series, they have a one-off episode which will have just one story. Examples of this are A Short Stay In Switzerland and White Girl.

 

Single camera productions also uses the various narrative structures. These are linear, non-linear, realist, anti-realist, open endings and closed endings. Linear is simply when a production has a start, a middle and an end. In contrast, non-linear is clearly the opposite. It does not follow a set timeline, it instead takes up techniques such as using flashbacks. Realist is when a programme follows the course of presenting you with a realistic portrayal of whatever the story is about. Anti-realist is the opposite to realist. It doesn't aim to be realistic so is therefore given the name of fictional. Open endings are when the programme you are watching doesn't have a clear conclusion. It is a cliffhanger so to speak, and can usually lead to sequels being produced. Closed endings are completely different from open ones. They are programmes which have an ending, so that both the characters and viewers know there is a resolution. It is where the story finishes.

Single camera scripts and multi camera scripts differ because in mulit camera scripts there is more capitalisation in the scene and action directions. Script writers usually do this because there are a lot more scenes involved than in single camera scripts.

Multi camera productions differ from those of single camera productions. They use more camera's, so therefore there are less continuity errors, therefore it is much more fluent. It also isn't as stop, start as single camera productions because they can capture the action from lots of different angles. There are less re-shoots as they can edit the footage whilst filming. It is a lot quicker to film with mulitple cameras, as shooting with just one camera can be a long dragged out process. There are a few problems with multi camera productions though, as lighting is much more difficult to control and manage, and the directors have less control over the shots as there are far more to film.