Single and Multi Camera Techniques

I am writing this essay to compare the uses of single camera and multi camera production in different genres of Film and TV production. This will explore may of the different sections such as how cameras are used, how the scene is lit, how sounds is recorded and how it is all edited together.

Single camera production is usually used to produce films as they are easy to use and manipulate. This is manipulated a lot easier through being able to control the lighting for each individual shot to make it more dramatic. This also allows them to place the camera in positions that would make them visible to the other cameras if they were to be using a multi camera setup. Multi Camera setups are commonly used for sitcoms and soaps such as The Big Bang Theory and EastEnders. It is a lot more efficient for these kinds of shows to use multi camera setups so that they have enough coverage for each episode. It is also a lot more efficient for them in production costs as it means they can shoot whole scenes a lot quicker than having to perfect each shot with lighting and angles. If they can shoot it once with many different cameras then they are able to save money on hiring sets and actors and will have many different shots of one scene. This can also be helpful for continuity as when they change the shots, it will be exactly what was happening and not just the actor redoing a scene. which could lead to continuity errors. Multi Camera setups can be difficult when trying to get the freedom of movement, as the cameras can only operate on one side of the set otherwise the cameras will be in shot and will therefore be visible to one another. They can usually also only use one direction in the set as they will make the set with one wall open so that they can place all of the cameras, production equipment and crew. This is usually why films such as horrors are only single camera production, as if they are wanting to put POVs of the monster into the shot, then they would be able to see the camera man. When using a multi camera setup, it is possible to switch between views using a vision mixer during certain types of shows. This may be in shows such as sport shows, this can consist of; Match of the Day, Superbowl and even in Britians Got Talent.

When using single camera's, match on actions have to be doctored together. Trying to copy a previous movement in the shot before which will usually look good throughout feature films however, when inexperienced, can make a video look very unprofessional. Multi camera setups can be a lot easier to cut to match on actions as it is the same action from different angles therefore, if cut correctly, will look very similar. Genres such as horror will often use similar shots to one another throughout similar films in its own genre, as there are certain shots which are known to work well for creating tension. These shots often consist of lower angles, however sometimes are not always suitable for the scene. Shot composition plays a large role in mood when trying to create an intense atmosphere. It is unlikely that higher angles are used in the genre of horror however, there are often exceptions. These exceptions may be when camera angles are being used for POV's or metaphorical POV's. Metaphorical/Fake POV's are shots that look similar to POV's however, are not. These angles are often at the height of an average person in the position of a POV, these are used to make you feel like you are a part of the action and to intensify the mood. These are used throughout films such as Insidious shown below. This shot is used to show the woman in the black veil running towards the camera which helps to add to the feeling of being there.

Single Camera Lighting:

When using lighting in single camera techniques, you are able to adjust lighting. Lighting for each genre can be very different however, films can be similar throughout their own genre in the sense of lighting. Horror films are commonly lit with high angled lighting coming from below as it creates unusual shadows across objects and characters. This can be very powerful in creating tension and is also very metaphorical. The lighting coming from below can be seen as rather primitive and can be seen as a metaphor for campfires, back before technological advancements. This can create a sense of danger as it can relate back to times before the police were invented and creates a feeling of lessened comfort and safety. This lighting can also be metaphorical for the light coming from hell as heaven is commonly seen as being above and hell is seen as below us. The uncomfortable shadows seem disorienting as they are coming from below, whereas we are used to seeing light coming from above. This can also be a metaphor for this world being flipped upside down to create the lighting which can be seen as the underworld or the Antichrist, as flipping lighting upside down is very similar to flipping the cross upside down.

As each shot is doctored individually with a single camera setup to create the most amount of atmosphere, it means that you can adjust the lighting to create the most amount of impact. Genres such as horror will often be single camera productions for the fact that lighting is a lead role along with angles that create the amount of tension built in certain scenes. This means that the cameras would only be able to certain shots as others may not be lit properly to create the right amount of tension. Multi Camera setups are very different when it comes to lighting. They will often use lighting that will clearly show the whole scene so that all of the shots that they choose to use will be lit properly. Productions companies that are using multi camera setups will often use a 3 point light setup so that the scenes are perfectly lit from all angles.



Sound can be very tricky to capture with both multi and single camera production. Sound can be made a lot easier to capture with Single Camera productions, as they are able to adjust the microphone around the shot to be able to pick up the sound whilst also staying out of frame. Whereas multiple camera production may be harder as they will need to find a place for a microphone to pick up all of their voices equally which usually is not possible. They will often use multiple microphones to pick up the audio equally from each subject and then switch between which audio clips they are going to use, that way no one sounds louder or quieter and it will not be uneven. So production companies can use these audio files without any noticeable changes throughout the clips, they will often use J cuts and L cuts. The audio clips will begin slightly before the video and overlay them to ensure there is a smooth transition and so it doesn't sound as jittery. This is where the audio will switch at a point before or after the clip so that the audio and clip doesn't cut in sync. This makes it a lot less noticeable and the name of this cut comes from the shape that is left in the audio/video cut difference. When editing single camera productions, you will have a large amount of footage to work with as the production company will not want to risk having to film any scenes again or obtain missing footage. When the scenes for a single camera production are put together, they will all be checked over many times to ensure there are no mistakes. This may not be a big deal in smaller scenes whereas when looking over a 90 minute film, looking for mistakes can be extremely wasteful of time which can affect a company greatly when trying to work to a deadline. Shot logs are very important when it comes to editing scenes together as it says what works well with a description of the shot and any other details that may be essential to it. Sound can work well when it comes to L and  J cuts when using over the shoulder shots. This is due to not being able to see the face of the character who's shoulder were are looking over. This means that when they move their mouth, you are able to add another piece of audio underneath for the next clip (J cut). This works as you can't see the persons lips to be able to see what they are seeing. As long as the characters jaw or mouth is moving like it is gesturing to speak then the mind registers it as what the next clip is saying without inspecting to see if they are actually saying what was used in the next clip.
Multi camera and single camera setups will often be used for different genres of Films and TV shows. Shows such as soaps will often have to use multi camera setups as they would not have the luxury of being able to doctor each shot as they are on such a tight schedule and will be needing to release a new episode every week. Feature films that can take years to produce will often be due to having a single camera setup as it allows them to adjust each shot for lighting, angles, movements etc. A good example of lighting adjustment would be in horror films where the lighting will often be adjusted to highlight a character by placing lights on specific places to light a small amount of the character, as this creates the mood of being mysterious and ominous. Single camera setups can take a long time to record all of the scenes as they will often change the lighting and angles to experiment with what looks best. This is where a large amount of the time consumption comes from, along with the actors needing to get their scene correct. Time consumption can also come from having to reconfigure the lighting for each shot.

An example of a Sci-Fi TV show is Doctor Who, in this show they show edits of over the shoulder shots which means that it is also a single camera production. This show includes a large use of sound effects (dietetic assisting the scene) along with the slower close up shots. These shots will often use slow music along with soundtracks in order to intensify the emotion. The lighting in this TV show is natural and does not use a large amount of dramatic lighting for outside scenes and instead uses well lit scenes with wider shots and higher angles to show the drama fills the frame and shows all of the effects and CGI. The lighting for shots that are indoors use a variety of special lighting including such as coloured lights, filler and back lights.

There are many different story types which can affect which camera setup is used for productions:

• Linear- a story that goes from start to end in chronological order. Most films and TV shows will follow this story type and is not specific to any kind of genre or camera setup.
• Non-Linear- This can be made in any possible way including ordering it randomly, flashbacks or flash forwards. This can be used for revealing the end before the film has started. This will often be used for feature films however, there are exceptions for TV Shows such as Doctor Who in the episode called doomsday where "Rose" is narrating her death before it happens. 
• Flash Forwards- This is where the video will show sections of the future and is the opposite of a flash back. This is used commonly throughout Sci-Fi films such as "The Arrival" where they are able to control a power of being able to see the future. This type of story telling is commonly used in films and is rarely used in TV shows. This would follow a single camera setup as multi camera setups are not used for feature films.
• Flashback- This is when a video flashes back to show something that may have happened in the past. This can either be flashing back to something that has already happened or to something that may not have been shown which can reveal or complete a story line. This is used in the film "Spiderman 3" where the main character looks back to remember that the creature does not like a certain sound, which helps to defeat him. Flashbacks can be useful for showing what a person is thinking rather than have it all in dialogue. These forms of storytelling are rarely used in multi camera productions and are more commonly used in single camera productions.


• Realist Narratives- This is where a story follows a story line which is realistic or may have been based on true stories or events. This is commonly used in films over TV shows as they often tell a single story. A single story may not be long enough to last over an entire series, whereas a film is much more manageable. This style of story telling is common throughout large triumphs in history that are either very popular or have gone uncredited. This will be common throughout war films, sports, athletes etc. This style is used in films such as "Bleed For This", where they tell the story of a boxer called Vinny Panienza overcoming being in a car crash and breaking his neck. This is often used with a single camera setup, as the production will often be showing a large amount of emotion, triumph and heart, they will not be able to use cheap and simple setup shots in order to bring these across. They will often use well thought out shots along with dramatic lighting in order to bring these emotions across along. They will also need to move around the character well which cannot be accomplished very easily with a multi camera setup.
• Non Realistic- This is where a story is clearly not true and is not filmed realistically. These will often have a large amount of editing and visual effects. This is used commonly throughout both films and TV shows and is used mostly in Sci-Fi and action films whereas, it can be used in other genres. This is used in films such as "Guardians of the Galaxy" and in TV shows such as "Being Human". Being Human is a good example of how this has been used in less common genres as Being Human is a drama which includes vampires, werewolves and ghosts. These will often follow the single camera setup as they will need to be using a variety of different angles to show off the various amounts of CGI and VFX. This is also important as Sci-Fi films will use lighting heavily to create the moods in their scenes and lighting cannot be doctored through the use of multi camera setups. 

Coverage:

Covering the amount of material you are going to need in order to complete the short/feature film or TV show that is being edited is very essential. If you do not have all of the resources needed to complete the film, such as dialogue or clips. This can be very difficult if you do not have all of the shots which are needed as it means that there will be a large amount of costs in order to be able to shoot the missing shots. The production company would have to pay out more money to hire the actors again, they may need to rehire the location, props and costumes. This could also be very difficult if a location which they were using before is no longer available to them. The coverage can also depend on your budget as you may not be able to get the desired shots, angles and movements without the correct equipment. This equipment can range from cranes and cages to tripods and gymbles. In order to gain enough shots to be able to cover the whole scene, it is important to get enough different angles to be able to interchange with. There should be a master shot which is used throughout the entirety of the edit so that you can work other shots in whilst still cutting back to the master if it is needed. A master shot is a recording of the whole scene which captures all of the action in the scene and all of the characters. These are commonly wide shots.

As a final conclusion multi camera production and single camera have many different advantages and disadvantages. Each form of camera production is useful for different types of production. I feel for shows that are needing to be cheaper and have shorter deadlines, multi camera production would be most useful, this would be shows such as sitcoms and soaps. On the other hand single camera production is a lot better for having more creativity for the camera and more work put into making shots look better. This will be most useful for films that may require scenes with a lot more work such as making horror movies more tense or making scenes more cinematic.