Single Camera Techniques Essay

This essay is about the different aspects of a single camera production and the different genres and formats within them.

Camera:

When filming a single camera production the crew only use one camera, this is to get a more intimate feel for the production as well as add to the realism of it. Due to only using one camera the cast will have to film one scene many different times in order to get the right amount of shots needed. For example, they might do one take of all the characters talking, then do individual takes of all the characters, which, depending on how many characters are in the scene could be well over 3 takes. However, if the scene requires a difficult stunt or a building to collapse then they will use multiple cameras as they might not be able to redo the scene. Often directors prefer to use single cameras as they get more control over them then they do with multiple cameras

Lighting:

Due to only using one camera, lighting shots is easy as you only need to light one scene at a time, whereas when filming with more than one camera you need to make sure all of the lightings are the same otherwise it looks fake. Often in single camera productions, they will set up something called chiaroscuro lighting which is a Latin term which means light and dark which is where a character is half in the light and half in the dark, this is to show that they might not be fully good.

Sound:

When filming a single camera production you need to start recording the sound a few seconds before filming and leave it running for a few seconds in the end to avoid jumpy transactions between shots. When filming, the crew have to make sure that they don't have the mic in the shot - sometimes however it is fine, for example, people presenting the news have a clip on microphone on their clothes. To avoid having the microphone in the shot they might place it somewhere outside the room, like in Citizen Kane where they placed it above the ceiling. Due to the fact that they need to film one scene multiple times they might take the audio from one take and put it over the visuals of another which is also why sometimes the audio doesn't fit with what the actor is saying.

Coverage:

When filming you want to make sure you have a lot of footage, this is so you have a wide range to choose from when editing. The term coverage refers to the amount of film you have captured, and good coverage means how much of it is actually usable in the film. When doing a single camera production you need to reshoot one scene many times in order to get enough good coverage that you can make your film watchable. When filming a single camera production its best to get a master shot of all the actors doing one long shot of the scene so that you can always go back to that one scene if necessary.

Editing:

If you have a lot of good coverage then it might take a while to edit as you need to look at all of the footage first to see what looks better in film. Often shot logs are used to keep track of the all the shots done and a brief description of how it turned out, this is helpful because then all you need to do is read a small bit of text which is quicker than watching a small part of the footage. Furthermore, it is good because for a single camera production you often need to reshoot the same scene and so it might be hard to find the correct one you need for the film.

Period:

A period drama is a drama that takes place in the past a specific time - for example the 1940s. Period dramas have special costumes made that match the outfits that they would've worn at that time. An example of a period drama is Merlin

Crime Drama:

Crime dramas are dramas that mainly focus on criminals and the police force. They are mainly shot from the police forces side and we watch them try to capture the criminal, however, some films/TV shows do have them shown from the criminal's side. An example of a crime drama is Bones

Horror:

Horror is a genre of fiction that is made with the intent to scare, frighten and disgust the viewers. An example of a horror film is I.T

Comedy:

Comedy is a genre of fiction that is made with the intent to make people laugh. Sometimes comedies feature a laugh-track which is prerecorded laughter that is placed over a funny moment in the show, however, some TV shows are filmed in front of a live studio audience. An example of a comedy show is Brooklyn 99

Soap opera:

Soap operas are drama series that are ongoing, they also are usually filmed with multiple cameras due to the fact that they are so popular and air at a quick rate, some, however, is filmed with a single camera but most aren't. An example of a soap opera is General Hospital.

Series:

A series is a TV show that has different episodes with a different storyline per episode - however, sometimes there is a sub-plot that goes on for a few episodes. A series also follows the same characters throughout the entire thing. An example of this is Supernatural where it follows two brothers - Sam and Dean - as they try to find their dad while hunting ghosts, vampires, etc.

Serial:

A serial program has a continuing plot which unfolds as each episode progresses, they usually follow the main story arc that spans entire TV seasons. Soap operas are serials and they have no set end, which basically means that they go on forever, for example, Coronation Street has been running since 1960 and is the longest running British serial.

Single drama:

A single drama is a whole story told in a one-off episode (they can go on for 2 or 3 parts), they last anywhere between 5 minutes and the length of a whole TV movie. An example of a single drama is
The Accidental Death of an Anarchist.

Multicamera techniques:

If a show is being aired live then it would impossible to show everything that is happening and so they will use multiple cameras from different angles to get everything on camera. Also if a certain shot can't be redone - for example, a building collapsing - then they will use multiple cameras just so they have every shot they need. There are advantages and disadvantages to a multicamera production, for example, an advantage is that you can shoot one scene from different angles at the same time and so it wouldn't take as long to shoot overall, also you'd have less to edit which means editing will also be quicker overall. However, some disadvantages are that you need to make sure lighting is consistent throughout all of the cameras which can be tricky if you don't know how to work cameras, also the cameras take up space which means locations will be harder to sort out.