This is essay is about single camera techniques and other alternative solutions. I am writing it to show the skills and knowledge I have learned from using single camera techniques. I will write this essay in different sections including what single camera is, how to use a camera for single camera techniques and the alternative solutions.
Using a camera for single camera
production is slightly different from how you would use it for multi-camera
production. Obviously when using single camera techniques you only use one
camera. However on some single camera productions more than one camera is used.
This is usually if there is a scene such as an explosion or something that will
be difficult and time consuming to shoot multiple times which is why it is shot
from multiple angles with different cameras. When shooting a scene using single
camera techniques, sections of scenes or sometimes the entire scene are shot
with one take then reacted and reshot various times so that they can later be
spliced together during the editing stage. This can make it more expensive as
more film or digital space is needed to hold the extra footage that has been
shot. The director has the main control over the shots but a cinematographer
will help the director realise what he wants. Lighting on single camera
production is done by lighting each shot individually, this makes controlling
the light a lot easier. It makes the lighting look more realistic as it can
look fake when shooting with multiple cameras as one lighting set-up is used
from multiple camera angles.
There advantages and
disadvantages to sound when using single camera techniques. A disadvantage is
that a lot of overlay needs to be shot this means that filming can sometimes
over run as a lot of extra time is spent filming. Overlay is extra footage that
is shot but is not intended to be used. It is just shot to help continuity with
the parts of the take that will be used. A lot of footage is wasted when
editing a production that has used a single camera. This is because most of the
footage is not filmed for use but just to make it edit together more smoothly. Microphones are used for recording sound onto
a separate file so that in post-production soundtracks from one take can be
used on another as long as they fit. This may be done if a shot is right but
there is a problem with the sound.
If something goes wrong when
shooting a scene for a single camera production, sometimes all the cast a crew
need to get back together to reshoot. Because of the careful planning is needed
when producing a single camera production. This involves scripting. Scripting
for a single camera production is very similar to if you were to script a
multi-camera production. The main differences are that multi-camera scripts use
different format conventions such as capitalising scene directions.[1]
A script supervisor is required to help control continuity in the script, axis
and eye lines of characters and much more. It is there job to make sure there
are no continuity mistakes such as sudden change in location.
Building a story mainly consists
of four things; characters, plot, style and structure. Characters are the people that will be
involved in the story that is being written. There is normally a main
character, supporting characters such as a best friend and enemies of the main
character. The plot is the story in which the characters are involved. A strong
plot is what will usually attract audiences to a production. Style includes the
tone of the production such as is it a feel good story or is it a realist
story. Structure is the way in which the story is told. Structure can be linear
which is beginning-middle-end or nonlinear which mixes it up and sometimes
involves flashbacks to tell parts of the story.
When building a scene you need
to consider the five P’s; people, place, plot, progression and point. People is
who needs to be in the scene such as characters. It is very important to know
what characters are going to be in the scene so that there are no continuity
errors if a character just disappears between scenes. Place is the location in
which the scene is set. It is important to know what location a scene is set so
that there is no confusion and planning can be made to be in the right
locations. Plot is the story that is involved in the scene. It is important to know the plot in the scene
so that each scene has a purpose. Progression is how the scene will move the
story along. This can include development of characters and the plot unfolding.
This is important so that the story is kept strong throughout the production.
Point is about the intention of the scene. The intention of the scene is
normally to serve the story and keep it moving.
Period dramas are dramas that are
set in a certain time in the past such as Victorian times. In period dramas
costumes and props are rebuilt to match that of the era it is set in to create
more realism. An example of a period drama is Call the Midwife (2012 – Present). Dramadocs are a combination of both drama and
documentary. This is usually done to dramatise research or to make the
production feel more real. An example of this is the BBC miniseries Space Race (Spencer, 2005). Crime dramas
are dramas that focus either on criminals, authority figures or both. An
example of a crime drama is Silent
Witness (1996 – Present). Single camera techniques are used in Horror to
create a more realistic feeling therefore making it scarier. An example of a
Horror is The Walking Dead (2010 –
Present). Soap operas are on-going dramas that usually broadcast around four
episodes a week. They are usually filmed using multi-camera techniques so that
the episodes can be shot and edited as quickly as possible. An example of a
soap opera is Coronation Street (1951
– Present). Comedy shows are shows that are made to make people laugh or feel
good. They are usually filmed with multi-camera techniques but are sometimes
filmed with single cameras. An example of a single camera comedy is Scrubs (2001 – 2010). The camera used on
these dramas depends on the logistics such as the size and mobility. The
easiest camera to use with the best result will be the one that will finally be
used. This goes will all equipment used on the production.
The different forms of dramas are
series, serial and single drama. Series dramas are a group of episodes around
23 that are usually broadcast weekly series dramas will eventually end once the
story has finished, when viewing figures decline or if it is cancelled by the
broadcaster. Breaking Bad (Gilligan, 2008) is an example of a series drama. It
follows a high school teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He uses
his expertise to create the finest meth and sells it to provide for his family
once he is killed by the cancer. The show has ran for five seasons and 62
episodes. Serial dramas are usually continuous and do not run for a specified
time. Soap operas are serial dramas as they do not have ends or various
seasons. An example of a serial drama is Coronation
Street (1951 – Present). Coronation
Street has been running for over 50 years and as of 14th January
2013 there has been 8040 episodes broadcast. Single dramas are just one off
episodes. The story will start and come to an end all in the one episode not
dissimilar to a movie. An example of a single drama is Small Island (2009). It is about the story of Jamaicans and
Londoners involved in WWII.
Single camera productions can
use various narrative structures. The most common type being linear structures.
This is when the narrative will start with a beginning go to the middle then
finally the end. The narrative is sequenced in a chorological order. The
opposite of this is non-linear. The story can be told in a sequence of
flashbacks such as the way Lost
(Abrams, 2004) is told. Realist narratives are usually slow moving. This is
because they aim to offer a realistic story so it sometimes take a while for
anything interesting to happen. They aim to offer a story of life rather than
an action packed story like what anti-realist narratives offer. Anti-realist
narratives tell stories that the audience knows is fiction. They will sometimes
include things that are not possible such as time-travel in Doctor Who (2005). Open ending
narratives are when the story is left unfinished. They can usually end on a
cliff-hanger which will leave the audience guessing what is going to happen
rather than actually telling them. Some audiences feel cheated by open ended
narratives as the spend time watching the production and never get to find out
what happened. The opposite to this is closed ending narratives that resolve
the story. This usually ends with the character reaching the goal they have
been trying to reach throughout the narrative such as in a romantic comedy and
the couple finally get together. The
audience usually feels fulfilled as they know the full story and the resolution
of the characters.
Using a single camera rather
than multiple can make the audience feel more like they are involved in the
scene. This is used to create a more intimate feel.[2]
Single camera productions usually take longer to edit than multi-camera as all
the footage needs to be search through to find parts that are wanted. Unlike
single camera productions, multi-camera productions can sometimes be edited live.
This is used on live TVs such as Ant and Dec’s Saturday Nights Takeaway
(2002 - Present), it is done to keep the audience interested as if it was just
one shot at one angle it will get boring for the audience. There are usually a
lot more continuity errors in single camera productions than there are in
multi-camera productions because when the whole scene is in one take everything
has to be done at the exact same time including position of characters and
emotions on their faces.
