Single Camera Production Techniques

In this blog post I will be writing about single camera productions. I will explain about the camera and how it is used, how the lighting is affected in single camera productions, the sound track/dialogue and the editing. I will then go into further details and explain about the single camera genres and formats. At the end i will talk a little about the multi-camera techniques and how this is different from single camera. I will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of single camera to multi-camera.

If we reflect back to moving images whether you are using single or multi camera production it is never easy to film as both techniques do come across their issues. However some people believe that the use of single camera production is not always as good as using multi camera production. Lets focus now on single camera production.

How is the camera used and the footage shot?
As you may be able to tell the name "single camera production" says it all. When doing a single camera production every scene is shot with only one camera and most of the time exactly the same camera throughout. Although this is only done with one camera you can still gather amazing shots from different angles and different distance. This means that the actors will have to repeat the same steps over and over again as one scene can be shoot multiple times from different angles and distance. This means that the camera itself is moving however the set and the actors are still at the spot. Because of the repetitive reenacting and shots, the single camera production tends to take a longer period of time to complete.

How is a single camera production lit?
When it comes to lightening a lot of producers actually prefer single camera production as the lightening is easy to sort out for just one camera as each scene can be lit individually. The single camera production lightening is done by a method named " 3 point lighting system". Basically the lightening is done using 3 sets of light. Two of these will be placed besides the camera one on each side focusing on the subject. These lights are normally called "Key and Fill light". The third light is what they call "back light", and this is placed behind the subject to clear out any shadows. This light is not seen on the footage.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sound in single camera.
Just like the lighting the gathering of audio for a single camera production is is good and flexible. The reason for this is because of the various amount of time the scene is shot. Meaning that there is a various amount of audio that is gathered too. When editing the editor has a variety of choices to pick from audio. For example they can pick the best footage visually and combine it with the best audio as long as it fits.

When it comes to film production the most common device used for this is the boom mic. This is a directional mic which is mounted on a boom mic and then placed just out of the view from the camera. The reason a boom mic is so good for capturing sound is due to the insulation around the mic preventing the vibrations from surround to be captured. The only complicated bit about using this mic is controlling the distance from the character and the mic very carefully. This kind of mic is a great choice to film outdoors where wind and horrific ambient sound tend to be a problem.

In single camera production a really good technique used to make the audio fell less jumpy and awkward is extra record. The producers tend to start recording the audio a little earlier then what is meant to and at the end they carry on recording for a little longer. This is good simply because when it comes to editing they can cross fade the audio of the same scene gathered from different shots. By doing this the audio will sound much more fluid with no awkward jumps.

However there is a disadvantage when capturing audio in single camera production. When doing this they are only using one camera meaning the there will only be one mic recording the audio. This is a disadvantage because a single mic will not capture as much audio and ambient sound as three, four or more mics would. Although in single camera production there are various amount of audio to choose from when editing there are less good choices of ambient sound to pick as there is only one mic involved in every shoot.

When it comes to dialogue there is not much problem as the footage can be looked back at and the dialogue can be recorded in the studio an then embedded in post production.

Multi-camera productions tend to use various amount of mics. These mics tend to be wireless an they are normally tapped onto the actors clothes. Some are hidden in different places of the set. Other mics are normally seen on camera, for example shows like, x-factor and Britain got talent. The reason being for the use of so many mics is simply because when there is an error with the audio it is much harder to correct it in multi-camera production as many of them tend to be live.

How is a single camera production edited?


When it comes to editing in single camera production it is necessary that time is taken into consideration as this normally takes longer than multi-camera editing. The reason being is simply because each scene will have a massive amount of shots taken. The process goes by taking a master shot of the scene which opens the scene from a wide and long angle, these are then followed by various shots from various angles. Some people tend to keep what is called "Shot logs" so that they keep track of the shots taken and the times it has been taken.  The editor has to have his work area well organised so that finding and picking the right shots for the right scenes is easier. In multi-camera production footages can sometimes be edited live as there are multi cameras from different angles. This is useful simply because the editor controls and chooses which camera we see at time.



5. Single camera genres and formats.
There are a load of different genres in film, TV shows, etc. However when filming with single camera genres tend to jump it automatically. For example using a single camera would be more beneficial to film a horror film. This is because with the use of only one camera we can control the lighting better, the angles and also the actors. We can go right up to the actors with the camera as there are no other cameras filming. Close ups on a subject is really good as it will give the viewers that exciting, mysterious, dramatic feeling alongside with building tension. This gets the viewer more involved with the film as it gives that personal feeling with a subject. Other genres such as thrillers and crime dramas are in the same area as horror, it benefits from the use of single camera and most times it is actually better to only use one camera for these.

A genre that would benefit more from multi-camera production rather than single is comedy. The reason for this is simply because we have more cameras to be able to catch all of the actors natural reactions to a certain event. If we were to do the same with a single camera it would be much harder and time consuming as we would have to stage everything once again and re-do the shoot from the angle we want. Soap opera is another TV genre which is normally filmed using multi-camera production.

Alongside with the genres there are a few formats that go with single camera productions.
The most common formats in single camera production are series, serial and single drama. You may think you do not know any however Im sure that you have came across all three of these at least once.
"CSI" would be a great example of a series. This is when the program is based around the same central characters, ran episodically with a different story line and episode every week.
A serial is similar to a series however at the same time slightly different. A serial also runs in episode for an amount of time, some serials may never end, at least in your life time. However instead of having a new episode with a different story line the story in a serial develops with time. These would be soap opera such as "Emerdale and Hollyoaks". An example of a common serial would be "Pride and Prejudice".
The last one is single drama, this is different then the other twos simply because a single drama is more like a short film. A single drama normally tells the whole story in one single episode. The minimum length for a single drama is 5 minutes. A great example of this would be "A short stay in Switzerland". It also won the 2010 BAFTA.

7. Multi-camera techniques 
Multi camera technique is very widely used in many films and television programs. Most cases it would be very difficult to film a certain scenery with just one camera. This is because it would be impossible to cover all the action happening. An example of this would be sports such as football, rugby and basketball. The fact that there are so many players on the field and all at different points at the same time makes it impossible to film everything that is happening. In order to do this various cameras are set up in different places and angles. Other example of television programs that are filmed using multi camera are talent shos such as X-Factor and Britains got talent.

Multi camera are mostly used when the filming is done live so its slightly easier to edit as it goes along. It is also used when a scene can not be filmed again without creating a continuity error. Films such as action films where there are many things happening at once may not be able to be re-shoot so multi cameras are placed everywhere to cover every angle and catch every detail needed to edit.  

Using multi-camera has its benefits, it saves time as the amount of shoots needed to be retaken will be reduced due to the various amount of cameras planted, Another benefit is that there will be less continuity error as there are cameras everywhere and many shoots will not need re-takes.
However the bad side of using multi-camera technique is that when it comes to lightening it is much harder to lit the whole scenery and make sure that the lightening is consistent throughout every camera. A second disadvantage to this would be the transporting of equipment. Having more cameras means you have more to carry with you to the scenery.