In this essay I will be explaining and defining the effectiveness of single camera use. I will also be explaining the advantages and disadvantages of single camera productions as well as the main elements that it impacts such as the cost, the time schedule and the practicality.
The term “single camera production” usually means that any production such as an advertisement, animation, short or feature length film is shot using a single camera. There are many reasons that a single camera is used in a lot of productions, the main reason being the “feel” that it gives to the viewer. As oppose to multiple cameras being placed around a set and then being edited together later a single camera gives freedom to get close to the action to capture the required shot, allowing the single camera production to have a more personal touch to it and allows directors to have much more control over the out come of a scene. A good recent example of a Television series that uses a single camera is My Name Is Earl, however There are also some downfalls to a single camera production. Because there is only one camera the process of shooting a shot can become very tedious for example, say the director wanted a medium shot of the scene and a high angle long shot then the scene would have to be shot twice all the way through whilst one of the shots is framed and then having to move to another shot and repeat the process. This unavoidable method when using a single camera can become very time consuming and therefore impacts the products production schedule as well as its overall time scale. Another issue when filming with a single camera is the cost of the film. Due to the amount of times a scene and separate scenes must be shot the amount of film that is used soon adds up. This also becomes very expensive and is a hurdle that any production company must over come. Something that does however allow single camera production to exceed is the fact that there isn’t always just a single camera. If there is a shot where there is a lot of action or heavy dialogue another camera may be brought in to allow continuity to flow better and to avoid any errors that may occur.
Sound and lighting is important to any production. When filming for a multi camera production it is fundamental that all lighting is consistent throughout the shots in a scene. This though is not the case when it comes to single camera filming. Because of the freedom that comes with the single camera it allows the director to light the shots individually and not have to worry about the continuity of the scene. This can reduce cost in many places as the production company will not have to waste their production budget on lights, instead they can use a single light and a reflector or even just natural light to brighten up the shot.
Sound is also another key aspect to any production. Because single camera productions are usually shot with a very low production budget they have to capture the sound when they are on set. Single camera productions are awkward in this sense but it does allow for the time scale for filming to be shorter as the actors won’t have to record sound in a studio separately such as high budget films like The Avengers (2012). A good technique for recording sound is to use a HD camera to film the visuals and to use a separate camera and an external recorder such as a boom mic to capture sound. You could also use a clapperboard which allows the editor to line up the audio and visual, saving time in the editing process. Something else that would help in the editing process would be to leave some time, usually 3-4 seconds, before a shot starts and after a shot has ended. This allows the editor to avoid any jumpy starts or ends that might sneak into the footage otherwise. A clear advantage from a single camera production is that there will be much less footage. Because there isn’t several different cameras filming one scene the editor will have a much lighter work load resulting in quicker production time.
Structure is also important and even more so when using a single camera as there is much less room for error. The main areas that you must think about when structuring a production are the story (where are you going with it, what you hope to achieve, is the story linear or non-linear), The characters ( who will appear in your production, how old do they have to be, what do they have to look like) and finally the genre ( is it a drama, a comedy or a horror ect…). There are many fields that can easily be overlooked when creating a single camera production as it takes a bit more planning than a multi camera production. As well as being able to create a structure it also allows directors to work in calibration with the writer to create a completely fluid piece that the writer feels fits well with his vision of the script. It also allows for easier chance of angle and set if the writer or director change their minds at the last minuet.
Genre and style is probably the most important aspect when filming as it allows the director to decide what lighting and what shot type is needed. You wouldn’t go flooding the set with light if you’re trying to shoot for a climatic horror scene so its vital that the production team keeps the style and genre in mind at all times. Narrative also goes hand in hand with genre and the way the narration is laid out for the audience is extremely important. There are multiple different types of narrative, the most obvious and common of these being a linear story line. A linear story line follows a typical start to end story with no flashbacks or reminiscence on previous events such as in the film Starsky and Hutch (2003). Other films follow a more complex story and is called a non-linear story line. Films that feature this type of narrative are films such as The Social Network (2010) and Batman Begins (2005). These films do have a beginning middle and end, however, they may be seen at certain times for example, the end of the film could be shown at the start and the rest of the film could be the run up to the finale. As well as this they can also include flashbacks detail past events and situations.
Its also important when creating a structure you decide weather its going to be a series, a serial or a one off. A series is a production that has a set contract to produce a number of episodes over a certain period of time for example, 40 episodes over the space of a year. A serial is a production that has no end in the foreseeable future. This is usually because the product has been running for a long time and is evident in soap operas such as Eastenders. Finally a one off production is, for example, a drama that runs over 2 or 3 episodes and the plot unfolds and ends within those episodes alone.
In conclusion a single camera production has many advantages such as it gives the audience a more enjoyable experience and allows them to be absorbed into the created world more easily. It also allows for much less lighting to be needed reducing cost as well as the sound to be slightly more fiddly but reduces the time scale for the productions. Although single camera production is usually the preferred method for a lot of directors multi camera is still much quicker and practical. Yes, single camera production allows for locations to be moved to more efficiently but it doesn’t have the speed of a multi camera production and is much more likely to accidently incorporate some continuity errors. On a whole multi camera productions take much less time than single camera but that’s only if you’re going for quality over quantity. If you do infact stick with and favor the single camera production the quality of the finished product will far exceed that of anything else and, although it isn’t as cost or time effective it certainly is the better choice if you want the audience to engage with the finished product.
