Multi-Cam Techniques and Uses
Multi-Camera Techniques.
Multi-camera productions use more than one camera to capture each shot and scene from different angles. This means the directors and producers have more freedom and choice in the shots used, which comes in very handy for creating a linear story line. Multi camera techniques can be used for live events, public events and studio programs. Conversation scenes are filmed in one take and this makes the actors reactions more realistic. This is why multi-camera setups are used on sitcoms:
Multi-camera productions use more than one camera to capture each shot and scene from different angles. This means the directors and producers have more freedom and choice in the shots used, which comes in very handy for creating a linear story line. Multi camera techniques can be used for live events, public events and studio programs. Conversation scenes are filmed in one take and this makes the actors reactions more realistic. This is why multi-camera setups are used on sitcoms:
Generally, the two outer cameras shoot close-upshots or “crosses” of the two most active characters on the set at any given time, while the central camera or cameras shoot a wider master shot to capture the overall action and establish the geography of the room. In this way, multiple shots are obtained in a single take without having to start and stop the action.
Types of Programme Techniques:
Multi Camera production almost speaks for itself and is used for the majority of day-to-day television programs and films we watch .For example sitcoms and soap operas, talk shows, sporting events and newscasts. Majority of Multi camera productions use 3 or more cameras that are constantly rolling catching reactions rather than having to run a scene over and over again. Here are a few examples of programs that use multi camera drama
Studio Productions
Game shows: The Channel 4 hit entertainment Game show Deal or no deal is hosted by Noel Edmonds.
Magazine shows: The One show Hosted by Alex Jones, Matt Baker and Chris Evans, and aided by a team of top reporters. It is a live magazine program featuring topical stories and big name studio guests.
Talk shows: A good example of a popular British talk show would be Jeremy Kyle. It is a prerecorded studio program that has a multi camera set up that focuses on Jeremy Kyle himself the audience and the people in which he is interviewing or should i say provoking
News: The new again is a studio setup using a multiple of cameras and then if they are showing an outside broadcast a multiple of cameras will cover that story , for example if something is going on outside 10 downing street there will be a camera focused on the reporter and a camera keeping a safe wide shot of the whole area so nothing is missed.Sitcoms: A lot of sitcoms are studio based but some scenes are filmed in real locations for example the sitcom friendsis based in an apartment but there are a lot of scenes that are filmed in central park
Live Events:Football matches – Sky sports use around about 24 cameras at a football game. The cameras positioned around the stadium to ensure that everything is being covered from the crowd reaction to what is actually going on the pitch .
Olympics- I couldn’t even estimate the amount of cameras used for the 2012 Olympics as there were so many events going on at different times and places within the arena that there would have been a certain amount of cameras focused on the 100m sprint while other cameras focused on the long jump.
Concerts- Live concerts are one of the most common and used examples of multi camera filming. Rock Bands, Pop artists and rappers dominate these and are shot a lot of the time outside on a stage along with a huge audience.
Types of Programme Techniques:
Multi Camera production almost speaks for itself and is used for the majority of day-to-day television programs and films we watch .For example sitcoms and soap operas, talk shows, sporting events and newscasts. Majority of Multi camera productions use 3 or more cameras that are constantly rolling catching reactions rather than having to run a scene over and over again. Here are a few examples of programs that use multi camera drama
Studio Productions
Game shows: The Channel 4 hit entertainment Game show Deal or no deal is hosted by Noel Edmonds.
Magazine shows: The One show Hosted by Alex Jones, Matt Baker and Chris Evans, and aided by a team of top reporters. It is a live magazine program featuring topical stories and big name studio guests.
Talk shows: A good example of a popular British talk show would be Jeremy Kyle. It is a prerecorded studio program that has a multi camera set up that focuses on Jeremy Kyle himself the audience and the people in which he is interviewing or should i say provoking
News: The new again is a studio setup using a multiple of cameras and then if they are showing an outside broadcast a multiple of cameras will cover that story , for example if something is going on outside 10 downing street there will be a camera focused on the reporter and a camera keeping a safe wide shot of the whole area so nothing is missed.Sitcoms: A lot of sitcoms are studio based but some scenes are filmed in real locations for example the sitcom friendsis based in an apartment but there are a lot of scenes that are filmed in central park
Live Events:Football matches – Sky sports use around about 24 cameras at a football game. The cameras positioned around the stadium to ensure that everything is being covered from the crowd reaction to what is actually going on the pitch .
Olympics- I couldn’t even estimate the amount of cameras used for the 2012 Olympics as there were so many events going on at different times and places within the arena that there would have been a certain amount of cameras focused on the 100m sprint while other cameras focused on the long jump.
Concerts- Live concerts are one of the most common and used examples of multi camera filming. Rock Bands, Pop artists and rappers dominate these and are shot a lot of the time outside on a stage along with a huge audience.
My chosen three Program Formats:
Live: “Boro FC”
My chosen example for live events in multi camera production is going to be football. This sport is one of the most watched things on television in the UK. Not only that but most people want to watch the game live because they are generally fans or want to know how the game was going instantly. This means that the footage had to be edited live using multi camera techniques.
I have decided to focus on the football club Boro FC, a local team known across the country. The build up to the game itself can vary from camera angles. Boro Riverside Stadium is where the live editing would be carried out. Other stadiums a lot of the time are responsible for representing the club because of away games.
A lot of the important shots are actually even before the game has started. Commentators and football analysis people such as Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville talk before, after and sometimes even when the game is playing. These shots are the typical interview style shots were three angles are used, two facing the commentators and another one to have a full shot of them. While the commentators are talking about things such as players, managers and the stadium, the shot usually cuts to whatever they are talking about live. This is usually on players when they are warming up before the game but are on the pitch and is still hearing what the commentators are saying about them. This gives the audience information as well as being able to see things live at the same time.
Along with shots of the commentators, in every professional football match especially within the Premier league, the footage cuts from either the commentators or the game to a live interview. This is a lot of the time on managers or players that did well in the game and can happen before a game to give the audience an idea on what they are feeling as well as after the game and feedback from the team’s point of view.
When it actually comes to the game itself, there are very typical shots of it which are extremely common in football. The first and main one is the birds’ eye, high shot in the middle of the stadium. This shot is stationary however pans left and right whenever following the ball. The reason it is high is because it shows the audience watching the whole game and can interpret the game meaning they can watch the style of play, watch runs, attacks, how the defence is structured and many more. A part from this shot, there are a few occasional close-ups on players who have played a key role in the game or is focused on them. This normally happens when the player has been booked, being substituted, taking a free kick and many more. These are all usually still high shots however are zoomed on the player to make a medium shot/close up of the person to highlight him from others. The typical football match on TV such as Boro, ends on a commentator or looking at edited highlighted parts of the game and then fades out onto the adverts.
There are many reasons for a live Boro FC game to have multi-camera use. The main one is to keep the audience interested with the use of different shots. The live aspect also means that the audience relies on multi-cam techniques to know everything that's happening.
Live: “Boro FC”
My chosen example for live events in multi camera production is going to be football. This sport is one of the most watched things on television in the UK. Not only that but most people want to watch the game live because they are generally fans or want to know how the game was going instantly. This means that the footage had to be edited live using multi camera techniques.
I have decided to focus on the football club Boro FC, a local team known across the country. The build up to the game itself can vary from camera angles. Boro Riverside Stadium is where the live editing would be carried out. Other stadiums a lot of the time are responsible for representing the club because of away games.
A lot of the important shots are actually even before the game has started. Commentators and football analysis people such as Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville talk before, after and sometimes even when the game is playing. These shots are the typical interview style shots were three angles are used, two facing the commentators and another one to have a full shot of them. While the commentators are talking about things such as players, managers and the stadium, the shot usually cuts to whatever they are talking about live. This is usually on players when they are warming up before the game but are on the pitch and is still hearing what the commentators are saying about them. This gives the audience information as well as being able to see things live at the same time.
Along with shots of the commentators, in every professional football match especially within the Premier league, the footage cuts from either the commentators or the game to a live interview. This is a lot of the time on managers or players that did well in the game and can happen before a game to give the audience an idea on what they are feeling as well as after the game and feedback from the team’s point of view.
When it actually comes to the game itself, there are very typical shots of it which are extremely common in football. The first and main one is the birds’ eye, high shot in the middle of the stadium. This shot is stationary however pans left and right whenever following the ball. The reason it is high is because it shows the audience watching the whole game and can interpret the game meaning they can watch the style of play, watch runs, attacks, how the defence is structured and many more. A part from this shot, there are a few occasional close-ups on players who have played a key role in the game or is focused on them. This normally happens when the player has been booked, being substituted, taking a free kick and many more. These are all usually still high shots however are zoomed on the player to make a medium shot/close up of the person to highlight him from others. The typical football match on TV such as Boro, ends on a commentator or looking at edited highlighted parts of the game and then fades out onto the adverts.
There are many reasons for a live Boro FC game to have multi-camera use. The main one is to keep the audience interested with the use of different shots. The live aspect also means that the audience relies on multi-cam techniques to know everything that's happening.
Public events: “The Royal Wedding”
My chosen example for Public events in multi camera techniques is the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. This is one of the biggest Public events in modern time because it represents the historical moment of our country. This took place on 29th April 2011. The ceremony was broadcast all over the world and was a national holiday for the British Public. The footage of the ceremony lasted over three hours and during then; there were many different techniques and shots that were used. The main reason that multi-camera techniques were used was because it was a historical event and needed to keep the footage interesting. Cameras that changed kept the look fresh and kept the audience hooked.
During the ceremony, cameras followed the groom and the bride everywhere and the distance was incredible to keep shooting live using multiple cameras for three hours. A lot of the time, multi camera filming will be made up from the spot from the director and the vision mixer however for an event as big as this; much planning was done to create the perfect video and live footage. There were many places that the ceremony was filmed. A lot of these at the start were seeing all the royal family members and other nations leadership members arrived to act as the audience in the church. Almost all of this was high shots which occasionally zoomed on a specific set of people in whom the presenters would talk about. There were also a lot of helicopter shots to give a bird’s eye view of the church, the royal cars as well as simply the crowd. These further give the appearance of the event being bigger. The shots usually had a long duration and had a slow pace editing style pace. This was to set the scene as emotional rather than to keep it up beat and fast.
My chosen example for Public events in multi camera techniques is the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. This is one of the biggest Public events in modern time because it represents the historical moment of our country. This took place on 29th April 2011. The ceremony was broadcast all over the world and was a national holiday for the British Public. The footage of the ceremony lasted over three hours and during then; there were many different techniques and shots that were used. The main reason that multi-camera techniques were used was because it was a historical event and needed to keep the footage interesting. Cameras that changed kept the look fresh and kept the audience hooked.
During the ceremony, cameras followed the groom and the bride everywhere and the distance was incredible to keep shooting live using multiple cameras for three hours. A lot of the time, multi camera filming will be made up from the spot from the director and the vision mixer however for an event as big as this; much planning was done to create the perfect video and live footage. There were many places that the ceremony was filmed. A lot of these at the start were seeing all the royal family members and other nations leadership members arrived to act as the audience in the church. Almost all of this was high shots which occasionally zoomed on a specific set of people in whom the presenters would talk about. There were also a lot of helicopter shots to give a bird’s eye view of the church, the royal cars as well as simply the crowd. These further give the appearance of the event being bigger. The shots usually had a long duration and had a slow pace editing style pace. This was to set the scene as emotional rather than to keep it up beat and fast.
Studio Productions: “The Jeremy Kyle Show”
My chosen example for a studio production is a television show called “The Jeremy Kyle Show”. This show, presented by a man called Jeremy Kyle, haves him resolving a feud between families friends or individuals, whether it would be an argument, a problem a person is having and or more. The whole of the show is filmed in a studio within one building. The main shooting area is the main hall which is reasonably small with a small crowd of people watching Jeremy and the interviewees. This is usually in the form of a low shot to play on the host being bigger than those on stage and watching.. The way this particular show is filmed is like a typical interview style editing were cameras usually just switched between two or more interviewees on the stage. A lot of these cameras are stationary however pan and tilt a lot of the time on specific people. It is very common in this show that a person would walk behind stage and try to get away because of normally stress however, Jeremy usually follows along with a camera man who is doing traditional one handed camera tracking shots.
The main reason for using Multi camera techniques in this show is because it overall keeps the audience interested. Also, from switching from one person to another in an interview style editing, the viewers are seeing one person at a time to give all the attention on that one person and then switches. This gives the audience an idea on who to give the attention to in each shot. It also shows more in the studio such as different people, the audience and many more things. In terms of the positioning of the cameras, there is one on top of the studio for a high shot and then there are a few just in front of the stage fro close ups as well as cameras at the back of the studio behind the audience which gives a long shot and gets a full shot of the studio, Jeremy, the interviewers as well as the audience itself.
My chosen example for a studio production is a television show called “The Jeremy Kyle Show”. This show, presented by a man called Jeremy Kyle, haves him resolving a feud between families friends or individuals, whether it would be an argument, a problem a person is having and or more. The whole of the show is filmed in a studio within one building. The main shooting area is the main hall which is reasonably small with a small crowd of people watching Jeremy and the interviewees. This is usually in the form of a low shot to play on the host being bigger than those on stage and watching.. The way this particular show is filmed is like a typical interview style editing were cameras usually just switched between two or more interviewees on the stage. A lot of these cameras are stationary however pan and tilt a lot of the time on specific people. It is very common in this show that a person would walk behind stage and try to get away because of normally stress however, Jeremy usually follows along with a camera man who is doing traditional one handed camera tracking shots.
The main reason for using Multi camera techniques in this show is because it overall keeps the audience interested. Also, from switching from one person to another in an interview style editing, the viewers are seeing one person at a time to give all the attention on that one person and then switches. This gives the audience an idea on who to give the attention to in each shot. It also shows more in the studio such as different people, the audience and many more things. In terms of the positioning of the cameras, there is one on top of the studio for a high shot and then there are a few just in front of the stage fro close ups as well as cameras at the back of the studio behind the audience which gives a long shot and gets a full shot of the studio, Jeremy, the interviewers as well as the audience itself.
Advantages of multi camera:
Disadvantages of multi camera:
Disadvantages of multi camera:
Planning Multi-Camera Productions
When using multi camera production, there are many roles that people would have when in production of filming, each of which is vital to making the finalised or live footage look the best. Below is the most common in Multi Camera techniques.
Camera Operator: This is most likely the most used job in the process because there are many camera operators in multi camera techniques. When doing other filming roles, there would usually not be many cameras working together so closely and at the same time when in multi camera production, they do. These can be operated manually by a person which is normally seen in things like Music performances when people are on things such as dolly cameras and wearing black so attention from the audience (If there is one) is not focused on them. The cameras can also be simply controlled by a computer which can be seen a lot of the time in studios which usually take form in a high shot. Each camera operator has the responsibility of being ready to have a decent shot ready at all time as well as being able to listen and do whatever the director says at all time. There are also different types of camera operators. There are usually two or more stationary cameras, handheld cameras and almost always a safety camera which takes the form of a full shot which never moves and remains stationary.
Vision Mixing: This is the most uniquely assigned role noticeable in multi camera production compared to other roles. The person who is the vision mixer, is the person whom actually edits the performance live. Although the editor, this person a lot of the time has no freedom to choose anything that happens as this role is given to the Directors whom of which would spend most o the time with the vision mixer, telling him/her on how she wants everything to be during the performance. The style of the footage is thought imagined by the director however the vision mixer is the person who actually presents this by editing. The mixer is the person who operates the style, pace of editing, fades/transitions, switching between cameras and much more and is therefore a huge part of the team.
Directing: This role is one of the hardest and the most multitasking roles in multi camera production. This person acts as the artist of the team who (basically) is in charge of everything. He or she tells everyone how to perform and what to do throughout the performance. In pre production and practicing, the director has the responsibility to let everyone know what to do and how everything is going to be filmed. When doing the actual filming for real, the director will mainly be with the vision mixer, telling him/her on when to cut to different shots, what to add, the pace of editing and more. When she is not with the vision mixer, the director will usually either check be telling the floor manager to check on the crew and the rest of the team, weather it would be to see if everything is ok, letting them no if something is wrong or a heads up on what type of shot the director wants next.
Floor Management: This role is important for communication between the crew within a performance. The floor manager is the crew member who communicates and delivers a message from one person to another in a performance. The reason there is such thing as a floor manager is because it is vital for everyone to remain on there own station such as camera operator on there cameras and the vision mixer as well as the director in the editing room or station. The main message sent is from the director to the camera operators which are usually to check up, give a heads up on what the director wants or the odd chance they are doing something wrong. Sometimes, a camera operator may use the floor manager to tell the director if something is going wrong with the camera in which the director would then tell the vision mixer to not use that particular camera or in extreme cases, go to the safety camera if everything starts to become worst. In a way, the floor manager is the director’s personal runner and acts as the link between communications.
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