multi-camera production and the advantages of multi-camera. how does it compare to single camera? 0_0.

the multiple-camera mode of production is a method of filmmaking and video and media production. various cameras, either film or professional cameras, are deployed on the set and they simultaneously record or broadcast each scene. it is often contrasted with single-camera setup, which is the use of one camera.
                                                           
this first image shows the usage of multi camera in production. it shows the center stage of the piece being shown at various angles to create the right look. multi camera production is usually used on big production sets that require a lot of movement, but there is always one steady camera in the center to capture the whole footage as it goes along without the use of movement. the second image shows the usage of single camer in production. it shows the camera setup center stage to capture the show in its entirety without the use of movement. single camera production is mainly used on small production sets for shows that require little or no movement at all; documentaries, self-filming etc.

generally, the two outer cameras shoot close-up shots of the two main presenters on the set at any given time, while the centrally main camera shoot a wider master shot to capture the overall action and this is the most prominent shot that will be used throughout the piece when finished. this is more efficient for programs that are to be shown a short time after being shot as it reduces the time spent editing the footage produced. this type of camera shot is also a virtual necessity for dail soap operas.

apart from saving editing time, scenes may be shot more quickly as there is no need for re-lighting and the set-up of alternate camera angles for the scene to be shot again from the different angle. it also diminishes the overall difficulty of tracking continuity issues that crop up when a scene is reshot from the different angles. this is an essential part of live television.
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one of the main advantages of multi-camera production is that there can be a use of different angles to work with that will help create the piece more in the editing stages. drawbacks include a less optimized lighting which needs to provide a compromise for all camera angles and less flexibility in putting the necessary equipment on scene, such as microphone booms and lighting rigs. these can be efficiently hidden from just one camera but can be more complicated to set up and their placement may be inferior in a multiple-camera setup.
this clip is from the chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man and clearly shows the usage of multi-camera when conducting the interview with Katy Perry.
the single-camera setup (single-camera mode of production) is a method of filmmaking and video and media production. a single camera, either motion picture camera or professional video camera, is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually. an alternative production method is the multiple-camera setup, which uses two or more cameras running simultaneously, and the film scene is run through from start to finish, usually with minimal interruptions.
this shows the usage of single camera operations and is a direct attempt to get the audiences attention, filmed by Adam Levine from Maroon 5 for the It Gets Better Project.
between both multi-camera and single-camera use, the most effective is definitely the multi-camera due to the range of shots that can’t be produced from single-camera and multi-camera will take up less time when recording.

here is my proposal that i came up with for a show that we are creating in class as a group. i thought it would be a good idea to incorporate the best aspects of successful talk shows and news shows to come up with one great simultaneous idea and name it The View...

here is my proposal in powerpoint form which i presented to the class, taking out the important parts from the actual proposal and selling it to them in order for them to see my ideas how i see them and how the show will look the way i designed it to look.

 

PRODUCTION LOG:

Our first experience of learning the process of multi-camera operations and what it entailed was when we visited the Countdown studios, which helped provide us with knowledge on multi-camera usage and the job roles included with multi-camera use. The main purpose of this was to give us an idea of what multi camera is before we begin the blog and create our own multi camera production show as a group, so we would know what to do when it came down to it.

Following this, we had a task to write 500 words in full detail about the usage and comparisons and differences, along with the advantages and disadvantages of single camera and multi camera. We added this to a blog that we created to show our full understanding of these techniques, and the blog will later be added to with other aspects of the unit that coincide with the camera uses. We had to add clips that showed an example of both techniques, talk about them and compare them to the other and add images to show the difference between the two camera techniques.

We created a proposal and we had had to come up with full in-depth ideas of the type of show we wanted to create individually for our overall show that we were going to produce together. We had to give the presentation to the class and then at the end have a group discussion and chose elements from each show everyone had suggested to come up with a unique and topical show that would suit everyone’s liking and we came up with the name Hot Topic.

For our show, we were given allowed to choose two job roles as a whole to apply for in relatively short and quick terms and we were all later assigned a role that would help get our show in production and underway. My job role given was Vision Mixer which meant I had to work in the gallery alongside the director, sound and lighting people. I also had to be able to work with the camera angles given at each step and learn quickly how to fade from one to the other and change it so that the parts recorded on the screen were of high quality and precise.

08/03/12:

Our first production meeting went well and everyone contributed ideas to the producer, who in this case was Chantelle, as to what we wanted the topics of our show to consist of, the set design, the mode of address that would come across to the audience, what the graphics for our opening sequence would look like and the way our script would be laid out. We thought about whether or not it would be good for the show to have a live audience in the room but we then decided that it would be too cramped in the small space of the studio and things could get hectic really quickly and delay production. We agreed on the fact that people from performing arts would audition for the presenter roles and we wanted both a male and female to do the job. We came up with Ashley Ball and Jemma Howard as the presenters. For my role this week, I practiced the use of the vision mixer board in the gallery to understand and gain some knowledge of how to use it so I wouldn’t get stressed when the time came to it and I would know what I was doing. For our set designs, people were going to bring in items from home that we could use to liven it up a bit and we had a budget that the set designers were given to buy items such as chairs and coffee table to use on the day. We decided on a deep purple colour and lime green for our set colours and use cut outs of celebrities to add to the feel of what our show is about.

15/03/12:

Our second production meeting consisted of us figuring out what we had achieved since the last meeting and what we could do to change and adapt to things that needed to be done. The idea to use celebrity cut outs fell through as we couldn’t get a hold of any to use. Instead of buying furniture on the budget we used furniture found in one of the staffrooms at college that went along with the colour scheme for our show; even though we changed it up a bit. Everything started to come together this week and everyone was looking to something to do that went along with their role for the production process. The presenters we chose were told to dress smart/casual on the day to give it a laid back feel and they had to be energetic when it came down to it. I didn’t really do much for my role this week as I was helping others out with what needed to be done as we were running out of time and needed to get the most important parts finished as quickly as possible, mainly sorting out the final ideas for the set and helping out with the script. We decided that the idea of using makeup artists for the presenters would be a good job and Alice was given the role of getting in touch with some people to see if they were up for the job.

22/03/12:

I continued to help out with others roles this week and also tried to understand the different uses and what each numbered button pressed would mean for each angle and note that down so I would know further along in the process. I didn’t really do much this week other than this and help contribute ideas to the production meeting. I was also told to bring in an inflatable whale to use for the filming of the competition piece as we decided it would be best to recreate a holiday scene that was the prize in a humorous way; the use of a paddling pool, lilo and pool toys such as the whale. We were going to film this in the afternoon but it didn’t plan out so we would fil it on the first day back after Easter, on the Monday ready for the actual filming of the show on the Tuesday.

27/03/12:

Given the fact that I have been assigned the role of Vision Mixer, I have been talking closely with the director (Jemma) and the people working on the cameras (Danielle, Lajin and Sam) to see what camera angles would work best and when we best change to them in the script and note that down so that we all know when to change angles and in my case when to fade out and change to a different camera to show their angle of the show whilst it’s in process. We decided that the male presenter would present the football VT in a section of the studio we had reserved for that VT and the female presenter would presenter the fashion VT in the usual spot of filming. Everyone was working this week to quickly finish of the last touches to our VTs ready to be exported onto a disc for the day of filming. This carried on for two days in the week but we all managed to change little bits and adapt them all so they looked great enough to be presented on the show. Our comedy VT didn’t take long to finish and I edited the last remaining parts. We decided to have the use of a band play at the end of the show to sign us off and Shadia was in charge of that. The booking of the equipment and the studio for the day of filming was completed today and the decision on the order of the VTs was given; Britney, Illegal downloading, FC United, Comedy and Fashion.

29/03/12:

The idea for people to bring props in fell through as they were either chucked away or couldn’t be found so the idea to film the competition piece didn’t happen and Fred who was supposed to do that part of the script decided to opt out so Jacob had to fill in and do a voiceover for it with images and graphics shown on screen to play it out. My role this week entailed me to work with the director and camera operators again on ideas and help Shadia out with the band and making sure that they were up for actually performing on the first Tuesday back after Easter. We wanted to be able to hear them play a few chords and songs that they had but they weren’t ready enough and we gave them some ideas as to what we wanted them to play for our show but they more rock based and would need practice, so the music tutor gave us his email after we asked for contact details to keep in touch so that we could find out later in the week if they were definitely playing on the show or not.

19/04/12:

This week was very hectic and not everything was done for the first day back on the Monday like it was supposed to be done. The set hadn’t been designed and there were still parts of it that were missing, no one really had an idea of what to do for their role, the script wasn’t even started so I helped Jacob out with completing the conclusion part of it and it was finally finished on the Monday afternoon. Everyone was rallying around helping each other out to make sure that the set would be complete and we did a practice run of how to use the equipment. I didn’t have a practice run on the Vision Mixer that day because I was helping others out and didn’t really see the point of practicing when I thought it was a minor role. On the Tuesday when it came to filming, I later realised this wasn’t the case and even though I had to quickly learn control of the Vision Mixer role, I managed that and worked great considering the fact that everyone was stressing out and complaining about certain things and people were walking out because of this. Even though all of this week was pretty hectic we all managed to pull through and create a good show considering it was our first attempt and with little good communication. I think that I worked well with my role and with others throughout the whole production process and the weeks leading up to the filming of the show and even if things didn’t go as planned back when our first production meeting took place. I managed to use the Vision Mixer well learnt the role quickly, thanks to the notes I had taken down beforehand.

Evaluation:

My role for the show was being the Vision Mixer, which entailed me to be able to quickly manoeuvre to different angles straight on cue and give the best possible angles because what was being shown with the vision mixer is what was actually being recorded for the show. I had to know when to fade in and fade out at the right points and learn which numbers to press at the right time on the vision mixer to get the different angles that were being shown by the cameras in the studio.

I would say that my strengths working as the vision mixer were that I was quickly able to learn and handle the ropes of it all and understand what camera needed to be shown on the TV at which given time and when I needed to fade into a different angle with a smooth transition. I was also able to work well with the people up in the gallery alongside me and even help out with their jobs as well as still being able to my mine, even though everyone was stressed out both in the gallery and in the studio with the time limits given and people misconceiving as to what was being said through the earpieces. I would say that my weaknesses were doubting myself at certain moments that became really stressful for us all as a group and losing a few seconds on cue which meant the transitions shown on screen from one camera to another weren’t at smooth as they could’ve been. Also the little moments where it got stressful for everyone can add to my weaknesses because of the losing cue of when and what should’ve been shown but I did manage to quickly change it around also.

As a group, there was a lack of communication and some people didn’t necessarily take their role seriously and there were moments of unprofessionalism but then they were instantly turned around into moments where everyone was working well as a team again and we created some really great parts filmed for the show. I think that everyone would agree that if we had been given more time to prep and practice what was needed to be done then there wouldn’t have been as high of stress levels as there was and better communication between everyone would’ve taken place. Some jobs are more stressful and harder to do than others so it was understandable to a certain extent why there was a bit of a tense atmosphere between everyone; the floor manager, the director, the camera, the presenters; they did a really good job given the fact that they had the hardest to do and there were moments when it got really hectic but they managed to turn it around. If everyone had done their assigned role the way it should’ve been done then maybe it would’ve run much better but everyone helped each other out and we all did the best we could with the situation.

From the overall production process of creating the show, I have learnt that everyone involved with the whole production needs to be communicating well with each other in order to help things run smoothly and to be able to actually complete the whole thing for when it was set. I have learnt that each role is a work in progress to actually do and that a lot of patience is needed to help create a great show like we had initially planned to do. Towards the end of the show where things more at a more tense level, everyone just gave up in the studio and people left before the production had finished, with only 5 more minutes to complete the piece. This is something to learn from for next time.

If I had to do this production process again, I would probably stick with the job that I had been given, in this case the vision mixer, because even though it was stressful learning when to change the viewfinder on the TV and what angles were needed throughout and the change up of angles, I found it a fun job to do once I learnt how to handle it. More jobs seemed more stressful than others but I think that we all worked well together given that it was our first time actually attempting to create a good news show. If we had been given more time to practice and create it all, we may have done a better job and things would’ve probably been more relaxed because we would’ve known what to do.