Single Camera Editing

Single Camera Editing

In this essay I will be talking about the following, how cameras are used and how the footage is shot, how lighting is used in single camera editing, the advantages and disadvantages of sound in single camera production, how a single camera production is edited, single camera genres and formats and how multi-camera techniques differ from single camera.

 

Camera

Obviously with a single camera production only one camera is used, however if there is a slightly tricky scene another camera may be introduced, for example if there is a fight scene or if there is a stunt of some sort, or even a scene with a lot of dialogue. Unlike multi camera productions when filming a scene the actors with have to respectively act this scene over and over so the director can capture it from all required angles. Some director actually prefer single camera productions, this is because they have more control over the camera and they are able to create their own shot and angles up individually, and they can also shoot anywhere they want because there is far less equipment need to be carted around.

 

Lighting

There is far less to worry about when it comes to lighting in single camera productions, this is because it is a lot easier to control the light because you can light each shot individually, unlike in multi camera productions. In multi camera production the light has to be right in each shot which makes it more complicated to do, having this light in all the camera shot can make the scenes look flat and fake like, making it look like it’s been filmed in a studio, this is where single camera productions are good, in single camera because you light each shot individually it gives it a very realistic tone and style to the scenes.

 

Sound

Sound is an important part of filming, yes the shots themselves are important but without quality sound it can affect the product greatly. For example when using built in microphones it’s very hard to engage with the product as the voices and sounds are tinny and not high quality. In single camera productions only one microphone is usually used which is a central or directional microphone, unlike in multi camera where it’s easier to mic each individual person, this can be done because it’s quite common that mics are allowed to be visible within a scene. In multi camera productions where the set is often quite static for example in soap operas gives the opportunity to hide microphones around the scene. In single camera productions the camera is often more mobile and kinetic and the scene may change rapidly. Therefore you cannot hide microphones on the set and have to rely on booms etc. this often leads to the process of ADR – Automated dialogue Replacement this is where actors dub themselves in post-production.

 

Editing

Weather its a single camera production or multi camera production the Post-Production stage is long and tedious as both productions have a lot of footage to go back through and choose the bests shots and footage to create the product. However not all footage is edited after it has been shot, in multi camera productions like live TV the footage is often edited live, this is done using a visions mixer, this allows the editor to switch from camera to camera. This can’t be done it single camera as all the footage has to be edited after the scene has been filmed. There is a lot of wasted film in multi camera productions and people may think it costs more, however it can actually be cheaper as it takes less time to film than a single camera production.

 

Single camera genres and formats

Single camera dominates some key genres such as Crime and Horror this is due to low key lighting and wanting these sort of genres to feel more realistic and to appear more ‘personal’. Single camera has been used to make genres like Comedy and Soap Operas however these are dominated by multi camera productions because they are mostly filmed in studios and sets with three point lighting, some examples are, The It Crowd and Scrubs. Formats that require the product to be churned out rapidly cannot be done with single camera because there is not enough time, therefore wide angle shots, close ups and fast pace fluent movement have to be sacrificed because to be able to use multi camera production these cannot be used as they all involve another camera coming into shot or for the camera not to be static, therefore feature Hollywood movies are filmed with single camera to capture and use the keys camera skills.