Multi-Camera Setup | studioproduction

A multi-camera setup is a type of method using more than one camera that simultaneously records or broadcasts a scene without a break in the filming of the scenes or sequences, recording footage from different angles and using different shots, for example one camera may film a close-up while another is filming a wide shot, this makes it easier to edit later on. It's usually used when filming concerts,

soaps, talk shows, sporting events and many other live productions.

Multi-camera setups can be used for many different reasons, whether that's so there's less editing to do for the company involved, this is usually the reason for News Broadcasters like BBC News or ITV News because they have to edit it quick in order to air the news in time otherwise the news might be old or something else in the story might have developed by the time they finish editing. Another reason is that it allows them to get a wide range of shots and angles to use, which would be usefl for talk shows or shows like Jeremy Kyle where they want to be able to get the audiences reactions on camera as well as the people who come on the show to be able to get all the facial shots or if they want to concentrate on a particular person while they're talking, it's easier to use mutli-camera setups for productions like this because it means they can have one camera concentrating on one thing and another concentrating on something else at the same time, instead of having just one camera which would restrict them from doing this.

Introduction

Multi-Camera Production Vs Single Camera Productions

Multi-Camera Production

Single Camera Production

Pros:

It saves time if you want to use multiple shots, it allows you to film more shots in less takes because you can get different angels but can record it all at the same time, whereas with single camera productions you have to stop and start a new shot if you want to have the same scene but from a different angel.

It's also better when you're filming live events because some things can't be repeated, so you can get something live but from different perspectives, whereas in single camera productions you can't.

It's beneficial if you're filming sitcoms or talk shows with a live studio audience, because it allows the producers and directors with the chance of getting live audience reactions without obstructing the view of the audience but still get what they need to get and if it's a sitcom it allows them to use the audience reaction as a laughing soundtrack.

There would be less continuity errors because you can film from different angels without having to stop filming to set up a different angel, like you would in a single camea production.

It doesn't have to be edited as much as you would have to do when you using the single camera production. Whereas with Multi-camera productions they usually get edited using a vision mixing desk.

It's a lot eaiser and faster to setup the single camera method than it is with multi-camera productions because you only have one camera to work with, so it wouldn't take too long to get everything ready for shooting.

There's also the advantage of not needing as many crew or equipment therefore the cost is quite low, and a lot cheaper than it would be for the multi-camera method.

The locations can be smaller for a production that's using the single camera method becuase there's not as much equipment or crew, so not as much space needed unlike with multi-camera productions which need more space, simply because of the amount of crew and equipment that is needed.

The scenes don't nessacarily need to be shot in sequence either, therefore more detail can be added during editing. It also allows the production to use more than one take, unlike with the multi-camera setup.

The director gets more control over shots in single camera productions allowing them to concentrate on the performances of their actors, more than they could in multi-camera productions.

It takes a lot longer to setup than it would with single camera productions, because of the fact that there's more equipment to be setup than there is with single camera productions.

The mutli-camera method ristricts what you can film, that's one of the reasons it isn't used much in a film, for example if you wanted to do an over the shoulder shot or P.O.V shot you couldn't without risking the chance of getting other cameras on shot, whereas with the single camera method this isn't much of a risk.

The lighting for a scene is also affected with mutli-camera productions because the cinematographers have to concentrate on multiple cameras and what the lighting is like from each angle, whereas with the single camera method they only need to focus on the lighting for one camera which makes it considerably eaiser.

Then there's the cost of the mutli-camera method which is quite epensive because you have to buy/lease more equipment and hire more crew as well as transport for the crew than you would have had to for the single camera method.

The most easily identifiable of the cons for single camera productions, is you can one take one shot at a times, which means you're limited to what you can get during a shot, whereas with mutli-camera productions you can use mutliple cameras from different angels all at once.

With the single camera method, you can set yourself up for a lot more continuity errors because you have to stop filming to get a different perspective which ultimately disturbs the rhythem and when you start again it might not be as good as it would have been with the multi-camera method.

The editing can take up more time than it would for the multi-camera method, because you one have one camera you have to edit each scene finding the best shot and then putting it with a shot from a different perspective, whereas with the multi-camera method the editing is basically already done for you.

You also are most likely to be missing scenes using the single camera method, but probably won't notice until it comes to the editing process which then causes you to waste more time re-filming that particular scene.

Cons:

Live Studio Productions Vs Live Event Productions

Live studio productions and live events are very similar, but at the same time they're different. They both can be split up into different categories for example in live events there is concerts, public events and sporting events, and with live studio they have sitcoms, magazine shows, news and panel shows. The camera setups are very different because of these sub-categories, they cause the setups to be changed for whatever the purpose of the certain category needs, e.g. if it was a sporting event then it'd need a setup that suit that particular sport, like the two examples on the live events page, they're both sports but they require different setups because of the way the sport is played with football you need a high number of cameras to cover the entire pitch to be able to get many different camera angles. Whereas boxing doesn't require as many cameras because it is a smaller area to cover, so they can get the angles they need without having 20 odd cameras placed around the arena. The sound can differ too because it mainly depends on what the production is, if it's a sitcom it'll have laughter tracks added too it to tell the audience when it's supposed to be funny. But if the production was a concert then it'd have the music by the band/artist, which would be the sole purpose of why the audience is watching the live event in the first place. In conclusion, they're pretty much the same as each other, other than a few minor differences that follow when you look into the sub-cateogries that fall under live studio productions and live events.