What is Single Camera Production? (Pros & Cons)

18/09/2019

Single Camera Production is a type of setup in which only one camera is used to capture a piece of video. Single camera filming is a very common way of capturing video content due to its lower cost and portability, however single camera filmmakers must consider a number of issues.

To capture the best content using Single Camera Production, you must take time to plan as you are most likely dealing with actors that have a limited amount of time, like for example in interviews, the interviewee might not have the time to stay throughout the whole process of filming. Planning will help you to know exactly what you are going to film and when you are going to film it, which will lessen the amount of time consumed. Single Camera Filming will mean that you have to record one shot at a time, meaning you will have to think about the continuity of the overall footage. A great way to plan is to create a 'shot list' or 'filming schedule', that will include information about the type of shots you will include and the order in which you are filming.

An example of a show type of production that commonly uses single camera techniques is interviews. When it comes to using single camera techniques in recording interviews, there is a wide range of ways to add a more engaging effect by simply using 'cutaways', 'noddy shots' or by including footage that links to the topic of the interview. But before we start talking about the types of shots you can include, let's talk about the set in which you are filming and what you can include to make the viewer aware of what the interview is based on.

In the example above, we can see that the shot includes the interviewee, who is placed nearer towards the left-hand side of the screen. The title of the film in which the interview is based on, is placed primarily in the centre of the shot, which could emphasise how the film is the centre of attention. The black background showcases the title of the film by making it stand out by using contrasting colours (black and white). The bold effect of the title is a great technique when it comes to the setup of interviews as it enables viewers to instantly get an idea of what the interview is about, just with a quick glance. Now onto techniques. Interviews are known to be one of the easiest things to record using single camera production, this is due to the wide range of shot types and transitions you can use. An example is a 'Noddy shot', which is a still shot that focuses on the interviewer to specifically showcase their reaction. It is called a noddy shot because we are usually shown the interviewer nodding and agreeing with what the interviewee is saying. Noddy shots can be separately recorded in single camera production, meaning you can give full attention to the interviewee while they're there. Another type of shot is a cutaway, which is a shot, typically of the interviewee, that does not contain their mouth. This could be a shot of their body to showcase their body language. This is a great technique in single camera production, as you can use these shots at any time within the interview without the worry of continuity or syncing audio. Another technique used in interviews is including footage that relates to the topic of the interview. This is a great way to engage the viewer or to help them understand what the interviewee is talking about. In the example above, they could include footage of scenes from the movie that the interview is based on.

Single camera production is typically used within specific genres like Sci-Fi, Horror, crime or comedy and fits into formats like serials or series, but what are these? A serial is a series of television programmes or episodes that typically follow a main story or character and rely on a type of sequence where each episode continues the story, where it gradually unfolds. They are usually prewritten and predetermined and are continued depending on the ratings they receive. Soap operas are a prime example of serials, an example we could use is 'EastEnders', which is a long-running television serial that follows local residents and their daily lives. A series is a TV show that is broken up into groups of episodes and are usually found on various streaming services like Netflix. Series are usually based on the same characters throughout and are arranged in seasons, where each season is released between a specific time-frame, e.g. yearly. An example of a series we could use is 'Stranger Things', which an American science fiction horror web television series created by the Duffer Brothers and released on Netflix. The series is an anti-realist production that contains many supernatural elements like a girl who has psychokinetic abilities. The series currently contains 3 seasons which were each released with a year in between them.

Single Camera Techniques tend to be used more within the genres of horror, comedy or sci-fis, as they usually do not require excessive cuts or transitions. Shots in horror films tend to last longer than shots within action films due to the excessive fast cutting and transitioning needed during action scenes. Horror filmmakers aim to create a sense of fear and dread towards audience by using longer and more stable shots, which can potentially be used to lead to jump-scares. This technique fits in well and makes single camera production more suitable as you don't need to stop and start the camera as often.

The Pros

The Cost: When more equipment is used within a production, the money it'll cost to maintain will increase, which is why single camera production is a more suitable option for those on a budget. Only one camera is used within this type of production, meaning you won't need a huge amount of equipment to use with it, e.g. you might need a single tripod, whereas in a multi camera production, you would need several tripods, increasing the cost. With less equipment to handle, you won't need to hire as many staff to help you manage, whereas in a multi camera production, you would need to find several cameramen, which would increase the cost of the overall production. Having less equipment and staff to handle, it means you are given the ability to record in smaller locations, whereas in a multi camera production, you would need space to set up the multiple cameras.

More Freedom: Because each shot is being separately recorded, this means that the shots do not have to be captured in chronological order. This gives the director the opportunity to focus on the more important or hard to capture shots. This also gives actors freedom, as they most-likely won't need to be on set at the same time, depending on whether the actors appear in the same shot. If not, this means shots for one of the actors can be recorded whilst the other one is taking a break or preparing. Although this would be more time-consuming, it might result in the better performance of each of the actors, as they are given full attention. This advantage is only possible due to the fact that directors are given the ability to edit the separate shots into the correct order on an editing software like Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Attention to detail: Although single camera production is time consuming, it also gives the director more control of each shot, which will most-likely make the overall production better quality as each shot is individually focused on. Lighting for each shot will also be arranged to focus on the shot that is currently being recorded by the single camera, enhancing the quality of the final product. In multi camera production, you usually have to flawlessly record within one take, as the cameras and multiple angles are being captured simultaneously, applying more pressure to the actors and staff. This can also be the case within a single camera production, depending on whether you're recording a long tracking shot. A single camera production tracking shot example we could use is the music video for 'Hideaway', sang by the well-known artist 'Kiesza'.

As you can tell, the whole music video is captured within a single shot and involves a numerous amount of dancers and actors, who are each pressured to flawlessly complete their part in the continuous shot. Due to the rapid speed of the single camera, I believe lighting wasn't applied to the shot, instead I see natural lighting being used, which could be seen as a disadvantage towards single tracking shots. The overall fast continuous pace of the single tracking shot links to the quick moving of positions and dancing. But why are tracking shots used? Tracking shots are mainly used to make an audience feel involved in a piece of video, as if they are following a subject or moving with them. Our eyes don't have the ability to cut to different angles, this is why tracking shots are used, to simulate someones eyes following a character, making the viewer feel more involved in the piece of film. Tracking shots can also have their disadvantages e.g. if one mistake within the take is made, you would most-likely have to start from the beginning and replace any stunt items that were used.

A case study example I could use when it comes to tracking shots and single camera production is a music video project that I had been given, which includes again a single tracking shot throughout the full duration of the video.

Using this video, we could suggest a number of disadvantages that comes with Single Camera Production.

The Cons

The Process of Syncing Audio to a Piece of Footage: Although single camera production gives you the ability to record a piece of audio multiple times during the numerous takes, syncing the audio may not be so easy. Within my music video, the protagonist is seen to be lip-syncing the words too early or too late, which reduces the level of quality of the overall music video. This error could've been fixed or hidden if I had recorded from different angles. The singer also is seen to mouth the wrong words, which could be due to the lack of takes we shot, however this could happen within a real film set and could go unnoticed. A similar issue when it comes to the quality of a production is continuity. Continuity is an important key factor when it comes to producing a film. This is because continuity links to the basic purpose of creating films in general, which is to engage an audience and to make them feel involved in a film. When continuity errors are made, this can be very distracting towards an audience and can altogether make the viewers feel less connected to the film, due to the lack of realism. Continuity errors can sometimes go unnoticed and might not be seen as a huge issue, however it may show how a director doesn't pay attention to small details and could ruin their reputation. Continuity comes in different types, e.g. acting, props or costumes. Acting continuity within a single camera production could be seen as quite difficult as you need to stay in the same position during each cut. Your costume or nearby props must also stay the same, otherwise you will damage the overall continuity of the film. Continuity is not as much of an issue in a multi camera production as you are recording the same scene from different angles all at once and within one take.

Repetition: As we've already mentioned, single camera production can be a lot more time-consuming than multi camera production and will require you to capture multiple takes of the same shot. This is because you will need shots from different angles, which will result in a lot of repetition, whereas in multi camera production, you are already simultaneously shooting the scene from multiple angles and will only have to use one take. In each shot you take, the actor(s) will need to perform the scene in the exact same way each time, which includes using the same speech, movements, facial expressions etc. This is all due to continuity. This can be a difficult to achieve, as actors might have less natural reactions when they are being individually recorded, due to the lack of interacting with other actors, which is why is might be a good idea to record a scene with all the actors present, rather than recording them on their own as it will be less time-consuming and will result in more natural reactions.

Editing: Editing within single camera production is known to be difficult and more time-consuming, as you are dealing with more footage coming from one camera. The issues you must think about when editing a single camera production is continuity and syncing audio. As I've already mentioned, syncing audio to a piece of footage can be difficult, as is making sure the continuity is accurate.

Technical Advantages & Limitations

Lighting: Lighting is a very important element when in comes to any type of film because it links to how emotions are represented. For example, a shot that uses more of a bright tone will emphasise the emotion of happiness, whereas a more dim shot will emphasise gloominess or sadness. This is a great technique to use when recording a scene, as you can use it to portray a certain characters current feelings, which will make the viewers feel more involved in the film. However, this could be scene as a more difficult technique to achieve in single camera production due to the fact of how you are only able to shoot one shot at a time. In each shot, you will have to move all your equipment that includes your camera, tripod and also your lighting. You will have to adjust the lighting in each and every shot, to prevent the destruction of continuity. This might also mean that you will have to move your lighting to fit the type of shot, which will result in more time consumed. This could, however, be seen as an advantage as you are able to pay more attention to detail, as you are focusing on each individual shot and its lighting. Types of lighting include natural lighting, low-key lighting and ambient lighting. Natural lighting is used to create a natural feeling or atmosphere to a film. This is typically used within realist films as they aim to make the production as realistic as possible without using special effects. When you are using natural lighting, you are relying on natural light sources like the sun or moon reflections. Sun and mood reflections is also used in ambient lighting, where light is reflected off of different surfaces like reflectors. Reflectors come in many different materials and colours which you can choose from, depending on what sort of lighting you are looking for.

Sound: As I've already mentioned, accurately syncing audio to each shot could be seen as difficult as it can lead to many disadvantages e.g. in music videos, where singers could be seen lip-syncing to the wrong words to a pre-recorded piece of audio/music. As example of this we could use is the music video for 'I Really Really Like You' by the well-known artist 'Carly Rae Jepsen', where at 0:40, Tom Hanks is seen to be mouthing "I really really really really really really want you", instead of "I really really really really really really like you". This could be seen as an unnoticeable or unimportant error, however it is still an issue within single camera production.

Many types of sounds can be added or removed while editing, e.g. sound effects. Sound effects are artificially made sounds that are not captured while recording but are added in in post production. Sound effects can be used to change of replace a natural sound, resulting in the sound being more dramatic or less noticeable. Overall, this is one of the main examples of a disadvantages that comes with single camera production but what are the advantages? There are many advantage when it comes to sound in single camera production. This includes the wide selection of audio that you have collected due to the multiple takes. This gives you the ability to choose the best piece of audio to fit your footage. Recording sound during a production is also easier because if you were to use a boom mic you would only have to hide it from one camera rather than multiple cameras which increases the chance of getting the mic in the shot. This also allows you to give full attention to the current sound source as you are only recording from one camera, whereas in a multi camera set up you might have multi sound sources, meaning you might need more than one boom mic. You'll most likely have to move your sound equipment when you change angle, however this might result in better quality audio as you are focusing on the sound source individually.