Single vs multi-camera productions essay

Single vs multi-camera productions essay

Sitcoms such as Friends are filmed using multi-camera production in front of a studio audience. This is due to the fact that dialogue between characters is usually quite fast paced and it would be time-consuming to film one character talking then stop and film the next character, whereas by using multiple cameras the director can achieve a fluent conversation between characters, consequently, overall there is an improved level of continuity, multi-camera's also shoot the scenes in a shorter amount of time which is much more enjoyable for the audience as they can watch a continuous/more natural conversation rather than feeling like they are wasting their time by watching each individual shot being filmed by a single camera. Their multi-camera setup is shown below.

Furthermore, the use of multi-camera production is effective as it is easier to see different scenes/characters perspectives or dimensions, for example in friends it is easier to use multi-camera production as the majority of the scenes are filmed in the character's flats and therefore the camera's can smoothly film any transitions or various angles in one scene which is much more efficient.

In addition, by using multiple cameras the director can pick from several angles so no time is wasted re-shooting and the scene choices are much more varied.

However, there are also negatives to using multi-camera production, for example the fact that it would cost more due to the fact that several cameras would need to be purchased which is obviously more expensive than simply using one camera as you would in single camera production. In addition, less experienced directors may struggle to use multi-camera production as there are more elements they would have to pay attention to and more cameras for them to direct which may also be fairly time-consuming to learn.

Another example of a multi-camera production is the ITV show, Loose women, which uses around six cameras to film each episode. This means that the camera crew are able to catch the show from different types of angles and also, using different shots, for example close-ups and wide shots. Another advantage to Loose Women being filmed with multiple cameras is that the show is live - consequently, if there is a mistake made the camera angle can easily switch to try and distract the audience on to a different matter.

On the other hand, many popular TV shows/series prefer to use single camera production during filming, for example the BBC's Doctor Who often utilizes this method rather than multi-camera techniques. 

This may be due to the fact that directors can easily edit the single camera shot afterward's to make it more fluent plus, it is also less expensive than using multiple cameras to shoot a scene.

Moreover, when filming it is also much easier to focus on a specific character or setting when using only one camera rather than directing several cameras and is also much quicker to set up. A major benefit of using single camera production for dramatic TV shows such as "Doctor Who" is that the director can draw the audience's' attention to specific elements of the scene such as lighting and facial expressions/close-ups therefore heightening the tension in single camera scenes, as shown in the image below.

Although, single camera production also has negatives, these include continuity issues which may cause the scene/dialogue to appear unnatural to the extent where the crew have to film a scene over several days which is extremely time-consuming to edit and therefore inefficient. Furthermore, if a sitcom such as friends were to use this filming technique the live audience would quickly lose interest in the humour from the scripts.

Another example of a single camera production is Eastenders, like many soap operas the series uses the single camera technique to film which allows them to make each scene more realistic, therefore, it has a greater impact as it allows the audience to relate the to the story-lines more. Furthermore, using a single camera format makes it easier for the camera-man to get in between the actors/actresses and get better shots/angles to improve the mood set in each scene and create a more realistic feel.

In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to both single camera production and multi-camera production however both are suitable methods to film scenes for different genres of television.