SCENARIO
In order to broaden the portfolio of your film production company, you are bidding to win the contract to make a new drama series which will appeal to a broad family audience. You will research, plan and shoot the first 5-minute scene of the pilot show in a single location, using a single camera. You may choose your own genre, narrative structure and production design which must be clearly researched, planned and executed in a recognised single camera style.
In order to broaden the portfolio of your film production company, you are bidding to win the contract to make a new drama series which will appeal to a broad family audience. You will research, plan and shoot the first 5-minute scene of the pilot show in a single location, using a single camera. You may choose your own genre, narrative structure and production design which must be clearly researched, planned and executed in a recognised single camera style.
Task 1: Tutorial
You must comprehensively explain the features of single camera production with reference to elucidated examples to a group of KS4 Media Studies students, consistently using subject terminology correctly.
EVIDENCE: Preparatory and research notes, presentation, recording of presentation.
EVIDENCE: Preparatory and research notes, presentation, recording of presentation.
What is single camera production?
Single camera production is the act of producing a form of visual entertainment with only one camera. This is a common practice for TV series, music videos, films, news reports, and in some cases of basic advertising. A single camera, either a motion picture camera or professional video camera, is employed on the set, and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually. This is a frequently used method in TV shows such as the office, in which there are deliberate back to back one cut scenes, where the camera must be turned off, moved, and then turned on to film again in a different area.
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What are the pros and cons of single camera production?
Depending on the scenario and usage, single camera production can either be a holy grail for video production, or an inefficient and time consuming filming method.
Pros: Beneficial aspects of single camera production include control. The use of one camera for each specific scene can allow the director to have complete control of what is being filmed and how; in addition, if a flaw is to be made, restarting the scene would only take the click of the on and off button on the camera, without any further hassle such as worrying about other cameras being in the shot, allowing more flexibility with the shots. Furthermore, the use of single camera production is low budget, allowing independent filmmakers and films with lower budgets to still film efficiently without going over the price limits they may have. With only one camera being used, this makes it more efficient for editors to compile shots and videos together, as each shot is stored in the same camera. For productions being made within a time limit, or short and simple productions, time efficiency is important, therefore this would be a beneficial aspect.
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Cons: Despite the advantages to single camera productions, there are a handful of negative aspects. For example, for productions with multiple view points shots and angles, single camera production would be a huge disadvantage, as the camera must be taken down and set up again for each shot, and moved from each set/scene to another. In addition, with a single camera, there is no form of backup or safety net in the occurrence of damage to the camera. If the camera you are working with gets damaged, all footage on the camera is deleted without a chance of being restored, as there are no other cameras to rely on. For long and detailed productions, single camera production is not the most ideal, this could be due to time consumption as the camera must be moved around a lot, and also the fact that with a single camera, it can clearly be only one type of camera used, therefore limiting the different shots and angles that can be done, whereas with multi-camera production, different types of cameras are used allowing for a range of different viewpoints and angles. Film productions such as action films for example, would be highly limited with a single camera, and predominantly opt for multi camera usage.
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Conventional camera shots and angles
Examples of common single camera shots and angles
Images below are taken from my Unit 26 Music Video, in which single camera production was used.
Why might directors choose single camera over multi camera production?
Due to the advantages of single camera production, many directors may choose to use single camera prodcution as oppose to multi camera production. Beneficial aspects of single camera production include control. The use of one camera for each specific scene can allow the director to have complete control of what is being filmed and how; in addition, if a flaw is to be made, restarting the scene would only take the click of the on and off button on the camera, without any further hassle such as worrying about other cameras being in the shot, allowing more flexibility with the shots. Furthermore, the use of single camera production is low budget, allowing independent filmmakers and films with lower budgets to still film efficiently without going over the price limits they may have. With only one camera being used, this makes it more efficient for editors to compile shots and videos together, as each shot is stored in the same camera. For productions being made within a time limit, or short and simple productions, time efficiency is important, therefore this would be a beneficial aspect.
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Genres and formats of single camera productions
Formats:
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Genres and examples:
Common genres in single camera production include Sci-Fi, Drama, Documentary, Crime, Sitcoms, Historical, Comedy, as well as subgenres such as Historical dramas and RomComs. Below are examples of single camera productions with their genre.
Narrative Structures
In films and TV, there are two types of narrative structure that can be used; Linear and non-linear. Linear narrative refers to a straight forward narrative in which there is a clear beginning, middle, and end, with no flashbacks or flash forwards, but a clear story from one point to the next. Disney movies often use a linear narrative structure due to its young target audience in which simplicity is key.
Non-linear means that the structure of the production is less straight forward, containing flashbacks and a more disrupted narrative. The narrative will often be out of chronological order and not make sense until the end, forcing the audience to be more passive. A great example of a non-linear production is Memento.
Non-linear means that the structure of the production is less straight forward, containing flashbacks and a more disrupted narrative. The narrative will often be out of chronological order and not make sense until the end, forcing the audience to be more passive. A great example of a non-linear production is Memento.
Technical aspects
Lighting:Lighting is a hugely important aspect in media production. Not only does it illustrate a higher quality of filming, lighting can also demonstrate different things such as a bright light on a super hero, and dark lighting or under lighting on the antagonist. Below are examples of the different types of lighting that can be used in production.
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Sound: Sound is used in all TV and film productions, and is important for adding effect and interest to the scene. Sound can be divided into diagetic and non-diagetic sound.
Diagetic- Diagetic sound is sound, also called "literal" or "actual sound", is sound that is present at the time of filming and can be heard on the camera in the raw footage. This include sounds such as talking or sounds in the background of the scene.
Non-Diagetic- Non-diagetic sound is sound that is additional and added after filming in the edits. This includes sound affects such as music or narration. Non-diagetic sound is particularly useful in single camera production in order to link scenes together. On the right is a video displaying the use of non-diagetic sounds and how they can be made. The movie "A Quiet Place" effectively illustrates non-diagetic sound, as the movie is almost fully dependent on this. |
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Editing: Editing is the process of selecting, organizing and condensing audio and visual content in order to create a final product such as a film. There are many different ways of editing, which include transitioning between scenes with effects such as wipe and dissolve, using montages, establishing shots, cross cutting, jump cuts and more. Editing is a significant factor in single camera production, as all the footage needs to compiled to create a smooth video and diminish the jump cut effect and pauses that can be caused with the use of one camera.
Examples of show openings using a single camera
Brooklyn 99
Pilot episode is the episode where the main characters are introduced and the audience are given an inquiry as to what their personalities are and individual differences, which are fundamental “trademarks” of the characters that influence how they act throughout the show. Brooklyn 99 starts off with closeup shot and dramatic music, which allows the audience to focus on the character and what they're saying; this also is used to introduce the main character. Point of view shots are used to establish a third person view and to make the audience feel included as if they are present at the scene. These are often done with hand held shots and tracking. Hand held shots are used to elucidate a more authentic and unfiltered feel and provides a sense of reality. Throughout the pilot episode, there are simple jump cuts and zooms, and non-diagetic sound is used to link scenes together to avoid choppiness. Over the shoulder shots used for dialogue. |
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Modern Family
Before the episode begins there is a brief introduction. This is often used to recap the previous episode, however in the pilot episode, this is used to give the audience an idea as to what to expect, and also as a brief introduction to the characters.Hand held shots are used to establish an authentic feel, almost like a documentary, as the show focuses on three modern-day families from California trying to deal with their kids, quirky spouses and jobs in their own unique ways, whilst their lives are being documented from a third perspective. Zooms and tracking shots used, to reflect the chaos of the scene, eg. when there is an argument happening, a shaky tracking shot is used to illustrate elements of confusion and frenzy in the scene. There are scenes where the characters sit down and talk to the camera directly in order to explain what happened and to give their opinions outside of the scene. For this, close up to medium shots are used, predominantly at eye level. Little to no over the shoulder shots are used, in order to allow the audience to experience the scene from a third person perspective rather than the viewpoint of the character. |
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New Girl
The show New Girl, similarly to most sitcom single camera shows, starts with a closeup shot of the main character, introducing her to the audience. A short clip is shown before the main introduction of the show, to illustrate the type of character the main character is, showing an embarrassing moment in which she caught her boyfriend cheating on her. This also allows for the audience to know what's coming and have a sense of context before watching the show. Frequent close up and mid shots used, in order to introduce all the characters to the audience. Medium shots are used to establish the scene, especially in the pilot episode where the audience are first being introduced to all the characters, the setting and mise en scene. In terms of editing, simple edits such as jump cuts are used. Non-diagetic sound is used to blend the shots together and portray a seamless shot. |
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