Understanding the features of single camera productions
In this report I will be explaining in detail, the main features and elements included in single camera productions. I will be using real life examples from television programmes and films that are relevant to support and provide insight on certain techniques.
A production that is filmed using only one camera is a single camera production and the use of this technique can add detail and deliberate change to a plot and how a plot is perceived by an audience.
A production that is filmed using only one camera is a single camera production and the use of this technique can add detail and deliberate change to a plot and how a plot is perceived by an audience.
For the starting point of this report, I will be covering how different single camera productions are organised and sectioned by contrasting content included within the productions. This area of production for a television program or film is often know as the format or genre that the production will follow. There are four main formats within the single camera productions.
Firstly, a series is a programme that is often broadcasted regularly and uses the same characters and basic situation to a different story in each episode. A series consistently includes the main cast in almost every episode and each episode also includes an independent plot.
An example of this drama format is Family Guy. The incredibly popular adult cartoon series that is based in the town of Quahog, Rhode Island. This programme is an American production and includes in its cast some very famous and popular voice actors. Due to the type of drama format, the series airs once a week and has been making and releasing new episodes since 1998. Now with a total of 289 episodes in 16 seasons.
Firstly, a series is a programme that is often broadcasted regularly and uses the same characters and basic situation to a different story in each episode. A series consistently includes the main cast in almost every episode and each episode also includes an independent plot.
An example of this drama format is Family Guy. The incredibly popular adult cartoon series that is based in the town of Quahog, Rhode Island. This programme is an American production and includes in its cast some very famous and popular voice actors. Due to the type of drama format, the series airs once a week and has been making and releasing new episodes since 1998. Now with a total of 289 episodes in 16 seasons.
The basic plot of Family Guy is set around the family called the Griffins who live in a small town. The episodes include the adventures they have in this town and because of this, the show echos a realistic view to situations some people in the world live in. The comedy very frequently uses something known by the directors as 'cut aways' this is very like a flash back or flash forward and is used to show what the characters in mind mean by what they say. This element allows the audience to connect more with the characters through by what they are saying. In parallel with the shows genre is the how random some of the 'cut aways' can feel, this helps the show to feel more comical and unique.
The second drama format is known as a serial and is similar to a series to many ways, however unlike a series, each episode is not complete within its self and uses the progression of characters and locations to move the story along. As each episode is not contained within itself, the programme uses cliff hangers to encourage audience members to continue to watch the programme and remain interested.
The serial I have chosen to write about is the television show Game of Thrones which is based on the book series called a Song of Ice and Fire that was written by the author George R.R Martin. Released in 2011 but set in medieval times, this fantasy genre television show combines the glory of fiction creatures with the realism of empire ruling politics. Watching this show really immerses you in the fictional land known as Westeros. Game of Thrones is Directed by David Benioff and Dan Weiss.
Game of Thrones has a complete all-star cast; the majority of whom soared to stardom due to the phenomenal prosperity the show has achieved. Game of Thrones is based around different houses that rally for who will become king. There are five main houses or family names. Starks are the house that the series is mainly about. Kit Harrington plays the character Jon Snow, a bastard of the house Stark. The purpose of the characters in this show is to give the audience something to be interested in, for this and this alone there is numerous story lines with multiple characters. So that no matter if the audience love debates or violent battles there is something for them to look forward to seeing.
The narrative elements in the show are very linear based and often follows different perspectives around the country that are happening at more or less the same time, with time progressing after each episode. The show only breaks the order of events every now and again. One way they have broken the flow and used a flashback was by using a character who can seen into the past. This character is called Brandon Stark.
A huge theme that undertones the show is loyalty. In almost every episode you can identify who gives respect and loyalty to each contender for the throne and as the plot processes loyalty can change. A great example of this was in Season 3 and 4 where one major villain of sorts, known as Ramsay Bolton who captured Theon Greyjoy and tortured him until Theon's loyalty changed to the Boltons. By the end of this process Theon was no longer himself and more of a persona given to him by Ransay called Reek who now obeyed him.
The third drama format is known as single drama and is often referred to as a film that is made for television broadcasting. This technique is designed as a one off programme which will include the same structure that a film would do, with a beginning middle and end. This technique would often include reach a climax in the story ark.
The single drama I have chosen to write about is called Boy A and was originally released on the channel film four. Boy A was released in 2007. Based on a real tragic story, Boy A follows a character who recently was released from prison after part taking in a murder of a minor when he was only a child. Boy A is given a new identity and a new town to live in to protect him but after the past once again finds Jack Burridge. (Boy A) This single drama was directed my John Crowley. The main cast includes Andrew Garfield as Jack, Peter Mullan as Terry and Katie Lyons and Michelle.
This drama followed a linear narrative for the most part but used a total of five flash backs to show to the audience clips from Jack's past which help to suggest why he did what he did. An example of this is when Jack and his friend discuss their family issues. These include Jack's mum having cancer and the friends father raping his son.
The character roles in this drama are difficult to identify, this is because the protagonist of the story is also a child murder so the respect and opinion the audience is completely split down the middle with people on one side believing he deserves a new start where others believing he actually should spend 'life' in prison and not just a life sentence. Other characters are easily to identify as you could put all of what happened down to the poor parenting Jack had so his father who also beat him could be seen as the villain despite only have a feminists of screen time. Michelle is the love interest in this film and through her character the audience gets to feel whats it is like to find out what its like when someone lies to you about their entire life. This left Michelle devastated.
The main theme in this film is redemption. After rejoining society Jack tries his hardest to be the best person he can be to make up for what he did as a child. He managed to conqueror the fear of asking out a colleague and even manage to save a baby girl when seeing that a car had gone off the road. This also played a part when the audience had to decide for them selves whether of not he deserved a new start at the end of the film.
This one off drama used several pieces of similar slow paced music to illustrate the pain of segregation Jack feels at the end of the film when everyone finds out his true identity. The use of these songs brings out the hatred the audience has for Jack and instead the music leaves you forgiving Jack for his horrible past.
The fourth and final drama format is known as a soap opera. A soap is a television programme with multiple storylines from multiple characters at one time. No single storyline dominates and story lines can carry on for weeks before conclusion.
The soap I have chosen to write about is Eastenders. Eastenders is a very popular soap based in the London, England. Due to the type of drama format, the soap airs once a week and has been going since 1985 with over five thousand episodes in a total of sixteen seasons. On the soaps 30th anniversary back in 2015 more than 20 million people turned into to watch it. With a television show like this that has been running for many years, the amount of crew involved is exponentially increasing to be able to withstand the new demand for the programme and the ever increasing story development.
Game of Thrones has a complete all-star cast; the majority of whom soared to stardom due to the phenomenal prosperity the show has achieved. Game of Thrones is based around different houses that rally for who will become king. There are five main houses or family names. Starks are the house that the series is mainly about. Kit Harrington plays the character Jon Snow, a bastard of the house Stark. The purpose of the characters in this show is to give the audience something to be interested in, for this and this alone there is numerous story lines with multiple characters. So that no matter if the audience love debates or violent battles there is something for them to look forward to seeing.
The narrative elements in the show are very linear based and often follows different perspectives around the country that are happening at more or less the same time, with time progressing after each episode. The show only breaks the order of events every now and again. One way they have broken the flow and used a flashback was by using a character who can seen into the past. This character is called Brandon Stark.
A huge theme that undertones the show is loyalty. In almost every episode you can identify who gives respect and loyalty to each contender for the throne and as the plot processes loyalty can change. A great example of this was in Season 3 and 4 where one major villain of sorts, known as Ramsay Bolton who captured Theon Greyjoy and tortured him until Theon's loyalty changed to the Boltons. By the end of this process Theon was no longer himself and more of a persona given to him by Ransay called Reek who now obeyed him.
The third drama format is known as single drama and is often referred to as a film that is made for television broadcasting. This technique is designed as a one off programme which will include the same structure that a film would do, with a beginning middle and end. This technique would often include reach a climax in the story ark.
This drama followed a linear narrative for the most part but used a total of five flash backs to show to the audience clips from Jack's past which help to suggest why he did what he did. An example of this is when Jack and his friend discuss their family issues. These include Jack's mum having cancer and the friends father raping his son.
The character roles in this drama are difficult to identify, this is because the protagonist of the story is also a child murder so the respect and opinion the audience is completely split down the middle with people on one side believing he deserves a new start where others believing he actually should spend 'life' in prison and not just a life sentence. Other characters are easily to identify as you could put all of what happened down to the poor parenting Jack had so his father who also beat him could be seen as the villain despite only have a feminists of screen time. Michelle is the love interest in this film and through her character the audience gets to feel whats it is like to find out what its like when someone lies to you about their entire life. This left Michelle devastated.
The main theme in this film is redemption. After rejoining society Jack tries his hardest to be the best person he can be to make up for what he did as a child. He managed to conqueror the fear of asking out a colleague and even manage to save a baby girl when seeing that a car had gone off the road. This also played a part when the audience had to decide for them selves whether of not he deserved a new start at the end of the film.
This one off drama used several pieces of similar slow paced music to illustrate the pain of segregation Jack feels at the end of the film when everyone finds out his true identity. The use of these songs brings out the hatred the audience has for Jack and instead the music leaves you forgiving Jack for his horrible past.
The fourth and final drama format is known as a soap opera. A soap is a television programme with multiple storylines from multiple characters at one time. No single storyline dominates and story lines can carry on for weeks before conclusion.
Within a single camera drama production , there are different ways that the story can be actioned and developed. The narrative is how the story ark is presented and structured. As with most key terminologies in the Media Industry, there are different forms of the structure. Each of the following methods are used to cast a story in a specific way.
The first essence of this is a linear structure. A linear structure is simple defined as a straight forward and logical structure for a film or programme to follow. Any production with a linear structure will follow the chronological order of the stories used in the programme. This structure will include a beginning, a middle and an end. The use of this helps the audience to easily follow the arrangement of the content within the constructed instalment. From a creators perspective, the use of this technique allows the flow of the production to be easily controlled. For example if a twist in the story structure is imminent, using this technique insures that the audience are focused on what is happening and their attention is not spread between too many characters. For a creator, this technique can be used to build tension for specific scenes. If there is a scene with key exposition for the audience to absorb, then this technique insures that the audience are able to pay attention. As mentioned, there are many advantages of using a linear structured story within a project.
My chosen case study for this technique is Skyfall. The 2012 action,thriller James Bond film was a linear piece that followed James's character development throughout the action piece. Skyfall began with a car chase that was in the present day for the films storyline. The car chase results in Bond loosing his skills and the built of the film is structured to follow him as he regains them. Each act that followed the chase at the beginning, was the story moving in a straight or linear movement. Skyfall did not include any flashbacks or flashforwards which would have broken the circle and instead the film chose for the exposition of Bond's childhood to be covered through the use of dialogue. This film however was not created as a single camera piece and instead used a multi-camera set up for the duration of the films creation.
The second approach to how a narrative is created is known as multi-strand. The opposite technique to the previously mentioned linear structure is non linear. This means that the story does not need to follow in a chronological order and so allows the creators of the production to use more exposition in the forms of a flash forward or flash back in order to convey the story or back story of a character. Any technique that fractures the linear structure of a story results in the technique being non-linear.
My case study for a non-linear narrative is Momento. The 2000, crime/thriller film used flash backs and flash forwards to progress the story. The film began at the end of the production and worked its way back to the start using the flash backs and flash forwards to give exposition to the audience surrounding what as happening. The film followed a police officer in America who has short memory loss and only remembers stages of the plot, though writing notes.
A specific technique within non-linear is known as multi-strand. Where a linear production often only displays one character in detail, a multi-strand film or programme uses multiple narratives and perspectives at one time to cast a overview of an entire situation. A multi-strand production can be hard to complete as it could result in the audience being confused or lost but done well however, it results in the story ark being more complex and as a result, more griping for the audience.
My case study for this technique is the film Crash. The 2005 crime, drama used the multi-strand structure to showcase over five different characters who all had different colliding, personalities. The events of the film take place after the September terrorist attacks known as 911 and the film used the different characters to identify how different ethnicities react to the aftermath of the attack. The image above shows a few of the personalities used in the multi-strand film. Crash is a perfect example of a single camera production done correctly. The film, used a range of camera shots to indicate a range of emotion between each of the personified characters, in the filming process this would have meant that the scenes would have been re-shot from different angles. The use of different camera angles would have been used to bring across the story to the audience.
As a contrast to the technique above, a single stand film or programme will focus on one specific character who is often the protagonist. The film will follow this character through the story ark of the production. A production using this technique will often have a three part structure. The three part structure would have a beginning(setup), middle (confrontation) , end(revolution) which is very similar to a linear structure. An example of this technique would be the original Matrix. The image below indicates the Matrix's three part structure.
As briefly mentioned in my case study for the multi-strand technique, there are many different practical techniques and elements used in a single camera production. In the next segment of the essay I will analysing each one in detail.
When beginning a single camera feature the first practical element that a production company would look into would be the retakes of scenes from different angles. The whole concept of a single camera feature is to simulate the sensations of a multi-camera set up which would simultaneously record a scene though the use of only one camera set up and several retakes of the same scene in order to receive the exact footage a multi-camera set up would create. Scenes might be recreated and re-filmed in order to capture one of the following camera shots and angles: a close up of a characters reaction, a mid shot of a character or characters while they are talking, a camera pan into a specific area, a long shot, an aerial shot and a zoom out to reveal something or show camera distance from characters. A huge benefit of using a single camera technique over a multi-camera is to minimise the cameras caught in other shots and to maximise the volume of shots available.
The Big Bang Theory is a television programme which is often thought to use a multi-camera structure however, contrary to popular belief, the comedy is a single camera production that records scenes several time to gather a good selection of the angles and shots that were mentioned earlier in order to give the audience the false impression of a multi-camera set up and so that the audience does not think nothing out of the ordinary.
Aforementioned there are different shots, angles and practical camera uses that are used within television and film production. A single camera production will make the most of these techniques in order to have the best outcome for using only one camera. In the next part of this report I will be analysing the main methods in detail.
There is a camera shot dedicated to reviewing a characters or persons reaction, this is known as a close up. The shot comes in two types. An extreme close up and a close up. The close up will show the head and sometimes shoulders as well of a character and an extreme close up will show a certain part of the face such as the eye or mouth. Both types are used for similar reasons with the extreme version being able to show exaggeration through the use of only one facial movement. Directors and producers often use this shot to help reveal areas where "Mise en scene" is used. The use of this technique can help the audience to follow the story more clearly.
Another camera shot is known as an ariel shot and is taken from above the characters in order to show a clear perspective of characters heights/body persona, and location. Using this shot enables the audience to have an understanding of topics such as: how tall each character is and where the scene is set. This shot is also known as a "birds eye view" shot and gains both names from being filmed with a drone or a camera mounted helicopter.
A median shot is an extremely popular camera technique in film and television production. The shots main use is to capture the characters from waist upwards which enables the audience to see a range of movement from the characters body whilst remaining able to make out facial features such as a mouth moving or a detailed reaction. Most often used in dialogue scenes, a median camera shot is a great addition to any production. The example to the right, shows how this technique is used.
Unlike the previously mentioned stationary techniques, a crane shot is a camera shot which incorporates movement. This method takes a shot from a high location as the camera is positioned on the side of a crane. This technique is useful as when the camera is positioned, it can be easily moved to create a camera pan from a high angle which would have a similar effect to an aerial shot aforementioned. This technique is often used for gaining footage that is from a high area for scenes where there are large group of cast or extras. On the left is an example this shot
Following the practical filming of the single camera feature, all the shots taken from the different angles and setups, are then compressed through the editing process and the best selection of shots are chosen for use within the film or programme. Television shows such as the Big Bang Theory, will use different clips from each of the angles to help show characters viewpoints and give a sense of variety in the distance from the characters in focus.
In conclusion a single camera production incorporates many of the factors that a multi-camera setup would use to maximise the effect on the audience, however a single camera production does this with one camera, through several takes of each scene and a very structured editing process, in order to gain results that intrigue and captivate the audience.
References.
The first essence of this is a linear structure. A linear structure is simple defined as a straight forward and logical structure for a film or programme to follow. Any production with a linear structure will follow the chronological order of the stories used in the programme. This structure will include a beginning, a middle and an end. The use of this helps the audience to easily follow the arrangement of the content within the constructed instalment. From a creators perspective, the use of this technique allows the flow of the production to be easily controlled. For example if a twist in the story structure is imminent, using this technique insures that the audience are focused on what is happening and their attention is not spread between too many characters. For a creator, this technique can be used to build tension for specific scenes. If there is a scene with key exposition for the audience to absorb, then this technique insures that the audience are able to pay attention. As mentioned, there are many advantages of using a linear structured story within a project.
My chosen case study for this technique is Skyfall. The 2012 action,thriller James Bond film was a linear piece that followed James's character development throughout the action piece. Skyfall began with a car chase that was in the present day for the films storyline. The car chase results in Bond loosing his skills and the built of the film is structured to follow him as he regains them. Each act that followed the chase at the beginning, was the story moving in a straight or linear movement. Skyfall did not include any flashbacks or flashforwards which would have broken the circle and instead the film chose for the exposition of Bond's childhood to be covered through the use of dialogue. This film however was not created as a single camera piece and instead used a multi-camera set up for the duration of the films creation. The second approach to how a narrative is created is known as multi-strand. The opposite technique to the previously mentioned linear structure is non linear. This means that the story does not need to follow in a chronological order and so allows the creators of the production to use more exposition in the forms of a flash forward or flash back in order to convey the story or back story of a character. Any technique that fractures the linear structure of a story results in the technique being non-linear.
My case study for a non-linear narrative is Momento. The 2000, crime/thriller film used flash backs and flash forwards to progress the story. The film began at the end of the production and worked its way back to the start using the flash backs and flash forwards to give exposition to the audience surrounding what as happening. The film followed a police officer in America who has short memory loss and only remembers stages of the plot, though writing notes. A specific technique within non-linear is known as multi-strand. Where a linear production often only displays one character in detail, a multi-strand film or programme uses multiple narratives and perspectives at one time to cast a overview of an entire situation. A multi-strand production can be hard to complete as it could result in the audience being confused or lost but done well however, it results in the story ark being more complex and as a result, more griping for the audience.
As a contrast to the technique above, a single stand film or programme will focus on one specific character who is often the protagonist. The film will follow this character through the story ark of the production. A production using this technique will often have a three part structure. The three part structure would have a beginning(setup), middle (confrontation) , end(revolution) which is very similar to a linear structure. An example of this technique would be the original Matrix. The image below indicates the Matrix's three part structure.
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| The DVD cover for The Matrix[1999] |
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| The three part narrative for the Matrix |
As briefly mentioned in my case study for the multi-strand technique, there are many different practical techniques and elements used in a single camera production. In the next segment of the essay I will analysing each one in detail.
When beginning a single camera feature the first practical element that a production company would look into would be the retakes of scenes from different angles. The whole concept of a single camera feature is to simulate the sensations of a multi-camera set up which would simultaneously record a scene though the use of only one camera set up and several retakes of the same scene in order to receive the exact footage a multi-camera set up would create. Scenes might be recreated and re-filmed in order to capture one of the following camera shots and angles: a close up of a characters reaction, a mid shot of a character or characters while they are talking, a camera pan into a specific area, a long shot, an aerial shot and a zoom out to reveal something or show camera distance from characters. A huge benefit of using a single camera technique over a multi-camera is to minimise the cameras caught in other shots and to maximise the volume of shots available.
The Big Bang Theory is a television programme which is often thought to use a multi-camera structure however, contrary to popular belief, the comedy is a single camera production that records scenes several time to gather a good selection of the angles and shots that were mentioned earlier in order to give the audience the false impression of a multi-camera set up and so that the audience does not think nothing out of the ordinary.Aforementioned there are different shots, angles and practical camera uses that are used within television and film production. A single camera production will make the most of these techniques in order to have the best outcome for using only one camera. In the next part of this report I will be analysing the main methods in detail.
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| Close up of Clint Eastwood in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"[1966] |
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| An ariel shot used in "The Walk"[2015] |
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| A median shot used in "The Titanic"[1998] |
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| A crane shot used in "Django Unchained"[2012] |
Following the practical filming of the single camera feature, all the shots taken from the different angles and setups, are then compressed through the editing process and the best selection of shots are chosen for use within the film or programme. Television shows such as the Big Bang Theory, will use different clips from each of the angles to help show characters viewpoints and give a sense of variety in the distance from the characters in focus.
In conclusion a single camera production incorporates many of the factors that a multi-camera setup would use to maximise the effect on the audience, however a single camera production does this with one camera, through several takes of each scene and a very structured editing process, in order to gain results that intrigue and captivate the audience.
References.
