Unit 23- Multi Camera techniques

Adam McCallion

In this assignment I am going to:

Look at why multi-camera is used for types of productions. I will explore multi-camera programme formats, to understand why

certain formats are used in certain circumstances (coverage of action). I will be selecting two live events and two studio based productions to

explain and explore.In each of my case studies I will explain how they:

Communicate meaning to the viewer. Determine a target audience for each. Explore their visual style and explain how they maintain the viewers

interest. Discuss the constraints of studio or location environment productions

and multi-camera simultaneous recordings.

Multi-Camera Programme FormatsWhen it comes to programme formats, there are distinct types and genres, however the six main genres I was able to conclude, were divided into two categories. Live and studio. The first topic I am going to cover is Live event productions.

Live Event Examples

Sports Programmes

For example, football matches use roughly 24 cameras to capture a football match. Multiple cameras are positioned around the stadium to ensure that nowhere is missed during the game. Everything from what is happening in the game to the spectator’s reactions.

Another example of a sports event is the Olympics. Where there is so much activity going on all day; I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many cameras are used and in various places to capture every sport, there would be a set of cameras and crew at the Gymnastics whilst another set of cameras and crew are over at the long jump. Not only capture what is going on, but every camera is positioned in a place for a reason, so it will be able to sufficiently capture the best and most interesting shots for the audience!

Concerts

This is one of the most common types of multi-camera productions. Everywhere from DJs to Rock bands. Rappers and pop singers dominate these and are shot most of the time outdoors in a wide-open space with a crowd.

An example of this would be U2 Elevation Tour, live from Boston.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOu7N8e9PU

In terms of the camera setup, there would be one in the crowd capturing the experience of what it's like to be there. A camera positioned on the stage with the band so you can see them playing. An establishing shot with the camera on a crane in order to see the concert from a high angle showing the massive size of the crowd and the band on stage.

Public Events

Certain public events such as Princess Diana’s Funeral used multi-camera to make sure they capture everything that is happening. Most importantly; for them it was very important to get everything as most people would like to watch It on TV and most public events are live on TV which is why they must make sure they don’t miss anything out.

Stage Productions

A few months ago, I was working as a runner on a TV stage production with Big Mountain Productions in the Millennium Forum, “Opry Dhoire” featuring Daniel O’Donnell, an Irish country singer. Although this wasn’t a live show, I did learn a few things. Whilst I was cable bashing; I was able to watch the show from the audience’s perspective and I did see from night to night that Daniel had to do multiple takes, there were cameras set up on stage and one I was with capturing the audience’s reactions. Above me there was a camera on a crane to get shots coming in from a height. I saw the importance of having a lot of cameras; capturing as much as you can really does create an enormous impact for the audience!

However these are only a few examples of multi-camera being used in productions, now I am going to go into detail about two live events and analyse the coverage of the production and touch on visual styles, how they communicate meaning to the viewer and hold their attention along with the constraints.

Live Production Analysis 1

For this analysis I have chosen the TV show Mrs Browns Boys. The show is based in a studio and is for pure entertainment, the show is a comedy. Shows like Mrs Browns Boys use multiple cameras because they get filmed live which means it is important to have good coverage so that everything is caught on camera. Throughout the show the camera focuses mainly on the character Mrs Brown and the other members of the cast. Mrs being the main character, she I the focus. This show is filmed in front of a live audience which means sometimes, things do go wrong, but at times this can add to the comedy effect so sometimes they leave it in the final cut.

Mrs Browns Boys bloopers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfMGAssJBo8

Most of the time they begin the show with Mrs Brown sitting at her kitchen table in which she can sometimes directly address the audience which gives the audience the illusion that they are there apart of the whole experience with her, this pictual visual media is the penticle of ecsapism. In a realistic form, almost as if the audience can escape to this world from every day life.

The visual style would be very home like, so the audience can relate more to it and add to the comedic effect, by entailing similarities bound to their own homes. Mrs Brown frequently makes cups of tea, like most people do in Ireland and even throughout the world.

Live Production Analysis 2

For this analysis I have chosen the television sitcom The Ellen Show. Just like Mrs Browns boys in the last analysis, The Ellen Show is based in a studio in front of a live audience. The show is presented and created by Ellen DeGeneres. To have good coverage of this show there were many cameras positioned all around the stage and some capturing the audience’s reactions. If I were to estimate how many cameras there were, I would say roughly 8 or 9. Ellen would invite many guests onto her show each week and do lots of different games and challenges with them. The viewer would interpret this as the show is a fun entertaining show that is based around celebrities, Hollywood gossip and general chat between the audience. Ellen would sometimes do giveaways for her audience and often do call outs to them on show.

In the opening of the show there Is a set of camera switches to let the audience know what the show is about. The show starts with Ellen being introduced by a commentator, after that Ellen walks out from behind the set and interacts with the audience, sometimes starting with her “mint toss” the shot then changes to the audience’s reaction, then back to Ellen.

These shots convey a fun and cheerful vibe about the show directly reflecting Ellen’s personality and draws in the audience’s attention convincing them that the show is worth watching.

Ellen helps students in Spain Elementary school - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8EWjTrnEY

Ellen gives away iPads to her studio audience - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBBtSV6pB4g

The visual style of this show is set up with two arm chairs and a coffee table which gives the show a very home like atmosphere and makes the viewer feel more “at home” as you would say it, creating a feeling of closeness and connection to the viewer.

Types of shots & Rules

When you are filming any production, variations of shots are crucial in order to best show the audience what is going on. Should it be an establishing shot, close up, panning, tracking, crane and the 180 degree rule. All of these each have a purpose depending on the senario. In this segment of my essay I am going to be going over a few in order to best explain when in why some may be used.

Establishing Shot

An establishing shot is used in almost every multi-camera production. It's used to show the viewer what is going on in the production. If it were a concert, it would be to show the audience. If it were a tv show, this would show the set from a far distance in so that the viewer can see everything.

Close up

A close-up shot is rarely used in multi camera productions, however when it is used, it can be used to show emotion or emphasise something that is happening in that particular event. For example, a cooking show, if the chef is demonstrating how to properly chop an onion, they may cut to a close up shot so that the audience can see in far more detail the technique the chef is using. This may then be followed by a mid-shot.

Mid shot

A mid shot is one of the most used on chat shows like "The Ellen Show" when the camera cuts back and forth between the interviewee and Ellen. They leave enough room for the subject to fit in the frame, usually from the waist to their head ensuring to leave enough head space above the subject.

180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is very important when it comes to storytelling and making sure the production makes sense to the viewer.

As you can see from this diagram; the 180 degree rule means that (if there are 2 cameras) during an interview or a conversation, the shots must not pass over the 180 degree mark, if this is done the viewers may get confused by which direction the people are talking and who they are talking to.

Job Roles

I was involved in a production in my city as a camera man It was a Bohemian fashion show.

Below is the floor plan and the layout of cameras. I was working on Camera 2.

Camera 1

Camera 2

Camera 3

Camera 4

Each camera was then plugged into a vision mixer; live online, being live edited by another member of our team. However, the cameras were also recording onto their own internal memory SD cards so that the footage could be edited later. It was also my job to edit the footage together. For this I used the Multi camera editing in adobe premiere pro that my teacher Joe taught me how to use.

Camera 3

My Role as a Camera Operator

A Camera Operator has to perform vital roles within the camera department. They have a duty to support the director of photography and the director to accurately carry out their instructions regarding shot composition and development. So the Camera Operators main role is to overlook of the filming and film. When filming this project, I was very aware that my shot may be switched to at any given time so throughout the entire show I ensured that I had nice composition and my footage was not shaky or moving too much.

Conclusion

In conclusion, multi-camera techniques are utilized conventionally and are visually perceived very often across our television screens. They capture lots of footage at once which benefits the audience members as they are able to be provided with quite a deep insight into what is going on and withal the editors as they will have a substantial amount of footage to cull from. I have learned a lot throughout working on our own multi camera production, from keeping a good composition over a long period of time, and seeing how the vision mixer works with all the cameras plugged into it streaming live online. More importantly how to

edit multi camera in adobe premiere pro, instead of syncing it manually, doing it this way will save any editor so much more time.