SINGLE CAMERA TECHNIQUES

 

 

WHAT IS SINGLE-CAMERA PRODUCTION?

 

A single camera production is when only one "single camera" is used throughout the filming process. during filming you can use a wide variety  of shots and angle to capture strong emotions that are inportant to the story. Each shot/angle can change a film visually and emotionally, there are many examples of different types of single-camera shots/angles...

 

E.G.

• Over the shoulder   
• Wide-shots
• POV (Point of View) 
• Panning shots
• Close-ups
• Dutch Angles
• Extreme Close-ups
• High-angle shots

All these shots can be used in a single-camera production and a multi-camera production, examples of these shots/angles in use are...

 

E.G. 

• Over the shoulder - This shot can mostly be used to capture a conversation and the emotions that the characters may be feeling throughout the scene. The chararter that is the camera is over the shoulder too is mostly blurred out while the camera is focusing more on the other character who is facing the character in front of them.

 

This example of a single-camera "over the shoulder" shot is from the independant romance-drama "Like Crazy" the film used single-camera due to it's really low-budget.

 

• Reverse Shot- Another example of this shot is called the "Reverse Shot" which is used mostly in multi camera interviews and it is where two cameras are on both people (the interviewer and the interviewiee) and you can cut between each people without having to move the camera and shot the interview twice. in single-camera productions you may do this also, within a film production you may have to do two diffrent takes to get the "Reverse Shot" right.

This is an example of a "Reverse Shot" used in the independant romance-drama "Like Crazy"

     

• Wide shots/angles -  

SINGLE CAMERA VS MULTI CAMERA PRODUCTION


SINGLE CAMERA - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

While a single camera production may have it's advantages, it can have many disadvantages within a film production. An example of this is that a single camera production is time-consuming when you have to set up the next shot/angle and when you are on a tight-schedule it can lead to frustration and the quality may decline. One advantage of a single-camera production is that you do not need to rely on much equipment and have to buy expensive cameras in the process.  A single camera production can create realism and seem more gritty in terms of the visual detail, and the emotions characters show