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The History of Multi
Camera Production
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Single Camera Production
‘‘A single camera—either motion picture camera or professional video
camera – is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken
indervidually’’ - Wikipedia
Its uses:
• Films: producers always use single-camera
• In television: used for prime-time
dramas, made-for-tv movies, music
videos and commercial advertisements
In single-camera production, if a particular scene cuts backwards and
forwards between two actors, then the director will first point the camera
towards the first actor and shoot shots number 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on. Then
they will point the camera toward the second actor and do shots number
2, 4, 6, 8, and so on. The in the post production stages the shots will be
edited and joined together to make the correct order.
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Examples of Single Camera
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The Office - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKyV-l8i5lg
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Ugly Betty - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKjZ6LDlri4
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Scrubs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlNQiQ7KVMc
Advantages of Single Camera:
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scenes don't have to be shot in sequence. The final sequence of scenes is arranged during editing.
In order of importance, the following should be considered when planning the shooting
sequence of a single-camera production:
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all shots involving specific talent/actors (starting with the highest paid) should be shot as close
together in time as possible, regardless of script sequence
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all shots at a particular location should be shot at the same time
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all shots requiring specific production personnel should be shot at the same time
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all shots requiring specialized production equipment, such as special cameras, lenses,
microphones, and generators should be shot at the same time
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Multi Camera Production
‘’Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras- are
employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene’’
Its uses:
• Soap operas
• talk shows
• sitcoms
In this way, multiple shots are obtained in a single take without having to start
and stop the action. This is more efficient for programs that are to be shown a
short time after being shot as it reduces the time spent film editing or video
editing the footage.
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Examples of Multi Camera
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How I Met Your Mother - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2RC1Lw6tQ
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The big Bang Theory - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0xgjUhEG3U
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Two and a Half Men - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsheKpRIk1I
The majority of British sitcoms and dramas from the 1950s to the early 1990s
were made using Multi cameras and initially broadcast live.
Unlike the United States, the development of completed filmed programming
using single camera method, was limited for several decades. Instead, a
'hybrid' form emerged using filmed inserts, location work, mixed with indoor
scenes shot in the multi-camera electronic studio. It was the most common
type of production shown by the BBC and ITV.
As technology developed, some drama productions were mounted on
location using multiple electronic cameras. By the late 1990s, soap operas
were left as the only TV drama being made in the UK using multiple cameras.
Television prime-time dramas are usually shot using a single camera set up.
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History of Multi Camera
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three cameras were used to broadcast The Queen's
Messenger in 1928, the first drama performed for television
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP-rgKUzsUI
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The BBC routinely used Multi Camera for their live
television shows from 1936 onwards
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In the late 1970s Garry Marshall was credited with adding
the forth camera to the multi-camera set-up for his series
Mork and Mindy