Multi-Camera

Multi-Camera

The term Multi Camera is a recording method which involves using two or more cameras. The cameras are usually in a fixed position this is so that it makes it easier to cut from one camera to another camera. The Multi Camera Technique is mainly used for live events to make sure they cover all of the action for example these could range from cooking shows to live football(Live). Multi camera can be used for many different reasons the first main reason is the ‘coverage’ this means the coverage of action they get for example it would be very hard to film a live football match with one camera because if the camera did not pick up a goal they would not be able to say can you re-do that so I can get it on camera, so this is a main reason why live concepts use the multi camera technique.

The next reason why many shows use the multi camera technique is because by using the multi camera technique, it allows the show to be more interesting to watch why? Because by using more than one camera will make the show more pleasing to the eye because there will be a range of different camera angles.

Another reason why many shows use the multi camera technique because ‘speed’, by having more than 1 camera will automatically make the process of filming something much quicker for example in a studio, if you use more than 1 camera you will most likely only have to film it once.

The last reason why some shows/festivals may use the multi camera technique is for the ‘continuity’ for example when you see someone smoking in a soap it would be hard to get the whole shot of someone smoking from one camera because when you re-film it from different angles you would have to make sure the cigarette is the same length as it was before you cut whereas if you filmed it from 3 different cameras in 3 different positions you will not have to re-film anything.

There are two main purposes for using this technique which could either be ‘Aesthetic ‘purposes or ‘practical’ purposes either way they are both positive reasons why to use this method over using the single camera method. Throughout my work I will go through 7 different sub genres that use the multi camera affect and explain why they use it. These 7 different sub genres are; Live Sports, Live Concerts, Public Events, Game Shows, Chat Shows, Magazine Shows and Talent Shows.

Sport Live-Football

Any live sports must use the multi camera technique because it is very important that the camera’s pick up everything that is happening. Football is a main live sport that is watched by many viewers online or on the TV which is why it is very important that the different camera’s get everything. The viewers will find it incredibly bring to watch the whole match from just one shot (Long Shot). I have chosen to analyse the football match between ManUnited and Blackpool for my example of a live sport. Also if there was to only be one camera it would become very boring to watch and would lack viewer interest.

Football is a very physical sport and has lots of running involved which means it would be incredibly hard for one camera to track the players run up and down, this is why for football certain cameras have specific job roles for example there is a specific camera to pick up the audiences reaction and the managers reaction in addition there are other camera’s that a specific job role for example there is a camera in the centre which is normally see long shots from then you have other cameras that track the players running up and down and this is most likely to be and low angle shot.  

Why does this show use Multi Camera for aesthic purposes?

Live sports use the multi-camera technique so they can catch everything that is happening for example in live sports that I will be looking at closely is the football match by Arsenal and Milan Emirates. It is important that as a film-maker that they that get everything which is why they use more than one camera so that they can have specific camera's for specific area's on the pitch to film. Also because the football is filmed live the film-makers cannot re-film it.

The reason this show uses multi-camera techniques is to maintain the viewer’s interest, if they were to film the whole 90minuits of a match from a high angle the viewer would lose interest and would find it very boring.

The other reason why the football uses the multi-camera technique is for the overall visual style this is when the cutting from one shot to another shot comes into it. By filming something from a long shot then cutting straight to someone shooting creates a dramatic feeling which could link into how the football match is for example if the pace is quite fast and dramatic it could be relating to the football match making the football seem really intense and hard which is why the cuts are so quick.  

Coverage Of Action

The coverage of action is mainly to show the whole pitch with the players on it so the coverage of action is shown through one main camera being the middle camera, this camera normally follows the ball and whoever has the ball. So the camera is constantly moving and the cuts are not fast at all because it is not about making the match look like there’s a lot going on its more about just watching what's going on.

Visual Style

The overall visual style is very simple because the pace of cutting is not really fast and outrageous; the shots are also not very different. All the different shots are specific reasons so you can see exactly what is going on for example if it was a live performance of a concert you would tend to see loads of camera's to create atmosphere whereas for football each camera has a specific job. The visual style as the pace of cutting is to go with the pace of the football match so if the match was hard and the teams where getting the ball frequently the camera shots will speed up so overall the visual style is very simple.

Maintaining Viewer Interest

The camera shots are what keeps the viewers interested if the shot was the same throughout the whole match the viewer would get very bored whereas they have camera's to pick up everything for example there are camera's at the back of each goal which is very engaging as a viewer to watch and the viewer can also see the footballers faces when the camera's pick them up which can also maintain the viewer’s interest.

Communicate Meaning to Viewer

There is a specific camera that picks up the audiences reaction, this is an example that helps communicate meaning to the viewer because as a viewer can see that the audience are happy and are cheering. This is an example of communicate meaning to viewer because the viewer is influenced by what they see for example if they see one of the managers angry they will automatically feel angry as well.

 The image above shows different camera angles used throughout the match, this is to make th match more pleasing to the eye and not so boring.
Live Concert-Adele

The live concert performed by Adele uses multi-camera techniques because it helps create an atmosphere, it also helps the viewer see more than just Adele singing from a long short, by using lots of different shots helps link with the mood of the song and makes it more engaging to watch. The concert uses roughly 7 different camera's this makes the overall video more affective because you not only see Adele performing but you also see the band playing and you can also see the audience as well. So the video I have decided to use as my example for live concerts is Adele's concert of her performing rolling in the deep. I have specially chosen this as my example because I like the way the camera's are used to make the whole set up seem very dramatic whereas the cuts and affects are pretty basic which compliment the song which really helps with making the video more engaging and also the use of multi-camera technique helps with the look.

Coverage Of Action

The coverage of action is shown through lots of different camera angles mainly because it’s important that the viewer sees everything also because it's a live performance it would be harder to pick up everything by just one camera.

Visual Style

The visual style of the video of the live concert video is quiet calm for example the number of cuts are not frequent because the angles change to the music and because the song is very slow and calm there is not loads of cuts. There are lots of different camera angle shots to make it more engaging for example there is a specific camera that picks up Adele's facials this makes the video more engaging because although you’re watching it on YouTube, you can feel the emotion behind it because the camera picks it up. The visual style of the Adele concert is very dynamic because the cuts from different angles go with the pace and feeling of the song and there is a variety of different camera angles which makes it very engaging to watch.

Maintaining Viewer Interest

To maintain the viewers interest the multi camera technique uses a variety of shoots to make the viewer interested and the cutting of the music goes with the song, for example there are points were the cut from camera to camera goes on the beat of the song sang by Adele. So by cutting from shot to shot makes the video more interesting. It is also practical because my using more than one camera you are sure to cover all of the concert making sure you get the shots of the artist, then the crowd. Also the other practicak reason for filming with more than one camera is that you would not have to re-film it because if you only had one camera to film this particual concert you would not be able to pick up everything from just one camera you would have to re-film it but then the crowds reaction would not be the same because they would already know so this would decrease the meaning to the audience aswell.

Public Events

Princess Diana's Funeral

Public events use the multi camera technique to make sure they cover everything that is happening. It is also important for them to get everything on camera because most people would like to watch it on the TV because most public events are live on TV which is why they have to make sure they don’t miss anything out. The public video I have chosen to analyse the public event of Princess Diana’s funeral, this was very public because anyone was allowed to go and give their blessing for her. Everyone looked up to Princess Diana which is why there was a live public event that was getting filmed and because there was a lot of people and it was important that they not only filmed what was going on but also the public’s comments.

Public events like Princess Diana’s funeral use Multi camera language for many different reasons, the first reason for practical reasons is so that they can get everything from the public’s reaction, the family’s reactions and so on. The good reason for using the multi camera technique to film this type of event is because it doesn’t show you only the event it shows you other which makes it more meaningful towards the viewer watching. The other practical reason for using the multi camera technique is because for time it would be incredibly hard to film the whole thing from one camera because you wouldn’t be able to get everything and you would not be able to ask to re-do it to change the shots. Also if you were to only use one camera for aesthic purposes it would be very boring because the shot will be the same throughout the whole event. There was loads of different cameras in use on this particular event because it was a large event with a lot of people.
Why does this show use Multi Camera for aesthic purposes?
The public event for princess diana's funeral uses the multi camera technique for aesthic purposes to catch the viewers interest, they do this because thy want everyone to watch it at home and not eveyon will watch it if the camea angle is the same throughout and there's no cuts to make it loof effective. They do this by cutting from shot to shot to make the whole set up seem more dramatic for example whe it cuts from a high agle shot to a close up show makes it seem more emotional because it cuts from a slow movement in the camera which suggests that the overall video is sad to a close up shot of the family's faces and the audience's reaction. This helps with the mood and atmosphere. By using more than one camera it allows the editor to do washaway cuts and really dramatic cuts but in this case because the liv public event is sad of the cuts from camera to camera are very simple to make it simple and this helps to create a very tense atmosphere.
Coverage Of Action
By using the multi camera layout for a live public event is important because the camera operators needs to make sure they cover al of the action espically on a public event scale like this, viewers at home will want to see everything and with only one camera it will not work unless the camera operator records the whole event from a long shot which will seem boring. The multi camera layout is effective when catching the family's emotions which wil only be sen if you used the multi camera set up.

Studio Show-Take Me Out 

Game shows like ‘Take me Out’ are based in studios and are for pure entertainment, the show I am looking at is where Paddy McGuiness tries to  couple people together and this is purely for entertainment reasons. The show I am looking at is very fun up tempo to the music playing to the way Paddy speaks so it is not a serious show like ‘Million Pound Drop’. Take Me Out is a very popular show which is aired on BBC3 on a Saturday night for entertainment. Shows like Take Me Out use the multi camera because they get filmed live which means it’s important that everything gets caught on the camera’s.

Coverage Of Action

The reason why the show Take Me Out uses the multi camera layout is also to make sure they get all the action that happens on camera because the show is live the reactions of the girls to the guests are also live so it would not make sense for them to keep filming the same thing from different angles because that way the girls really would not be as surprised as they would be if it was just the once. This layout also helps with getting all the action from different angles for example when Paddy goes to see what a girl thinks about the guest man it comes off a long shot onto a close up shot of the girs which is useful so you can see her expressions as well as what she is saying.

Why does this show use Multi Camera for aesthic purposes?

For aesthic purposes the show uses a multi camera layout out this is so that they can do quick cuts from person to person to make the show seem more exciting because in this show particularly the camera cuts from one camera to another are really fast which make the show seem more fun and lively. It goes with the past of the show, which is why it is so engaging to watch. The use of the multi camera layout also allows there to be a different range of shots for example in take me out the first shot to be seen is a high angle shot looking down onto the whole set and then it snaps into a close up shot of the guest, this makes the show more interesting because different shots show different things for example when the shot is high up it almost belittles the man ‘guest’. So overall this show uses the multi camera layout to grab attention, cut to the pace of the show, and have different camera angles to make it more exciting.

Chart Show-Piers Morgans Life Style

Chat shows also use the multi camera shots to capture everything in the interview, this is because as interviewer they need to make sure they cover all the important answers that the guest gives back cause this is what the viewer’s want to know and see. I have chosen to look at Piers Morgan’s lifestyle because it is a very well watched show and the interview I will be looking at is the interview with Katie Price. This interview was a very heated interview as Katie Price spoke about stuff for the first time which is why it was so dramatic but in a sad way.

Coverage Of Action

In this case the practical reasons for having the multi camera set up is to catch all the information said but to also get the audiences reaction as Katie Price reveals stuff because that is very important because the public watching on the TV always like to see what other people’s reactions are. The coverage of action is also important to get all of Katie Prices reactions to Piers Morgan’s questions ad if there was only one camera you would not be able to pick up all of this. This gives the set a basic layout with one camera 1 concentrating on the host , camera 4 on the guest and the 2nd is a long shot, the fourth can be used as an extra shot which can move around the set to look for other ways of close ups and long shots.

Why does this show use Multi Camera for aesthic purposes?

The multi camera layout is also helpful when it comes to the aesthetic purposes because it makes the set seem more interesting and the cuts also reflect make on the mood for example in the piers Morgan life stories the cuts are very simple there are no big effects and this is because they wanted it to seem more simple to make the show seem really sad. We also get to see the body language with the long shots and the expressions on their face with the close ups.

Talent Show- Britain's Got Talent

It is important for a show like Britain’s Got Talent to use the multi camera layout because they need to cover all the action within each performance to make it as fair as possible and for the viewers at home to feel like they are watching it from in the studio, the show really needs to adapt with the viewers in order for them to get more phone calls in for each of the acts. The multi camera layout also needs to make sure it catches the audience’s reaction the judges reaction and ant&decs reaction.

Why does this show use Multi-Camera for aesthetic purposes?

 The multi camera layout also helps with the Aesthetic purposes for example in Britain Got Talent the camera shots and changes are very wild and crazy to make the show see more fun, this catch the viewer’s interest and makes them watch it. Also when the acts perform instead of just filming it they get it from lots of different angles which make the performance more enjoyable, they also do crazy camera movements to flow with the show making everything seem more interesting.

Coverage Of Action

Talent shows use the multi camera layout because it is important that they get all the action and cuts because it is a show based purely on entertaining them. The talent show I have chosen to look at is Britain’s got Talent because it is a big talent show that is watched y most people and it uses the multi camera layout in different ways. This is because the program uses various ways for the viewer to feel as if they were a part of the live audience. It is important that during the show that the viewers at home feel they can connect to the acts because they have to then vote who thy want to go throw or win. Britain’s got talent see’s different contestants battling it out to win a prize at the end and the show uses the camera layout to make performances to look better and also to get the judges ad audience’s reaction.

Chat Show- The One Show 

Magazine shows have a simple multi camera layout with the three camera one camera facing the guests and one camera facing the interviewer ad one camera overlooking them al on a long shot. A magazine shows is divided into little sections which has its own sub genres and clips which is shown throughout the program , it is meant to be more informative rather than entertaining. The one show use the multi camera layout just to create a simple look overall and they use it to get all the coverage of action from the gusts replying to the questions this is more affective because he makes the interview flow more and seem more friendly were if they only used one camera they’d either get one boring shot of have to keep filming it from different angles.