Different types of single camera productions

Single camera production is when you only film with one camera instead of multiple. Single camera production is usually used in documentaries, dramas and comedies.a camera is used to draw an audience into the frame / the action within the scene there are many opportunities to become creative with different angles and shots. With this creativity, it can create a more realistic and intimate feel to it making the footage more enjoyable for the audience Single camera production is a long process, as you have to film the same scene again and again to get different shots and angles, were with a multi camera production, you can set up different shots and angles at the same time. Single camera productions need a lot of editing and takes to complete, which means more time needs to be spent on post production compared to multi camera productions. There are many positive's to doing a single camera production. A single camera production is great for a production team with a low budget. Lighting can be controlled for every shot, so you can have the perfect shot each time. It allows creative control to interpret the script. They are easily editable and allow the producers to shoot quicker if the scene is in one location, for example if you was filming in a house. It saves cost for production teams as they do not need to bring extra equipment. Using a single camera production reduces the cost of the whole production. It can also be seen as a benefit to the production team. As single camera shots tend to cut individuals out in close up shots of conversations. this means that only one person is required and another actor can be used in place of the original co-actor for the meanwhile. By doing this, producers will save money and actors time, as they will only pay them for the scenes they do and when doing a large production, involving many big actors, production expenses can be large. Therefore, if the production team can save a lot of money and also be able to shoot for the other actor, whenever they are available to shoot. The downside to using a single camera production is the fact that because there are less cameras there is less footage captured and that it is more time consuming and expensive, compared to using ,multiple cameras. As there is only one camera capturing the footage, it means that the important shots may not be captured and that causes the producer to go back and re-shoot the whole scene.
Example 1 - Breaking Bad:

This scene is from the show breaking bad, breaking bad is filmed using a single camera. This scene was filmed using mid range shots and close ups shots, There is also two long shots in this scene. These types of shots are used to show how tense the scene is between the two characters, and to also show the audience that they are in the middle of nowhere. At the beginning of the scene, an establishing shot is used to show the audience where the characters are. This sets the scene,as the audience will understand that whats happening is important because its being down in private. The next shots throughout the rest of the scene are mid shots and close up shots. while these shots are used, the 180 degree rule is used during the conversation between the two characters. This is so the audience know where to look. This is the best shot to use when filming a long conversation between two characters. This scene is good to film with a single camera because no characters speak over each other and each angle can be used doing a single camera.

Example 2 -

In this scene, from Malcolm in the middle, the shots used in this scene are close up shots and mid range shots. This shots are used as this is a short scene between only two characters in an enclosed area. The scene starts with a close up shot of a door, which turns into a mid range shot of the teacher inside the room, which is really clever, as it uses two shots in one. This helps as the camera doesn't need to move during that part of the scene. The rest of the scene is filmed using close up shots of each character every time they speak to each other, the 180 degree rule is used here during the rest of the scene as the audience can focus on the conversation between the two character's, as there is nothing else to focus on.

Example 3 - This scene is from the office, the shots used in this scene is, close up shots, mid shots and tracking shots. To open up the scene, a tracking shot is used for the first 20 seconds of this scene to show the audience what is happening and what the character wants to do. From then to the end, the scene is packed with short shots, which include close up and mid shots. These are used to show the panic in the characters as they try and find a way out of the building. There's a few close up shots of the main character who made the fire. To show the progress of the scene, and how he thinks the scene is going, Cutting quickly from shot to shot makes the audience feel happy about this scene, as they can see how each character is trying to find there own way out.Assignment 1






Example 4 - Doctor who

Doctor who has shown examples of single camera production, for example, when the doctor is having a conversation with his sidekick, ross. They use over the shoulder shots when each character says something. the camera used in doctor who is mainly long shots and high angle shots, this is so the drama fills the scene and all of the effects and action is shown in the frames.