Prinul Patel Multi Camera: Multi Camera TV- What Programme Formats Use Multi Camera Production?

Multi-Camera is a term that is used to describe the method of recording videos which involves the media production team using two or more cameras, which are in a fix or near fixed position. These of which are cut between live or as live to cover the whole event as it unravels and takes place. Multi Camera can be used for many different reasons. A reason why using Multi camera is good is due to
Another reason why using Multi camera is good is due to the fact that it will make a live event more interesting to watch. This is because you will get to get much more shot types and shot angles, instead of just watching it from a stationary camera that will most probably be showing the event in a long shot.

People will either decide to use Multi camera use two main purposes. These are Aesthetic purposes or Practical purposes. Throughout my work I will now talk about 7 sub genres that use Multi Camera and explain the reason why they use this.

Live Sports

Any live sports event will always use Multi Camera to film the event, allowing them to cover the whole game without missing any action. An example of a live sports event I am going to talk about is football, and in particular England vs. Brazil. by using multi camera there are practical and aesthetic reason for doing so. One practical reason a live sports event will use multi camera will be to cover the whole game. By coverage I mean that the producers are able to cover all of the event and action that are taking place, in order to broadcast it to the general public, without missing any important shots. If you did not have Multiple camera, you will not be able to get the range of shots a football

match covers. For example seeing a goal and then seeing the managers reaction. This will be impossible to see with just one camera due to the amount of time it takes to set up the camera in another position. So by covering the whole game and not missing any action it will allow television viewers to see every little bit of action that takes place on the pitch and will sometimes get a better visual on the game than viewers in the stadium due to the camera being able to go into a close up on situation, such as a free kick being taken. By covering the whole game, it draw in a wider audience due to the football match being interesting and allowing the audience to see the whole game. This will bring 45:49 to 45:58, we see a mid shot go into a long shot, and as it happens we do not miss any of the action that is taking place. This will effect the institution in a positive way due to them being able to deliver a better quality footage to the views which will, give them a better name amongst viewers which will bring in more money for them.

allowing them to grow and get bigger. Another practical reason for why a football match will use Multi camera is because of the continuity. This refers to the system of cutting in the edit process, that makes to shot link together, even when they have been filmed at different times.

When using one camera to film it is much harder to make to shots flow and sometimes will not be in stink when filing natural things, such as wind blowing hair. But if you are using more than one camera you will be able to just cut from one to another at the same time, and the shot will continue from the previous one perfectly. This will benefit a live football match, due to the fact that you can not tell the players to stop and redo a scene. So by using multi camera you will not have to do this you can just switch from camera to camera, and the viewers will not miss a chunk of the action as you do so, allowing them to enjoy watching the match.

Establishing shot of fans cheering

The aesthetic reasons for why a football match will use Multi camera, will be due to the visual style and the mode of address. This refers to the atmosphere the producers want to get across. By having multiple camera the producers are able to cut between close ups, mid shots, long shots, and establishing shots when ever they like, in order to connote how the players or the audience are feeling at that very moment. So for example, at 1:11:11 we see a close up of Johnny Cahill with his head in his hands to show that he is upset and has let his team down. Also at 1:11:25 we see a long shot of Brazilian fans cheers and jumping, which connotes that they are happy and because it is a long shot it shows that they are all together and are feeling the same thing. But one disadvantage for using Multi cameras in a football match is the costing. This is because there are about 14 camera covering every angle in a game, and so the producers will have to pay each one of the camera operators a lot of money to film. This can cost the producers a lot of money.

Live Concert

In all live concert, they will always use Multi camera to record it. The live concert I am going to talk about is Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne performing High school at the Billboard Music Awards 2013. There are about 6 camera covering the audience and Nicki Minaj at different angles and lengths. The camera re set up to either show long, mid or close up shots, and the director can chose the shot he wants to show, depending on the atmosphere they want to get across to the viewers. One practical reason for using Multi camera to film a live concert, is to be able to cover the whole stage. In this performance they use about 6 cameras. By using 6 camera they will not miss any of the performance, as they change shots.

Long shot behind fans to show that people are enjoying event

Long shot to start performance

By changing shot with out missing anything will make it more interesting for the viewers due to the fact they can see the performance at another angle without missing any of the performance, which will make them carry on watching the show. For example at 1:58 we see a mid shot of Lil Wayne rapping and then it switches camera and at 2:01 we see a mid shot of Nicki Minaj singing and then again at 2:03 the camera changes again and it goes into a long shot of Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj both singing. Throughout this time the camera changes 3 times and the viewers still saw the whole performance, without miss chunks of it, as if it was filmed with a single camera. This will benefit the institution by bringing in more viewers which will in return bring in more money, which is their goal. A aesthetic reason for a live concert to use Multi camera is for the style and the mode of address. When use Multi camera you are able to cut from different types of shots that show and connote different things. So for example in this performance at 0:01 it starts of with a establishing shot in order to set the scene and show how many people are in the crowed. By doing this it makes the performance look very stylish and professional, due to the amount of people that are watching it live. Also the camera moves closer to the stage which makes the atmosphere tense and it build suspense among the television viewers, making them want to stay watching the performance. Also the camera never goes into a close up on anything. it always stays in either long or mid shots. This makes it more interesting to the viewers, allowing them to see the whole production and also the crowed dancing along. Also with Multi camera you are able to quickly cut from different shots and angles, again making it more engaging for the viewers, due to the fact that they can watch the performance at different viewer points. Also with Multi camera they can show you the most important part of the performance that is taking place at that moment, so you will not miss it. So for example at 1:35 the camera cut from Nicki Minaj and goes to a long shot of Lil Wayne getting walked out onto stage with two ladies. But one disadvantage to for the producers in a live concert for using Multi camera is that, they will have to pay more people to be on camera and they will also have to pay a vision mixer to cut from camera to camera, at fast speeds. Also due to there being more technology involved their is a high chance that something will go wrong with a camera, making the performance not visually Applying to the viewers. For example at 1:21 we are watching the performance from a low angle, and as we are the stage light are directly shining into the camera which some viewers may not like and also because the camera is in the crowd, it shacks a little bit, which is not visually pleasing.

Long shot to end performance

mid shot to show her reactions and expressions when singing

Public Event

Establishing shot to show how big the event is

Close up to show her reaction

A

Public events are huge events that effects the whole country. The public event I am going to look at is the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. This was a huge event that make London come to a stop, in order to pull of the wedding. It was televised on TV using many camera that covered every aspect of the wedding, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the road of London. One practical reason for using so many camera is to be able to capture the whole event. They would then switch from camera to camera showing the viewers all of the main parts of the event, so that they will not miss any part of it. The camera would cut to get the best possible angle of the main focus point at that particular time. So for example at 2:08:58 the camera cuts ways from William and Kate then at 3:30:08 we see a long shot on Buckingham Place as the planes fly over it, and then at 3:30:10 the camera quickly cuts into a two shot of both William and Catherine, and showing there expression of what just happened. This is very effective due to the fact that we can now see Catherine lips move and say "That's amazing". This connotes to the television viewers that she lived what she saw, and she is enjoying her time. Also at 3:04:35 the camera quickly cuts from a mid shot of a few people walking into a establishing shot of huge amounts of people walking towards the Place. This connotes to the viewers that this event is huge and that lots of people that taken a trip down to London to see the event. This makes it more interesting for people to watch, knowing that lots of people are also watching what they are watching and it will be a massive talking points for many days. But just one disadvantage for use Multi cameras on a public event is that you will have to pay much more people to be camera men, which will cost you a lot of money, which you may not have. Also the camera men are not allowed to be on the ground getting in the way of the event, so most of the camera will have to be on cranes in order for it to say out of peoples says. This is seen at 2:09:11 at the top left of the screen we can see a camera being moved by a crane which is in the air. This makes it hard for the camera men to move the cameras and focus on what they need to focus on.

High angle to show high of building

and it also goes into an establishing shot of the horse drawn carriage pulling up in front of William and Catherine, which connotes to the viewers that they will soon get into the carriage. With just one camera we would of never of seen the carriage pull up out side, and only seen in once William and Catherine step into it, which makes it less interesting for the viewers at home. Another practical reason for a public event to use Multi camera is to cover any spontaneous events that are unplanned and happen suddenly on the day. Multi camera will allow the producers to catch sudden events and broadcast it to the viewers, which will keep them watching. Which in return will make the producers much more money. So for example, we first see a long shot of William and Catherine and then at 3:30:07 the camera changes and we see the air planes fly over Buckingham Palace. This happened suddenly and so with just one camera the camera man would of never of been able to film the air planes flying over, which would of made television viewers miss out of a amazing scene. So with Multi camera television viewers were given the change to see a sudden event happen, which they will probably not see again. One practical reason for public events to use Multi is to be able to have a wide range of different shots and angles, making the event much more pleasurable to watch on TV. With Multi camera producers can change shots very quickly and go from a long shot into a close up, in order to capture the reaction of the focus point much better, allowing it to connote a better meaning to the viewers.

Chat Show

High angle long shot to show the set and props

long shot to show what Kim is wearing

Mid shot when she is talking to See her expression

Chat shows use Multi camera in order to cut between both the presenter and the guest star and sometimes the audience, allowing the viewers at home to see everything that is going on. The chat show I am going to talk about is Alan Carr Chatty Man, with guest stat Kim Kardashian. One practical reason for using Multi camera in this show is to able to quickly see the reactions of someone, which is exciting to the viewers. For example at 3:09 we see a two shot of both Alan Carr and Kim Kardashian, while Alan is telling a joking, then at 3:12 we see a close up of Kim laughing with her head down. By using Multi camera the producers could quickly cut from a two shot into a close up of Kim, showing the viewers that she found the joking funny. Also another practical reason to use Multi camera in a chat show is to be able to change camera throughout the talk and still not miss bits of what everyone is saying. So in other words the continuity will flow perfectly. If you are using more than one camera you will be able to just cut from one to another at the same time, and the shot will continue from the previous one perfectly. So for example at 9:06 we see a close up of Kim when at 9:07 we see a two shot of both Kim and Alan and then again at 9:10 we see the same shot of Kim. Throughout this time we can still hear what Kim is saying even when the camera is not on her and also, as TV viewers we do not miss out words to what Kim is saying as the shots change. This will benefit the audience because it will allow them to enjoy the chat much more and understand what is being said and what is going on. This will keep them watching, which will benefit the producers, by bring in more money due to more viewers.
            There are also aesthetic reasons to why chat shows use Multi camera. the main person to why they use it, is to be able to cut from the presenter and the guest star many time, so that the viewers can see both of their faces when they are talking and listening, which will make it more exciting for the viewers, which will keep them watching the show, which is what every TV show wants. So for example when watching my example I am talking about, from 10:15 till 10:46 we see 10 camera changes. By doing this it keeps the viewers engaged and they do not get bored of looking at the same shot for to long.
              But on the other hand their are some problems with using Multi cameras for chat shows. The main one is costing. It takes a lot of money to pay camera men and women to operate the camera for the whole show. This could make the production team have to cut from on making the set look nice due to a lack of money, because it is being spend on camera operators. Also because their are many different angles of the same shot it makes it harder for the director to choose what camera he want to go to. This could lead to them making the wrong decision and lead to them not going to the camera that connotes the meaning of what they want to get across.

Game Show

The game show I am going to talk about is "The Cube" with Joey Essex playing. Games shows use Multi cameras for many different reasons. The main reason for why they do this is the speed at which you can cut between to different camera to cover two different things or two of the same things at different angles. This will making the filing process much quicker and will reduce the editing time drastically, than if you was filing with just one camera. Also it will allow the audience to see the games being played at different angles, which will give them a better look at what is going on, in order to make it more interesting for them. So for example at 5:05 we see a high angle shot looking down at the cube floor and Joey Essex, buy doing this it allows the audience to see what Joey is faced with and the complexity of the game, this will hopefully make the audience excited, and carry on watch the show. Another practical reason to why game shows use multi camera is due to the games being played lived, which means that any spontaneous events can happen, which are applying and fun to watch as a viewers. For example as a game show, players are often going to make mistakes and mess up the games in a very quick moment, which needs to be picked up on camera at the best possible angle, so multi cameras allow the producers to do it. For example at 13:01 we see a side on long shot of the cube, which did not let the television viewers engage with the game as much as they could. But then at 13:05 the camera cuts from outside the cube to inside the cube now at a high angle, allowing the viewers to get the best view possible, in order to play along with the game, which will make them enjoy the show more and want to carry on watching it. One aesthetic reason to why a game show uses multi camera is for the visual style, in order to maintain the viewers interest. For example at 13:57 we see a two shot of Joeys families reaction to him losing a life. This connotes that they are under pressure and are nervous for Joey, which will spread onto the viewers and make them nervous, which will engage them into the game show even more. Also as 14:29 we see a high angle shot on the cube and Joey standing inside it. At this angle it shows the audience how big the cube is and how small Joey is, which connotes that the cube is much more powerful than Joey, which also will make the audience full sympathy for Joey and will want him to win even more, which will make them carry on watching the cube, which will increase viewers for the show, which will make them more popular and bring in more money.
          But one down side of using Multi camera in a game show is that you have to pay more people to operate the camera which will cost them much more money. Also due to their being more camera the producers has to decide what camera he want to show the action on at the current time, which makes the producer work much harder, which could cause more mistakes, that could make the show less applying to the viewers.

long shot of family members to see all their face reactions

High angle to show height of cube and make joey look timid

long shot side on angle to show that joey is on his own with no help.

Magazine Show

The ,magazine show I am going to talk about is the one show with the Smith family. In a magazine show the camera lay out is very simple. You have a camera on the guest, one camera on the presenter and one camera set up in a long shot to see all the people on stage, which is known as the safe shot, because you can see everything that goes on. One practical reason to why a magazine show will use Multi camera is so that they can cover everything that goes on. So for example at 2:25 we see a two shot of the presenters talking then at 0:29 we see a shot of the whole family and their reaction to what the presenter just said. With just one camera we would of not been able to see their reaction, which would of made the show boring for the people watching on TV. Also another practical reason to why a magazine show will use Multi camera is due to the fact that the show is live and so the viewers do not want to see the camera cam moving around the stage in order to get the shot. The audience just want to shot to appear, which can be done with multi camera. So for example at 0:14 we see a high angle of everyone, we suddenly see this, without having to see the camera cam move the camera up high which would not look good and will make the viewers lose interest. so With multi camera you are able to change the shot type without having to show the viewers the transitions from one shot to another. A aesthetic reason for using multi camera on a magazine show is to get across to the audience the type of mode of address you are trying to show. In my example the mode of address they are trying to get across is very informal and relaxed, which in return will make the viewers more calm and relaxed, which will make them want to carry on watching the show. For example at 0:01 we see the presenters back stage with other people. The camera is at a low angle, allowing use to see the cling which is covered in wires and lights, which makes the mode of address lade back and natural. Also at 0:02 when the presenters introduce the Smith family we can hear cheering being made by people who are back stage, which makes the mode of address even more calm and fun, due to the fact that the show is not to worried about unwanted noise. All of this will make the viewers relaxed and thing of the show as a fun and interesting show, instead on the show being very formal and factual. But for a magazine show multi camera can have its disadvantages. The first one is that you will have to pay more people to operate the camera, which will cost much more money, than just having one camera operator. Also because magazine shows are often filmed in a studio, it often has limited space. So having multiple camera will take up a lot of room on the studio floor, so you have to make sure that the camera are in the right positions and did not film each other.

Close up to show reaction to question being asked

two shot so we can see them both talk

high angle long shot to see everyone that is on camera. As a safe shot

Long shot to show all guest and what they are wearing

Talent Show

The talents shows I am going to talk about is The X Factor. They often have a camera back stage, a few camera at different angles of the act one or two camera on the judges and about two camera to capture the audiences reaction. One practical reason talent shows will use multi camera, is to be able to capture every ones' reactions to the act. For example at 0:16 we see a mid shot of a few audience members clapping to the act, which shows the TV viewers that they are liking the act. Also at 0:17 we the singers mother crying to how good the performance is. So within one seconds we go from the audience to back stage. But with a single camera we would of not been able to do this, and the producers would of misses the mothers reaction to the act, which would of made the show less interesting for the viewers at home, because apart from the act we like to see what other people thing of the act. Another reason to why a talent show will use multi camera is because often talent shows are filmed in huge arenas, and for just one camera to travel around the whole building will be very hard, so with more cameras it will be much easier and effective, and will waste less time and will cut down the editing process a lot. For example at 2:17 we get to see the size of the arena and it shows use the camera will have to travel a huge distance to get back on stage from where it is at this moment. An aesthetic reason to why talent shows will use multi camera is to maintain the viewers interest. For example throughout the whole clip we will hardly never see the camera cut to the same thing, it will also cut to another person for about 2 seconds and then back to the main act. By doing this is does not make the act and the show boring and will keep the viewers engaged and wanting to carry on watching, which is good for the show because it means that they will become more popular. But multi camera have disadvantages for talent shows. The first one is that you will have to pay more people to use the camera, which will cost a lot more money. Also the actual camera may get in the way of people watching the show live, which may cause them to not like the show many more due to a rubbish experience watching it live.