Single-camera setup

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The single-camera setup (aka, single-camera mode of production) is a method of shooting films and television programs. A single camera—either film or video—is employed on the set and shots are often taken out of order. It is often contrasted with the multiple-camera setup, which uses three or four cameras running simultaneously.

Analysis

The single-camera setup gives the director more control over each shot, but is more time-consuming and expensive than multiple-camera. The choice of single-camera or multiple-camera setups is made separately from the choice of film or video. That is, either setup can be shot in either film or video.

For example, in single-camera, if a scene cuts back and forth between actor A and actor B, the director will first point the camera toward A and shoot shots number 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on. Then he or she will point the camera toward B and do shots number 2, 4, 6, 8, and so on. In the post-production editing process, the shots will be assembled into their final order. In contrast, multiple-camera shooting would record a variety of angles of actors A and B simultaneously; the director would then have the choice of switching among the angles while the program is being recorded (or broadcast) or cutting them together in post. Further, single-camera productions tend to cluster the shooting of all the scenes that utilize a certain set and cast, while most multiple-camera productions are shot "in sequence"—the shooting progressing chronologically through the script.

The single-camera setup originally developed during the birth of the classical Hollywood cinema in the 1910s and has remained the standard mode of production in the cinema. In television, however, a multiple-camera setup is just as common.

Single-camera television

Television producers make a distinct decision to shoot in single-camera or multiple-camera modes—unlike film producers who almost always opt for single-camera shooting. In television, single-camera is mostly reserved for prime-time dramas, made-for-tv movies, music videos and commercials. Soap operas, talk shows, sitcoms, and the like, more frequently use the multiple-camera setup. More specifically, multiple-camera shooting has been the standard for sitcoms since the 1950's and "I Love Lucy", which pioneered the technique. Further, it is the only way that an ensemble of actors performing before a live audience may be recorded. In these multiple-camera programs, specific camera angles and movements are not crucial to the success of the product.

However, the 1990s saw a rise in the use of single-camera in innovative comedies such as The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998), Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006) and Scrubs (2001-). The single-camera setup is generally utilized on comedy series that either require or strive for specific shots and camera angles and visual set-pieces. When the potential of the single-camera style is fully maximized, camera movement, the way shots are composed and edited, and other directorial flourishes will be as much a source of comedy as the behavior of the characters. On such shows, the creative teams are more likely to include fantasies, daydreams, and surreal, cartoonish gags, occasionally using computer-generated imagery.

Single-camera setup

Analysis

Single-camera television

See also