Multi-camera vs Single-camera

Single- camera 

A single camera is employed on the set, and each shot to make up a scene is taken independently. 

Advantage

 It is extremely mobile, and thus easily relocated.

 It is largely independent of its surrounding

Multi-camera 

Several cameras are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene.



Advantage

It reduces the time spent film editing or video editing the footage. 

scenes may be shot far more quickly 

It also reduces the complexity of tracking continuity issues 

Multi-camera / Single- camera in sitcom

American

60s-70s  single-camera 

The Munsters

 Bewitched

80s-90s Multi-camera

Cheers

Friends

Now  multi-cameras and single-cameras are both plentiful

China

Director use Multi-camera to shoot sitcom

For me

my sitcom is like 《Movies vs Life》, there are two parts. there are  similar location, characters and story, but the ending is different. part one's ending is normal, part two's ending is humor.

i want multi-cams and single-cams are both plentiful in my sitcom

When characters communicate each other inside, i will use Muti-camera to shoot, because i want to ensure the perform is fluency.

When i need to show character's emotion, i will use single-camera to shoot.

Reference

Golden Moustache (2014) SURICATE - movies vs life 2. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHG4Ma_PPI&list=RDpQHG4Ma_PPI#t=49 (Accessed: 3 February 2016).
Multiple-camera setup (2015) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup (Accessed: 3 February 2016).

Single-camera setup (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup (Accessed: 3 February 2016).

TV.com Throwdown: Single-camera comedies vs. Multi-camera comedies(2011) Available at: http://www.tv.com/m/news/tvcom-throwdown-single-camera-comedies-vs-multi-camera-comedies-27285/ (Accessed: 1 February 2016).

Millerson, G. and Owens, J. (2012) Television production, fifteenth edition. 15th edn. Waltham, MA: Focal Press.

Friday session

Last Friday, we study in Roger's house, it is my first time to visit British house. there are two floors and eight rooms in the house. 

Firstly, Roger introduce his house. I think the house's decoration is very artistry, because there are many different kinds of picture in the house. 

Secondly, Roger tough us different kinds of light and how to use those light. we chose two kinds of light in the interview. At begin, we use reflector in the interview. Then, we use LED light in the interview, In the end. we use Dedolight in the interview. Though testing, we can find the effect of LED light is better, then is reflector, the effect of Dedolight is worst. Because when we use Dedolight, we can find a big shadow on the wall. 

In the afternoon, we take a happy afternoon tea. Roger prepare different kinds of refreshments. During the afternoon tea, Roger introduce the history of afternoon tea. he explain high tea and low tea. After the tea , we had an hour to practice by ourselves. we produce a short movie, we use LED light as a key-light and then using Dedolight as a feeling light. Finally, we produce short movie successfully.

I think this session is very good, because we can learn many professional knowledges.

Test Shooting

Tuesday, i do a testing shooting for multi-camera. It is very important for my project, because i want use this skill in my sitcom.


Characters: Customer A, Customer B

Equipment: 3x Canon 6D

Props; Caffe, Sugar

After the test, i find some benefits for  multi-camera shooting

1. It can take into account the simultaneous plot

2.It can use Multi-angle to shot the same scene and the body language is more fluency.
3.The image is more abundant
4.compare with single- camera shooting, it is more secure, especially when camera broken.

5.it is time-saving.

Broadway session

Last Friday, we study in Broadway for a whole day, it is the first session in Broadway session. Paul and Roger teach us many knowledges in that day.  Firstly, Paul tell everyone need to produce a short movie in the finial time. the short movie need 3-5 mins, 2x actors and 1x location. For Roger, firstly, he need us to introduction individually, every one need reopen the door and than introduce myself to other people. It is a good way to relax. Secondly, Roger teaches us about camera and mic. Finally, we do some interviews. in the everyone interviews, we need do different jobs. In the interview, i learn how to control camera, especially know how to composition the image. it is very useful in my production.

In the Afternoon, we watched a film called "Room", It was broadcasted in 2015, the director is Lenny Abrahamson and Writer is Emma Donoghue. The story is talk about After five-year-old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery. It is a good film, especially the son helps his mother to get freedom. In the first part, the film shows although they don't have much space, they have enough time. the second part shows they have enough space, but they don't have much time.

Room (2016) Directed by Lenny Abrahamson .

track shoot

Monday, Deborah taught us track shoot,  we produce five track shoots

Track shoot one, two, three and five, we use tripod to shoot

Track shoot four is handheld shoot, and i think it is useful in my sitcom

Director James Burrows research

This week , i do some research about director James Burrows

James Burrows was born on December 30, 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA as James Edward Burrows. He is a director and producer, known for Will & Grace (1998), Taxi(1978) and Mike & Molly (2010). He has been married toDebbie Easton since 1997. 

The reseason why i research about him is that in 1994 to 1998, he directed 15 episodes in Friends.  

- The One with All the Rugby (1998)

- The One the Morning After (1997)

- The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break (1997)

- The One with the Prom Video (1996)

- The One with the Birth (1995)

- The One with All the Poker (1995)

- The One with the Candy Hearts (1995)

- The One with Mrs. Bing (1995)

- The One Where Underdog Gets Away (1994)

- The One Where Nana Dies Twice (1994)

- The One with the Blackout (1994)

- The One with George Stephanopoulos (1994)

- The One with the Thumb (1994)

- The One with the Sonogram at the End (1994)

- The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate (1994)

Director James Burrows talks about casting the show "Friends" and why that show succeeded.

This is a clip for Friends

Burrows' style is best known for his comic timing, complex blocking for actors, and incorporating more sophisticated lighting in television studio shoots. He is also credited for expanding the typical multi-camera television shoot from three to four cameras.

James burrows (1940) in Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123273/ (Accessed: 17 January 2016).

TVLEGENDS (2008) James burrows on ‘friends’. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVbwvK3CZRo (Accessed: 17 January 2016).

Transponster (2006) ‘She’s your lobster’.Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyvRjF0NBeM (Accessed: 17 January 2016).

Interview question

This week i watched one season of sitcom "Vicious", it is a British sitcom and it is very famous in china. Because the series stars Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi as Freddie and Stuart, an elderly gay couple who have been together for 50 years but endure a love/hate relationship. The series premiered on 29 April 2013 and garnered 5.78 million viewers.

I do some interview for Chinese people, and the topic is talk about if people without phone


Do you always use the phone?


Which features you always use the phone ?


Do you think phone is benefit for people's life ? 


which benefits of mobile phones？

which drawbacks of mobile phones？

If people without the phone, the life will be better than before?


Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicious_(TV_series) (Accessed: 13 January 2016).