Multi Camera Essay

In this assessment I am going to analyse two live events and two studio events
and compare the events, looking at how live events differ to studio events. The
two live events I am going to look at are Slaves performing live at Reading
festival and a live tennis event. Then I will compare these two as well as
analysing and likening them to studio productions. Using multiple cameras is
good because recording live can propose a lot of risks, e.g. the band running into
the audience or something unexpected happening; therefore they have multiple
cameras in different locations so they are ready to get the best angles of these
shots. Another problem that could occur is that one of the cameras could break.
Filming with multiple cameras means you have spare cameras set up to film with
so you can switch to a different camera without any problems occurring on TV,
e.g. the programme stopping. Multiple cameras film simultaneously so they can
quickly switch which camera is live, this prevents there being any pauses
between camera alterations so the shot can change instantly and smoothly.
Live event

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=n8UpX04cVYQ
For my live performance, I looked at Slaves performing live at Reading festival in
2015 and how it was filmed. The first camera shot is an establishing shot of the
whole crowd which gives a good overview of the performance. It shows people
watching how busy it is, what it looks like from the audience and a shot far away
from the band to see how many there are and what they look like.

Camera 2 is placed just in front of the stage towards the right, facing the band
from a low angle. This gives people watching a better idea of what they look like
so they can see the band more clearly since the first shot was filming a distance
from the stage. This angle makes the band seem more powerful and impressive
as the camera is at a low angle so you are looking up to them.

Camera 3 pans from the left side of the stage, close to the band, the way the
camera moves make you feel more engaged to their performance and it makes
the performance seem more interesting and livelier as the singer moves with the
camera. It is a low angle shot which communicates to the viewers telling them
theyre powerful, important and hard which relates to the heavy style of hard
rock they play.

This shot from behind the artist makes you feel as though you are there
performing live with them because the camera looks out into the audience giving
you a similar view to the artists from stage. This makes it more interesting than
just looking at the camera shot from facing onto the band because you get a
better idea of what the arena looks like, how many people are there and the
atmosphere.

Camera 5 is a close up of the artist singing, this makes you feel connected to the
band as you can properly see what they look like and for this example you can
see his enthusiasm as he is dancing and looks to be enjoying himself, this makes
watching the band more pleasing. The close up allows you to identify the band
members as you can see their face, expressions and what theyre wearing. It is a
low angle shot which communicates to the viewers telling them theyre
powerful, important and hard which relates to the heavy style of hard rock they
play.
Camera 6 is located at the left side of the stage which changes the angles to
make it more interactive and the concert being filmed look more animated.
Watching it is more exciting and because the music genre is rock, it is very fast

paced, so the camera angles are likely to change quickly to keep up with the
beat.

Camera 7 is a wide shot placed in front of the stage, it is quite close but still
shows all of the band members playing. The view of the stage is one that you
might see if looking from the crowd which makesyou feel like you are at Reading
festival watching slaves perform live. Varying the shot types and angles
maintains interest from the viewer.
The use of this many cameras throughout the concert is primarily to enhance the
viewers experiences as they get more of a range of shots and see the event from
different angles so they have more details of the game and have a better idea of
what it is like live.
Apart from concerts, sports events also use lots of cameras to ehance the
viewers experiences, specifically, I will look at a live tennis event and analyse
how camera shots are used.
Tennis live event

For the alternative live event I looked at a tennis game. This shot is the first
camera angle of the game, because tennis is quite a quick moving game, they
often include shots that just show a high angle to display the whole court,
making it easier for the viewers to follow the game. Therefore before the game
has started they use close ups to familiarise the viewers with the athletes so you
can see who is competing and what they look like.

The same camera pans as it follows the athlete around the court. This makes it
more interesting and it gets the viewer excited for the game to start and builds
tension as they walk to the court you question whether the game is starting

because he looks very serious and determined it makes you feel more connected
with the tennis player as you can imagine what he might be feeling. The camera
pans with him as he takes his place on the court, ready to serve.

The next camera faces the audience watching the game from the crowd about to
start. This angle is a close up so you can see their anxious and tense looking
facial expressions as they prepare for the match. This maintains interest from the
viewer because it gives you an idea of what the crowd atmosphere is like and
what it might be like to watch it live. It gives you a break from just watching the
tennis players which could get boring, this way, it differs the shot types, making
it less boring to watch. This is alike the other live music event I analysed because
they also use shots of the audience to break up the shots of the athletes and
musicians, for the same reasons; to add interest and to suggest to the viewer the
atmosphere of the live event. The atmosphere of a music performance is very
different to a tennis game though as the audience it very enthusiastic, loud and
lively whereas in a tennis game, the crowd is more relaxed, tense and anxious
for the game as they want their favourite player to win.

This next shot is very short and fast, it is a close up of the tennis player from
slightly to the left side of where he stands on the court and serves. This contrasts
from the normal overview shot from a high angle facing down on the court that
you often see in tennis. The shortness of this clip makes the programme more
fast-paced and exciting which reflects on the quick moving players and how rapid
tennis games are.

This next camera angle is chosen because it gives the best coverage of action.
Tennis can often be hard to follow because they hit the ball and move so swiftly
that it can be difficult to see who has scored but this angle makes it easiest to
watch and understand. This overview shot is similar to the live concert because
the live performances also have a camera located similarly at the back on the

audience, looking over the whole stage. The speed of the shots reflect the speed
of the tennis shots because they have to be fast paces to keep up and intensify
how fast they serve the ball.

The next camera angle shows the opposing tennis player. This makes it more
interesting because the other shots have been repetitively of the other player
and the viewer hasnt properly seen the competitor, this long shot of the player
gives the viewer an opportunity to see them. This is quite similar to my other live
clip because they ensure that the camera doesnt only focus on the lead singer
and also captures the other band members, however, I think the singer definitely
gets the most camera time overall, whereas in this match the camera seems to
generally give them equal camera time.
Overall, I would say that although the two live multi camera programmes I looked
at are completely different events, the filming is slightly similar in that they use
many different cameras in different angles to keep the audience captivated to
the event and both seem to change camera locations quite frequently so that it
doesnt get boring and to keep up with each fast moving events. In addition, the
cameras both seem to alternate from filming each artist on stage/ athlete on the
court, then to film the crowd. Although you get a completely different vibe from
the crowd in the music performance to the crowd in the tennis game, they both
ensure that the crowd is filmed to build tension or excitement. Both live events
feature similar shot types, e.g. close ups and shots from far away which give an
overview of the event. The two also differ because the tennis game seems to use
higher angle shots of the players, I dont think the reason for this is to portray
any particular meaning but I think the high angle is the best angle to watch from
to make it easier to watch whats happening. Contrastingly the live music
performance seems to use lots of low angle shots and I think the reason for this
is to make the artists look cool and hard.
Within sport, I think that multiple cameras is the best way to cover it because
they can replay clips in slow motion from different angles they filmed from which
makes it easy to see who got the point in the game and specifically in tennis you
can identify whether the ball was over or in the line. There are more cameras
therefore you can choose the best footage and review the angles.
Multiple cameras can prove difficult in these two live events because it is hard to
set up these cameras with minimal space when you consider the audience and
the amount of people there. It is also hard to communicate between the camera
men as the events can become very loud as people cheer on the band or the
athletes. Live studio productions wouldnt face these problems because they can
communicate without there being lots of noise to distract them and they have

big sets where they can place cameras anywhere so there arent as many issues
with positioning cameras.
Furthermore, studio productions use more camera pans and movement because
they have more space to move, whereas live events dont move the cameras
quite as much. Too much camera movement could prove to be a safety hazard as
it could hit someone in the crowd or on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnp1Zovzafk

Studio event

The first camera in the episode of Friends pans around the room, following the
characters as they talk. The movement of the camera makes the scene more
engaging to watch and interactive for the viewers as you feel like you are
walking around the room with them. This is a long shot as it includes the whole of
both characters. These scenes often start with long shots because if they started
with close up shots you wouldnt get a good idea of where the characters are
standing, what setting they are in and how many characters are in the room.
Using this long shot makes the programme easier to follow similarly to the tennis
game and the live concert because it sets the scene.

Camera 2 is stationary filming Rachel and Ross as they argue in the episode. The
different camera angles vary the shots, break up the clip and make it more
engaging to watch. Including a close up shot of the characters show you what
they look like and you can see their facial expressions and what they are saying
more clearly. In this shot the camera is facing Ross because he is speaking, this
is an example of an over-the-shoulder shot because it films from behind Rachels
shoulder and a shot reverse shot because this reverses over to behind Ross
shoulder when he speaks and so forth (this is demonstrated in the next
screenshot).

Camera 3 is a mid shot faces the characters from a different angle which
alternates as an over the shoulder shot reverse shot which follows on from the
previous camera position. This makes the scene more interactive to watch and
makes it clearer to see whos talking in the clip and what they are feeling, for
example, in this clip you can see the characters face whilst shes talking, this
makes it clear to viewers that she is feeling frustrated by her expression. If the
camera was located a distance away from them it might be difficult to make out
what she is feeling.

In this clip, camera 4 pans around to follow Rachel as she walks across the room.
Typically sit coms include lots of panning shots as they follow characters making
it more interesting to watch as the shots are more varied and this particular close
up creates more interest for the viewers because you can relate more to the
characters and feel more connected to them as close ups allow you to see how
they are feeling from their expressions. This shot is similar to my other live
studio show (Graham Norton) as it starts with a similar mid shot of Graham
Norton who hosts the shot talking to the camera. However, Graham talks directly
to the camera and isnt in character acting out a scene. I noticed that both studio
productions also seem to use lots of camera pans and movement.

This shot is a long shot which is more zoomed out than the previous screenshot
and taken in the corner of the room. This reminds you of their location in the
room, how they are standing and it makes it more visually appealing because it
varies up the shot types so that it doesnt get too repetitive and boring.
I think sitcoms use multi camera because they can switch quickly at different
camera shots between each person talking in conversation scenes and because
use multi cameras to make it funnier e.g. switch the camera for character
reactions and punchline set-up. Sitcoms might use multi cameras because they
are easier and quicker to use and less expensive.

The graham Norton show- live studio event

Alternative live studios are game shows, chat shows and interviews which also
use multiple cameras. This is to catch every moment; live television can be quite
unpredictable, so having multiple cameras means they can be more prepared for
anything that might happen with their guests. These kinds of programmes use
multiple cameras to vary from close ups to establishing shots to long shots, this
prevents the viewers from losing interest and means they get a more interactive
view of the programme and generally a better coverage of action. I chose to look
at the Graham Norton show, this is a chat show, because they have lots of
celebrity guests who they interview and talk to, there are multiple cameras so
they dont miss any of the action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4OBddwj7RE

This first shot faces straight on the chat show host; Graham Norton. This angle is
similar to the angle used in the other studio production of Friends. This is good to
introduce the programme because Graham Norton presents the whole show, so
his face is quite iconic. Getting a close up, mid shot of the host helps
communicate to people watching what programme it is because he is well known
since the show is about him.

The next camera is located at the left side of the stage, from the audience,
facing the stage from a high angle. This mixes up the angles which maintains
viewer interest and gives you an idea of the set up of the stage and crowd,
showing you how many people are there. This shot reminds me of the live music
performance because it also included lots of shots of the camera in the audience
and facing the stage. Live music performances also include close ups of the main
person on stage, similarly to how there were lots of close ups of the main singer
in Slaves performing.

This is a long shot positioned to the right side of the stage, facing Graham Norton
and the screen. This shot is used so that viewers can see the screen beside him
showing the topic that he is talking about, in this case; the Queen. This makes it
easier for the viewers to know what topic he is talking about so they can
visualise it using the photo, this shot communicates meaning to the viewer.

In this shot, the camera moves to the side of the stage again to film the guests
that will be on the stage later, this communicates to the viewer who is going to
be on the show so they can see who they and this might make them watch to
continue watching the programme if they recognise the band. This is a close up
shot so that they can see them and maybe recognise who the people are. I think
this is a mid-shot used to present the band but it doesnt show the whole of them
which makes it less interesting to watch, I think in this instance a long shot might
work better. In my opinion this camera shot doesnt work well because it cuts out
part of his head, the camera man should be better prepared for his height and
get a better angle that would actually fit the guests in.

Next, another camera films from the back of the stage as the first guest walks
on. The camera moves with the guest; Stephen Merchant similarly to how the
camera pans to follow the characters in the studio production of Friends, studio
productions seem to use the panning camera technique the most. This close up,
mid shot of the guest walking on stage introduces the viewer to them so you can
properly see them.

This long shot shows Stephen greeting Graham. It includes their full bodies, not
too close so that you can see them greet each other and so viewers can see how
they react with other people and so they can see how friendly they are and get a
first impression of the guest. This long shot also shows him compared to Graham,
demonstrating how tall Stephen is standing beside the host.

Then the other camera films from the back of the stage as the second guest
enter the stage. The camera moves with the guest similarly to how the camera
pans to follow the characters in the studio production of Friends, studio
productions seem to use the panning camera technique the most. This close up,
mid shot of the guest walking on stage introduces the viewer to them so you can
properly see what she looks like and what shes wearing. This communicates to
viewers as it helps them to see who she is if they didnt know before.
In conclusion, I have noticed that there are many similarities and differences
within different genes of multi camera productions. I found that the two multi
camera live events were quite similar to one another by the types of shots used.
I discovered that they both frequently changed shot types at a fast pace to keep
up with the fast moving performances from the band and athletes. I noticed that
the two types also use shots of the audience to break up the shots of the
athletes and musicians, for the same reasons; to add interest and to suggest to
the viewer the atmosphere of the live event. I noticed that they used close ups,
wide angle shots and other similar shot types, however they differed by how the
tennis used lots of high angle shots and the concert used many low angle shots.

The two live studio events were alike by how they both seemed to move the
camera a lot more with the guests on the show and the characters, for example,
I saw lots of camera pans of the camera moving with the people in the studio.
The live events differed from the live studio programmes because I found that in
the live events the cameras seemed to change more frequently and I noticed
more camera pans in the live studios. I discovered that the angles of the shots
filmed in the studio was from face on to the guests and actors, whereas the live
events used either high angles within the tennis game and a low angle in the
music event. However, I didnt notice extreme differences and thought they were
overall quite similar; there were comparable camera locations placed around the
actors/ guests/ athletes and musicians. There was often on close up on them,
one camera located a distance away from them to show the whole scene and
cameras placed either side of them.
Multiple cameras have many benefits, such as how it makes them easier to cover
more action, vary the angles more, there is more footage to choose from and all
the footage is filmed at the same time so none of it will have to be changed or
out of place. Restrictions of multiple cameras is that a lot of heavy and valuable
equipment has to be transported to different locations and set up which can take
some time.
Simultaneous recording can not only be used for live events but also studio
because both a live concert and a studio drama might decide that they live a
particular angle after the event or recording process. Also, a live event like a
concert might suddenly want to change angles if the artist moves off stage into
the crowd or does something unexpected, if they record simultaneously then
they have the footage even if they didnt predict the band to do that. Similarly,
an actor on the chat show in a studio might do something unexpected and if the
other cameras are already filming they wont have missed out on a key moment
in the programme.