Single

Camera
By Herbie Cookson-McNally
Introduction to Single Camera

Single Camera is a blanket statement for the whole process that takes place within a
one camera production. It includes Lighting, use of manual and automatic settings,
maintaining continuity, lastly knowing how to take advantage cinematography.

One example of Single Camera is, if a scene is taken in one whole shot, or if a
sequence is only shot with one camera at a time, that makes it a single camera
production. Single camera is usually cheaper and can capture a more realistic and
lifelike effect, almost as if the camera is the audience moving around the set. An
example is the film ‘1917’, where the whole production is made to look like a long
shot. This can be more time consuming as it can take a while for a shot to play out,
such as someone walking across a flat plane of land unless cuts are implemented.
Overall, these single camera productions are much easier to grasp as they are
cheaper and require less equipment. This also makes the edit more manageable,
since the editors do not have to sift through a bunch of footage from multiple
cameras. Nevertheless, single camera cannot be used in every case such as that of a
game show or news channel.

Unlike single camera, a multi camera production is where multiple cameras are
dotted around the set to capture different perspectives, angles and reactions of all
the characters, this is generally a higher budget technique as it requires more
equipment. It tends to create quicker and snappier edits due to the constant
changes of shots. Examples include TV game shows as well as TV interviews. Two
cameras are used in an interview to capture both people speaking and showing their
reactions. This can remove time constraints as people do not have to repeat lines or
actions. Overall, a multi camera production can be extremely useful for the examples
shown above, but due to the higher cost it may be not be possible. Another negative
is the fact that it cannot be used in every situation such as an emotional scene which
instead value long drawn out shots to immerse the audience into an important
moment.
 In some cases, productions will use a balance between the two techniques.
Generally using multi-camera for the most part, and single camera for the scenes
which stand out and require long form attention from the audience, implying that
it’s essential to the story.

Maintaining Continuity

Keeping continuity is the ability to keep consistent footage. Making sure the props
are not miss placed from one shot to the next or keeping costume the same
throughout the filming process, this is made especially difficult when the shoot takes
weeks or months to complete. Continuity emphasises realism and fluidity within the
sequence, otherwise the final product comes across as rushed which will take the
viewer out of the moment. Continuity is established through 5 categories.

Categories of Continuity

The first is through props and costume. Errors such as the actor wearing the wrong
type of tie or actors having their shoelaces untied can ruin the scene, making it hard
to follow and fragmented. However, this could be done on purpose in order to
create a disorientated effect if the character was drunk or nauseated. Nevertheless,
this should be avoided in most cases.

The second category is Timing. In order to keep this under control, it is

recommended that filming is taken within the same time of day. However, this is
hard when a shoot can take several months to complete. Otherwise, the weather
 can change from sunny to cloudy, or rainy to dry. This aspect of continuity is
completely unpredictable and cannot be predicted far into the future, making
efficiency crucial.

The third category is Camera and Audio continuity. This ensures that the same
camera and audio equipment are used throughout the shoot. For example, if
different cameras/lenses are used within the same sequence, the footage does not
stay consistent. In terms of video – it may be overexposed. In terms of audio – the
voice overs may peak or have different compression to them.

The fourth category is Plot continuity. The well-known phrase ‘plot holes’ describes
when parts of the story and narrative do not add up and leave the audience
confused. For example, if a character says, “I’m going to my parents' house”, this will
ruin the continuity since earlier in the film the character stated, “I don’t have any
parents”. This rule would only be bypassed if the character was purposely lying.

This could occur due to actor improvisation or throughout multiple changes in the
script where points get overlooked.

The last category is Acting. This involves an actor making small errors such as
reaching to turn the radio off with their left hand, but the crosscut shows the actor
turning it off with their right hand. This destroys the basis of continuity and must be
prevented. Other errors include characters having a conversation. However, the
characters are not making eye contact. Most acting errors are small and insignificant,
but if noticed they will take the audience out of the scene.

Preventing Continuity Errors

There are several ways to prevent continuity errors from occurring in the shoot. One
good way is to keep not of your surroundings within the set. For example, noting
down the equipment that was used. Noting down the time of day as well as the
weather. All these small details that wouldn’t necessarily be thought of otherwise –
but would make a huge negative impact if they were disregarded.
 Another way to ensure continuity is to work with a script supervisor. It’s their job to
make sure that everything that happens on set plays out correctly, ensuring that all 5
categories of continuity are stuck to. Otherwise, it is a big responsibility for the rest
of the crew members when they have other jobs to focus on.

Lastly, continuity is easier to maintain if shooting is completed within a short space

of time without rushing the edit. This is done for two reasons – crew members
forget important details related to continuity over long shooting times. Another
reason is to avoid the changing of weather such as rain or cloudy days.

Overall Impact on Keeping Continuity

This allows the audience to watch productions without being taken out of the world
that they have been immersed into. This consistency is done to create realism and
grounding. Otherwise, problems arise such as weather changes and plot holes which
destroy the fundamentals of the sequence. This puts the audience in a position of
irresolution as they can’t focus on the story whilst they are being distracted by
simple errors.

Manual Settings on a Camera

Introduction

Although auto-focus can be useful in certain situations where time is valuable and
cannot be wasted configuring the settings such as a Voxpop interview. It will never
achieve the same cinematic effects that can be obtained with manual focus. Even
though it is more time consuming and some-what complex, the results are much
more impressive, especially in scenes where the auto mode cannot depict the
environment such as a snowy landscape. Ultimately, the changing of the ISO,
 Aperture, Shutter Speed and focus effect the aesthetic of the video as well as
avoiding over/under exposure or grainy footage.

Aperture

Aperture describes how much light passes through the lens; it is measured through
F-Stops. For example, f/1.4 means the iris is fully open. This allows a lot of light in.
This would be suitable for a dark environment where light levels are low – therefore
needing to compensate with a lower aperture. However, a higher aperture such as
f/16 allows a lot lighter in the camera. This would be useful for a very bright day –
where too much light would overexpose and ruin the video. It is the camera
operators' job to calculate the correct aperture for the situation, to create the
desired atmosphere.

Aperture does not only account for how much light is let into the lens, it also effects
the depth of field. For example, a lower aperture would produce a shallow depth of
field. Meanwhile, a higher aperture would create a Deeper depth of field. This
basically means how the photo is blurred. For example, a shallow depth of field
would blur the background and keep the foreground intact. However, the deeper
depth of field would not blur the image.

This process of calculating the aperture is all about balance, as it must cooperate
with the ISO and the Shutter Speed to create the desired effect.

ISO
The ISO must be used in cooperation with the Aperture and Shutter speed to get the
best aesthetic. ISO stands for International Organisation Standardisation; the
purpose is to detect how sensitive the sensor is to light. It is measured from 50 –
3200. Once you have changed the ISO, you change the sensitivity of the sensor. Fifty
being the least sensitive in bright situations, and 3200 being the most sensitive in a
dark environment. ISO 100 – 200 is the most used digits which can be used in most
daytime situations. However, it is important to note that if the ISO goes above those
levels, the video begins to develop grain which is an undesirable side effect, this can
be prevented if Aperture and Shutter speed are correctly calculated.

If the video camera is in a dark environment, the increase in ISO would compensate
for the darkness, as well as the increase of aperture. These come together to make a
perfectly lit scene

.
Shutter speed

Shutter speed is the amount of time that each frame is exposed for, making up a
small fraction of a second. When looking at photography, an example is
photographing flowing water. A slower shutter speed will create a blurry or smooth
effect on the water. However, a faster shutter speed would freeze the water in
place, as the shutter is exposed for a shorter period.

However, in video the whole dynamic changes – the properties of shutter speed are
slightly different. Since there is no mechanical shutter, there is an electronic shutter
which is much more efficient and can capture video to an 8000th of a second which
would appear as slow motion, meaning it is more versatile.

In a digital video camera, you are restricted to one shutter speed, this shutter speed
relies on the frame rate. In modern cinema, the industry standard is 24 frames per
second (FPS). This maintains natural movement and is easy to follow from the
audience's perspective.

There is one rule to remember, the shutter speed should always be double your
frame rate. For example, if you’re recording at 25fps, your shutter speed should
remain at 1/50 of a second. If this rule is ignored, it will result in blurred movement
or the footage may come out choppy and fragmented like a stop motion animation.

An accessory called an ND filter (a piece of darkened glass that is placed on the end
of the lens) can be used to filter out harsh light which will allow the footage to be
evenly exposed.
Camera Movements Analysis

Pan
The camera stays stationary, swivelling on a horizontally axis, rather than vertically.
A pan is short for panorama which is used to show a large amount of space. A pan
can be used in many cases. One is showing an expansive landscape that requires the
camera to physically move in order to capture it all. Another case is to follow
someone walking across a plane, this conveys movement and adjusts the pace
accordingly.
If the pan is used incorrectly, it can come across as unsettling and unnecessary. For
example, if someone is walking across a small room, the use of a pan would not be
effective as the whole room is already being captured in one frame.

Pedestal
A pedestal is when the camera stays still horizontally, but moves up and down
vertically (not to be confused with a tilt). One example is if the camera rises
above a hedge to see what’s over the other side, the time taken for the
 camera to rise above the hedge emphasise height and scale. If a tilt was used
in this situation it would act like a POV for the audience, the camera would
not be able to rise above the hedge – just look up at it (like a low angle).
A pedestal should not be used on objects that don’t have great height. For
example, a pedestal would not be used on an ant, this is because the ant
doesn’t have enough height and the sequence would only last a quarter of a
second.
Tilt
The camera stays stationary, swivelling on a vertical axis, rather than
horizontally. A tilt can be used similarly to a low angle giving something an
emphasised illusion of scale – making the character or building look bigger
than it is due to the perspective. A tilt can also be used to slowly reveal a
character whilst creating suspense, this is ideal within the horror or action
genre. Lastly, the tilt belittles the audience as the camera is positioned below
the target object.
A tilt should not be used to reveal objects/people that have no relevance to
the narrative, they should be saved for moments of tension and impact,
possibly at the climax of the sequence/film.

Tracking
Not to be confused with a Track movement. The tracking movement follows
the character/object moving across a plane. This will give the effect of that
character being watched - either by the audience or a greater threat or
antagonist. An example of this being used is a car chase. Tracking on one car
driving full speed away from the other emphasises the pace at which the
vehicle is going. A stationary wide angle shot would cause the car to look slow
and sluggish.
 This movement should not be used on a extremely agile object such as the
Flash or a ship going at light speed. Although this movement can make actions
look faster – in this case it would only cause the Flash or ship to look slower,
since they are supposed to be so incredibly fast to the point where they are
unnoticeable.

Track
A track is when the camera moves directly behind or directly in front of the
character. Not to be confused with a tracking movement or a crab. The
camera is either placed on a track or on a rig to remove shake or jitter. This is
used to show someone walking or running a cross a plane.

Arc
An arc allows the camera to move all the way or half way around an object –
almost like the opposite to a pan. This could be used to record people in a
circle. The camera would go around the circle allowing everyone to be seen
within the shot. This shot can emphasise the idea of perpetual motion – never
ending movement, constantly repeating itself due to the fact that circles have
no sides. Overall, this movement can capture different parts of a larger
component. This can give greater detail on the surroundings, costume and
props.
This should not be used on an uninteresting object such as a phone as the
audience already understands what it is, unless phone has something of
significance strapped to the back of it such as a bomb. In that case it has an
impact on the narrative and is suitable.
Zoom
A zoom is when the camera lens physically closes in on the object when
spinning the zoom ring. This implies that whatever the camera is zooming in
on is significant to the story. For example, if the clip starts on a block of flats
the camera would zoom in on one of the windows where there is someone
standing. This suggests that this person is relevant to the story.
A digital zoom does not count as a zoom. All this does is increase the size of
pixels of whatever is being zoomed in on. This effect

Crab
A crab is almost identical to the Track movement. Not to be confused with a
Tracking Movement (tracking is when the camera is stationary). This is when
the camera goes in one direction focusing on an object. For example, if
someone is running across a pavement, a track and camera would be placed in
the road. This allows the camera to keep the character perfectly in frame
without any camera shake or imperfections. This is industry standard for
capturing smooth shots of a moving object. However, this is very expensive,
on a budget a shoulder rig could be used.
This should not be used on a documentary type scenario as the footage is
supposed to be raw and shaky building or realism. A track would also take up
a lot of time to set up which subtracts from interview time.
A mid-Shot is from the shoulders up. This is commonly used in a conversational situation
between peoplethat know each other or are comfortable with each other. This is because
the shot is closer to the charactersface which is more invasive or intimate. (since the two
characters would be standing quite close to one another) However, this could also be used
in confrontational situation such as an argument or fight. What makes it different from a
close up, is the conversational aspect rather than to show emotion.

The auto mode in this case didn’t work well.Since this shot includes the sun in the
background,the camera struggled to calculate the right shutterspeed. I think it could’ve
underexposed this one byone stop.For this reason, the whole shot becomes distorted.An
example of this being used is a nausea effect.If this shot was coming from the POV of a
nauseated person, it would make sense

This manual shot came out well, other than the colourless aesthetic that it has.The shot is
evenly lit since the cloudsdiffused the light. This is good for a mid closeup as the majority of
the shot was filled up withthe characters head. This is why the automatic shot is unusable -
it’s hard to focus on the facewhen the sun is blazing in the corner of the screen.

This medium close up identifies a moment of surprise and shockin Shrek‘s face as well as
showing some body language and partof the surroundings. Usually this shot will transition
to a mid or mid long shot wherethe action will play out to create the climax of the scene.
A canted angle implies that something is off. It is usually created by rotated the camera on
the horizontal axis by 45 degrees in either direction. It puts the audience behind a strange
perspective which is hard contemplate and digest since they audience rarely see this in real
life. The canted shot can also be used to create an effect of nausea or delirium. A canted
shot is usually used from as close to a mid close up to a long shot, any further and the effect
is lost since the character or landscape may even look normal.

The auto focus one worked effectively. The colours are balanced and the contrast is perfect.
However, a canted shot usually uses abnormal colours to convey a sickening effect if that’s
what the character is feeling. The other case when the canted is used is when someone is
injured and they’re on the floor looking up at another character. The shot above is taken
from eye level with the person on screen which neglects that effect.

The manual focus effect – even though the colours are saturated and the contrast is off –
the effects works in the canted angles favour. Since the colours are off, it may be from the
perspective of someone who is feeling ill. Despite this, some colour correction needs doing
to make the angle work to its full effect.

This shot is taken from Inception where the idea is ‘dream within a dream within a dream’.
This canted angle emphasises this effect as it is disorientating for the audience just like a
dream is. However, in this case the whole room is spinning rather than the camera which is
different to most cases of a canted angle.

In conclusion the Canted shot tells the audience that something if off. Often someone’s
perspective whilst being inured or from someone’s perspective whilst feeling ill or having
nausea.
Similar to a high angle, the birds eye view makes the characters appear insignificant and
threatened. Almost to connote someone watching over the characters.In contrast, the birds
eye view works similarly to the establishing shot as it sets the sceneand introduces the basis
of the scene. A birds eye view can be used in many cases. One case is a POV from a creature
looking down on the characters.This makes the characters look small and therefore in
danger against the threat.Another example is a POV from a helicopter looking down at an
active battlefield.A birds eye view can be used in many cases to suggest a large number of
ideas.

The use of the manual shot made it hard to calculate contrast.The white in the image is too
brightwhen compared to the other colourson screen.However, the under-lit environment
emphasises mystery and could makethe character appear considerably vulnerable.This shot
could also be perceived to bea POV of a creature who‘s hunting thecharacter down.

This shot was taken on a different setupand day entirely. The camera resolutionwas able to
pick up more detail and has an improved colour contrast, this gives the automatic mode
more depth and range.The image came out very well and broughtout all the colours evenly -
unlike the manualphotos.

This shot is taken from Avengers as Hawkeye if falling froma building, this shot shows him
attempting to grapple backonto the building.This birds eye view is effective as it emphasises
the great heightthat Hawkeye has below him. Without a birds eye view, there wouldbe now
way for the audience to get a grasp of the situation.This is also effective due to the fact that
the audience feel as if they’re falling just behind him - this is backed up by the fact that
Hawk Eye is looking directly into the camera.
Over the shoulder is most commonly used for a conversation. The cameras positioning
reflects who’s talking. However, this rule is sometimes flipped if the opposing character is
required to show a reaction to the conversation.Rather than a 2 shot, the over the shoulder
is more formal and can sometimes imply conflictsince the characters keep their distance,
and not both faces are shown. This could connote coldness and a lack of care. Such as in a
stand-off or a gun fight.

This automatic shots has the same issuewith the rest. The strong natural lightbounces off
the paper and blazes the camera - this is quite distracting and doesn’t convey anything, the
manual modeallowed me to exclude this.Other than that, the shot is well lit. Thisis good as
an over the shoulder shot requires the audience to see the charactersfacial expressions, the
lighting allows this.However, compared to a two shot, the over shoulder shot is often more
distant, informaland perhaps cold in some situations. For thisreason, a shot with a darker
palate may bemore appropriate.

Even though the shot is under lit,this may work effectively for anover the shoulder shot. Due
to thefact that that this shot tends to be colder and more distanced - thedarker colour
palate emphasises this and uses it to imply the relationship that the characters have.Even
though this was unintentional, itcould work effectively in the right situation.

In ‘Ratatouille’ an over the shoulder is used as Linguini and the head chef are havinga
heated conversation. (A low angle shot is also used on Linguini to represent height
difference, almost implying that Linguini has the authority despite the hierarchy).This
charismatic head chef has a short temper. An over the shoulder shot is used to show who is
speaking, meanwhile the other member reacts to their statement.Overall, this creates a
toxic dynamic between the two.
A close up prioritises the expression of a character. This occurs usually after event happens
where the character shares their reaction to a prior scene.However, this could also be used
to connote intimacy, which could either make the audience uncomfortable, or for romantic
purposes. Lastly, a close up takes attention away from the environment, which could
possibly end in a jumpscare - commonly used in horror.

This automatic shot is unevenly lit. The lighting from the left to right side of myface is
unbalanced. This could be quite unsettling for a close up - especiallywhen it doesn’t have a
purpose.Perhaps this would be appropriateif the context included the fact that itwas mid-
day.

This is one of the best manual modeshots that I took. Unlike the automaticone, the shot is
evenly lit which is easier on the eye.In the common case, the shot would be more over
exposed to bring out the facialfeatures. Otherwise, the colours within the shot almost blend
and look dull.

This shot captures a moment of intensity right before the gun fight. The fact that the camera
is focusing on the face prevents the audience from seeing who will shoot first whichis very
infuriating and increases the tension - this causes thethe audience to lean in before the
climax.
An establishing shot introduces the setting that the scene takes place. For example, if one of
my shots is setwithin a school, an establishing shot just like the one above would to tell the
audience where the following shottakes place. These shots don’t necessarily have to be
where the filming takes place - it just needs to implywhere the director wants it to take
place. For example, if an establishing shot is capturing a space ship. Obviously the filming
wouldn’t take place in space - instead would be filmed in a warehouse.

The auto mode shot is perfect. The lighting was perfectas the clouds filtered out the strong
sun light and thehighlights are evenly distributed. No part of it is over orunder exposed.
However, I would grade the colours to perfectly suit the genre/aesthetic of the film.

Even though the light was diffused through the clouds,I used the incorrect settings for the
job. The photo was completely under-exposed and needed a higher apertureto allow more
light in. If I increased the shutter speed, it would likely end up with blur. Unless I’m aiming
for a gothic effect - this shot would be unusable.

This shot is used regularly in ‘Modern Family’. This show capturesthe life of 3 families. For
this reason, an establishing shot tells the audience which family will be in the next segment.
This may not be cinematic, but this is made up for the fact that this show is a
mockumentary.Overall, this is a low profile way of implying who will be on screen next. The
characters learn these houses to be part of the families.
This shot is used commonly alongside the close-ups and mid shots. However, each one
conveys a different message. A medium long-shot, whilst only slightly different to a mid-
shot. It emphasises lower body movement such as legs and hands, perhaps connoting
mobility. Unlike a long-shot, the viewer does not feel disconnected and stillhas clear eye-line
with the character.

The auto mode captured the key partsof the photo. The mid long shot putsemphasis on
body movement and land-scape over facial expression - for thisreason, it’s fine if the face
isn’t completely focused.

The manual mode didn’t work well at all for this shot. Since this shot is used to show body
language, the fact that it’s difficult to distinguish the background fromthe foreground shows
the settings are off.If I re shot this, I’d configure the shutter speed and aperture
appropriately. Possiblyeven the ISO if needed.

A mid Long-Shot is effective in this case as it’sa western with action. A shot showing the
majorityof the body implies action and movement and givesthe audience a full shot of
whats about to play out.This shot also shows a fair amount of his surroundingswhich implies
that he’s with people.
A low angle shot makes the object/character a greater scale. It emphasises power and
Authority, even if the object is small in scale ornot threatening.In the Low Angle - AutoFocus
shot of Joe, he is looking down at the camerawhich can appear quite demeaning and
disrespectful. This is more effectivedue to the Low Angle Cinematography. Joe appears a lot
taller and has agreater presence within the shot which creates an effect of power.

The autofocus has more vibrant colours - this is not only due to the weather, but the
automatic feature correctly calculating the colours.Since it’s automatic you can’t get the
desired effect and have to use what you get.The vibrant colours do not connoteauthority or
power like the manual does.

The Manual mode is challenging,as you have to calculate the correctISO, Shutter Speed and
aperture.However, since it was a cloudy day,the subject wasn’t correctly lit.This dull effect
worked in favor formaking the subject more threateningas it’s in the shadows.

In Starwars: The Empire Strikes Back. A low angle is usedon the main Antagonist ‘Darth
Vadar’. This makes the character a great wealth of authority and power. As well as this, it
feels as if Vadar is looking down at theviewer which intensifies his power. Vadar appears
considerably larger than he actuallyis due to the angle of the camera. As well as this, the
costume emphasises the effect as he looks a lot bulkier and threatening.
Even though this is similar to the long shot as it shows both the body and the landscape. The
Mid-Shot emphasises the character over the background as the body takes up a greater part
of the shot.This shot is used to show costume , facial expression as well as body language,
this basically makes it an all-rounder shot, and is the most commonly used shot, as it has a
naturalistic effect for the audience - sincethe image isn’t too close up / far way or distorted.

There are too many highlights in this image, and is most likely overexposed. Despite that,
this ordinary colour palate mimics every day life suggestingthat all is well.

This manual mode image looks as if all the colours have been washed out. This effect is very
rarely used as it looks rushed and unprofessional. However, it may be effective within a
cantered shot emphasising nausea.

In the Hobbit, a Mid Shot is used to display Bilbo’s costume and how the sceneprior has
effected it. This is crucial so that the plot appears more impactful sinceBilbo fills up a greater
part of the screen. This stands out - due to the large set ofcharacters, long shots and 2 shots
are used to show collaboration and conversation. Since he is by himself, it connotes his
independence and perhapsdanger.
This is often used after an establishing shot, or by itself. It sets the scene as well as
introducing thecharacters. Another case where it’s used to belittle the characters and make
them appear weakand vulnerable, perhaps hinting a greater threat.An Extreme-Long Shot is
also commonly used in the adventure genre which involves a quest or journeyover a great
distance. The shot makes the characters appear smaller compared to the surroundingswhich
makes the quest more overwhelming and tiresome.

The auto focus mode created a full and vibrant shot,balancing the highlights and contrast
effectively - especially considering it was a bright day.An extreme long shot is often used to
show distancetravelled, or to present a character as small andvulnerable. However, that
doesn’t have to follow acertain colour palate, as it depends on the context.

This shot is very dull and deals with the contrast very poorly. The blacks are blown out of
proportion whichis not a desirable aesthetic.Perhaps it makes the subject appear vulnerable
andin danger. However, this could be done in post with colour grading which would achieve
a better look.

In Starwars: A New Hope, an extreme long shot is used to amplify thedistance that R2-D2
and C3PO have to take. The setting of the desert emphasises this as the landscape is
repetitive and made up of one colour.The shot makes the characters appear smaller than
they actually arecompared to their surroundings which makes the distance they have to
take more challenging.