Multi-camera research

A film shoot requires the use of a camera to record the film's shots, scenes, and sequences. Shot are the building block of cinema. During editing, these shots are arranged in a creative progression to tell a story.   A scene is composed of a series of continuous shots related to one another's basic action or situation. These continuous shots are regarded to have a particular impression that involves the same set of characters and setting. Meanwhile, a sequence is made up of scenes situated in the same location and plotpoint in the story. It follows a specific order in which a related topic and specific events and actions follow each other in a logical progression. There are many ways of going about filming scene like this. The two main ones are:

A one camera shoot

This set-up is typically used in narrative films, mobile shoots, and documentaries. Since only one camera records the shot, the camera operator has more ability to move the camera around with less limitations caused by having to avoid seeing another camera simultaneously recording on frame. However, the main disadvantage of a one-camera set-up is how more time-consuming it is as covering all camera shots and angles would mean having to repeat shots more than a multi-camera set-up would require.

Having only one camera in a shoot can present a challenge with the film's continuity, especially when shooting very movement based scenes involving many characters and situations. For instance, a scene inside a classroom, a market, or any other relatively dynamic setting would mean having to exactly copy the initial reactions of the characters and replicating difficult to repeat shots like stunts and anything action related.

Multi-camera Shoot

Using two or more cameras is primarily used in talk shows, news programs, and other live programs that are set-up in a studio or any other controlled location. Yet, it can also be used in TV dramas and films set in varying locations, especially those that find it more practical to shoot certain shots in different angles and shot distances without having to frequently repeat the entire set-up. This allows two or more cameras to shoot the footage with perfect continuity coming from the cameras' simultaneous recording.

A multi-camera shoot can also be referred to as a two-camera or three-camera shoot. These two are typically used in many productions. Scenes that are heavily dialogue based, such as Scene 3 in my film could also be shot using a multicamera setup so that the actors can just run through the scene without having to stop and start.

A multicamera shoot can be a lot less time consuming depending on what kind of scene you're filming. For instance, I think that all of my hospital and 'limbo' scenes will be shot with more than one camera going at one time, to help let the acting flow better, whilst also saving time and creating a smooth continuity. The only issue with using more than one camera, is the editing process and having to match up audio to many different video clips. Although a little time consuming, I feel that this will really pay off.