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1. Understanding Single Camera Techniques
A single camera production is a video production of some description that has been shot
through the use of only one camera throughout the entire production. This involves the single
camera being used to shoot all necessary shots in the production individually. The practise is
commonly used in lower budget films,generally requiring substantial editing in scenes involving
the interactions of multiple characters – primarily through use of the technique known as “shot
reverse shot”.
Examples of single camera productions span across many genres, such as horror, comedy, soap
operas and documentaries to name a few. The setup of the single camera itself,also known as
the Single Camera Mode of Production or Portable Single Camera originally came to be used
during the birth of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1910’s. It’s popularity in this era sparked
the use of the single camera method of production, with it remaining the standard method of
video production in cinema going forward. In TV however, both single and multi-camera
techniques are equallyas common within this sector overall, with the topics and general
formatting of these programmes being more varied; and therefore suitedto differentmethods
of production dependingon these elements.
As the name implies,Single Camera Productions involve a simplistic setup of a single camera,
which is positionedappropriately throughout the production every time a new shot or angle is
required. In the previouslymentioned “shot reverse shot” method, in which two people
generally interact with one another, the Director will first have the camera pointed at person #1
and have all their lines filmedfrom that angle. The camera’s position is then switched to the
second person in the conversation, with the same method being repeated. It is then the job of
the editors in post-production to splice the footage together in a seamless fashion, creating the
illusionof a real-time conversation betweenthe two individuals.This technique also allows for
the editors to have further freedom with the footage, as they can select the points at which the
camera angle should change, as well as having the ability to source the most desired
performance from each of the actors and joiningthem together – something that may not have
been as easilyachievable using a multi-camera setup.
Speaking of which, a multi-camera setup is by no surprise a setup of multiple cameras. These are
all arranged accordingly in order to capture the desired footage from various angles if necessary,
which comes in useful if a particular scene is required to be shown from various perspectives.
Lighting is an essential part of this technique also, as each angled shot must be lit consistently to
produce a believable effect,without the other lights or various pieces of camera equipment
obscuring any of the many cameras that would be situated around the studio / location. Unlike
single camera production, multi-camera production results in the overall videography being
faster paced, at the sacrifice of versatility. Whereas on the contrary, a single camera setup can
be more time-consuming, however the end result could be of better quality – due to the
director having more options and control over each specificshot.
In the Televisionindustry, the single camera technique is generallyreserved for the likesof
prime-time dramas, music videos, commercial advertisements and movies intended to be
broadcast straight to TV. Examples such as soap operas, quiz shows, the majority of reality

2. televisionshows and quite prominently – sitcoms, are better suited to a multi-camera setup due
to the nature of these programmes. Some comedies, such as Mrs Brown’s Boys, are even shot
live;this can also be said for several soap operas, where a special episode can be shot live.
These examples absolutely require a multi-camera setup, as they would be impossible to shoot
otherwise due to the array of locations visited – making the single camera setup redundant for
these examples.
Sitcoms broadcast across the US during the 1950s saw the multi-camera technique used as the
default method of filmmaking. However, in the 1960s the standards of the technical aspects of
TV production – particularly sitcoms, increased. Sitcoms from this particular era tend to have
more money put into them, with larger casts and locations being noticeable improvements in
the eyes of the industry at the time. It was also during this time that feature films began to
influence how these televisionshows were being made, meaning that a vast amount of comedy
shows picked up on the single-camera technique in particular. The technique was better suited
for the implementation of visual effects,which became popular amongst comedy programmes
at the time – this would have proved much more difficulthad the production beenshot through
use of a multi-camera setup.
As time passed through the mid-1970s, the single-camera setup was made somewhat
redundant in the TV industry surrounding sitcoms, with the multi-camera technique being a
preferred format due to its convenience and increased production speed.More drama focused
comedies would often still use the single camera format however, and by the early 2000s the
technique made a comeback and spiked in popularity amongst many productions within the
industry; examplesof this can still be seen to this day.
As previously stated, shooting via use of the multi-camera technique is the only way that a range
of actors performing live across an array of sets and locations can be captured from the
necessary perspectives required. More grounded comedies that are generallyset in a domestic
environment, barring live performance shows such as the previouslyreferenced Mrs Brown’s
Boys, almost always go for the more convenient option of the multi-camera technique. The
shortened production time allows for money to be spared through the use of this setup also,
even though more equipment isrequired beforehand. Comedy / Sitcom programmes that are
filmedvia the single camera setup generally featured a variety of locations, with no use of
canned laughter and of course, a live audience is not present. These productions are usuallyof a
higher standard in general, aiming for a style akin to feature films in terms of their visual
aesthetic, separating themselves from their multi-camera counterparts.
In the soap opera genre, elementssuch as time constraints, large cast and crews, along with
large and open sets that allow for diverse usage and narratives that are primarily dialogue
driven, mean that the multi-camera technique is preferred and is far more suitable than the
single equivalent. An example of this would be the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, in which a
massive 6 episodes a weekare consistently produced in order to meet their schedule – generally
a few months in advance so that everything runs smoothly.
In high-end dramas, the techniques employed are generallysimilar to that seen in film, in order
to emulate the dramatic and professional atmosphere of a grand production, resulting in either
a shortened or fleshedout storyline depending on the direction of the series / serials. So, of
course such dramas are more likelyto use the route of single camera techniques. Other notes to

3. add include the fact that dramas generally have a focus on a smaller number of cast members,
rather than switching between a variety – as can be seen in soap operas for example. Similar to
movies, dramas can also be givena decent budget to work with, along with lesstime constraints
and therefore overall pressure, due to the lose scheduling of the production and forward
planning. Larger locations are also a common theme with dramas, which tend to explore the
world they are set in and fleshout its characters as much as possible.
Recently, Netflix has become a sort of competitor to general televisionas well as the film
industry, due to its convenience and affordable price point, considering the vast amount of
content available on the platform. The company has now taken it upon themselvesto create
dramas that are exclusive to the platform, commonly in collaboration with certain TV
production companies. These are also very similar to filmin terms of their artistic style and use
of single camera techniques. Due to the ambition of some dramas today, they in some ways
compete with the film industry itself – leading to more general effort and creative interest in the
genre than ever before on the behalf of production companies.
Corporate videosare short films generallymade to promote various aspects of businesses.The
location in which they are filmed is almost always fixed, meaning no flexibilityof particular
equipment is required. Rather than interactions with other cast members, imagery is generally
incorporated into the productions, whilst a pre-recorded voice over is also something commonly
found in this format. Overall, this is a very simplisticvideo production to shoot, usually only
requiring a single talent in front of a static camera – with only basic lighting and possiblya
microphone required – this obviously falls into the single camera category of production.
Concerning the benefits of single camera productions, less equipment is neededfor starters;
meaning that not nearly as much funds are required to either purchase or hire any equipment
that may be necessary – this could be anything from microphones, tripods and lensesto name a
few. This enables companies with smaller budgets in particular to realisticallystay within their
set budget, whilstnot having to subtract quality from their production. Advertisements also
benefitfrom this greatly, as due to their goal being to sell their product and generate profit,
they will more than likelynot wish to spend more than is necessary on the production of their
commercial. Costs are also saved in terms of wages, as less staff are required to operate the
multiple cameras, lighting etc. of a multi-camera production. Not nearly as much general space
or storage is required for a single camera production either, which once again is an advantage in
terms of costs of using the single camera technique in comparison to the multiple equivalent.
Occasionally, a technique is used which is still referred to as “Single Camera”, however, multiple
cameras are in reality used in order to provide medium shots and close ups during the same
take. This enables the production process to run smoothly and not waste unnecessary time, due
to only half the number of set-ups being required. This method can also improve upon the
quality of the final product, as it givesthe editors a wider range of options to work with when
piecing the final production together. Action films, for example, generallydon’t employ this
technique – as three or more cameras are almost always preferred. This is in order to capture
scenes from multiple angles, as major action scenes take a tremendous amount of time to
meticulously plan and perform – whilst this generally results in merely seconds of footage that
are part of a larger sequence. Multiple set-ups are once again avoided when using this
technique, however some genres of film are better suited to the aforementioned Single Camera
Technique.

4. Further benefitsinclude the fact that setups are streamlined, in order to support a leaner shoot
than would be necessary in the case of a multi-camera production. There is no need to be
concerned regarding additional cameras appearing in a shot, which can occur more often than
you would imagine. Once again, the lightingof a single camera production is far easier to set up,
as setting up multiple light sources in front of multiple cameras can be very difficultto get right
– not to mention time consuming.
Another advantage includes single camera productions not having to be shot in sequence, unlike
multi-camera setups, where the required scenes must be filmedthere and then for any sense of
consistency – availabilityof actors are also a benefit of using the method, as they can be slotted
into a sequence wherever necessary no matter when filmingtakes place. The Director generally
has more control over a single camera production than they would a multi, allowing for more
exciting, stylisedand in some cases iconic angles. So overall,the single camera setup allows for a
much more creative approach to the production process of a media product – with it’s general
ease and laid-back nature being preferred across the board within the industry for a variety of
reasons.
A standout limitationof a single camera production is that they are time consuming to produce,
with the ability to only filmone specific angle at a time, as well as multiple takes in order to
allow some freedom during editing – this greatly effects the length of both production and post-
production. Due to only one shot being able to be filmed at a time, it must be made sure that
the continuity is in line with any previous shots and prepared for any forthcoming shots.
Elements such as the lighting and positioning of actors / props and scenery in particular must all
match seamlesslyonce it comes to the editingprocess.
Another limitationis that the best performances may not be given from actors who are acting
against nobody, in comparison to actors bouncing off each other, as in a real-life situation. This
could potentiallyimpact the flowof the piece, dependingon acting strengths and / or methods
of assistance during the filming of particular scenes. This method of production can potentially
end up costing more than a multi-camera setup surprisingly, as the length of the production
period would be extendedsignificantly.As previouslymentioned, continuity errors are
somewhat more likelyusing this technique, due to the separation of each shot – this method is
also not best suited to scenes involving action, which may appear obviously staged if not shot
and editedcorrectly.