Single camera techniques involve using a single camera throughout filming rather than multiple cameras. This technique was developed during the classical era of Hollywood cinema in the 1910s and remains commonly used today due to its versatility and director control. While multi-camera setups are more typical for television due to filming scenes in long takes, single camera is used for films, ads, and some TV shows. The 1917 film effectively used single camera to give the illusion of being one continuous shot, immersing viewers. Single camera also saves costs for ads and low-budget TV shows.

1. Single camera techniques are the use of a single camera being used through a
whole production this could be on television or films and were birthed and
developed during the classicalera of Hollywood cinema during the 1910s, film
producers almostalways optfor single camera shooting and it remains the
most commonly used method of production for cinema as it is more versatile,
cost effective and gives the director more control over each shot. the use of a
single camera is reserved morefor film production, music videos and adverts,
for television production they usemulti cameras as for television programmes
there are few cuts and is mostly shot in one take for more realistic acting.
Academy nominated film 1917 boasted its useof single camera techniques and
is sometimes incorrectly said to be shotin one take. it uses a single camera
effectively by swapping it frombeing handheld for more intimate shots to
being wheeled around or pulled along a framefrom the air for the more wide
shots
The camera handheld during an intimate shot from a conversation between
the 2 main characters
The camera hoisted up in the air for a wide action shot.
There are different reasons why a high budget Hollywood production like 1917
would use a single camera. The main reason the technique was used in the film
was to have the illusion of it being filmed in one continuous shot, this
effectively makes the audience more invested in the narrativeby feeling as

2. they are an onlooker watching the entire story play out whereas if 1917 were
shotfrom a multi camera set up there would be different scenes and takes
which are noticeable and for a film like 1917 would notwork as it would not
look like you are experiencing the story playing out as an onlooker.
in 2016, owners of the chocolate brand maltesers published an advert
intended for airing on uk tv to drive sales, the advertwas a shortnarrativeof 2
hospital workers talking abouta broken necklace and using maltesers as a prop
the camera stays at the center of them with the chocolate positioned for most
of the 20 seconds buta cut is used and the camera is moved to the top of the
table
the chocolate is then knocked away off the table and the camera is moved
back to the center and a logo pops up
this use of a single camera for this ad
saves money on the budget for advertising leaving more money to spend on
marketing this and makes sense as the camera only moves twice throughout
the ad and didnt need to cover alot of spaceas it is only a single table that
needs recording

3. single camera techniques wereused in 2005-2009 sitcommy nameis earl
despite being a made for tv sitcom, there was never any multi camera
techniques throughoutthe airing of the show. this is becauseit was a low
budget show that needed to conservefunds in the airportscene at the start it
has a continuity edit as the camera does an extreme close up at an airport
worker then zooms outto show the entire airport for this scene there only
needed to be one camera as if there was more then one the director of the
scene would have less control on whereto set up the cameras.
it then cuts to the 2 main characters talking to a flight worker comically during
this shortscene the camera only points at the flight worker or the main
characters at any time
throughoutthis scene a simple medium shot is used as there isn't a reason to
use any other while the bit is playing out.
a single camera is used in 2020 netflix original the platform: a psychological
horror film made in spain it is used for amazing effect in one of the early

4. scenes our main character has no idea wherehe is or what is happening his
one companion not telling him anything he justwaits for a platform to lower
ritualistically and we get a over the shoulder shotof a platform lowering later
showing that it is full of immense amountof food all half eaten an over the
shoulder shotfrom the main character's POV shows this and shows his
companion who has clearly done this beforecaring little about the quality of
the food and desperately eating .
seconds later while his companion is eating we are shown closeup shoots that
are quite uncomfortablefor the audience animallising this man in the eyes of
the audience.
later in the same scene it shows a POV shotfrom the main character of a
person abovethem watching them eat this pov shotis daunting and conveys
that this man is not only literally abovethem but also figuratively as he gets to
eat beforethe main character and his companion.

5. this is further proven by a birdseyeshot from the pov of the person above
them making the characters look like ants compared to the man above.
In conclusion there are many reasons why single camera productions are still a
staples of hollywood cinema to this day and is at times superior to multi
camera technique in other platforms of media such as advertising or television
shows.