What is a Single Camera Production?
A single camera production is a production team that work with only one camera to film all the shots, this can be both an advantage and disadvantage, the plus side of things are the fact that it will greatly reduce the costs and it will allow you to move the whole production in too a small area, it also allows you too get better angles easier because you don't have to worry about the other cameras being seen in the shot. The minus's are that it will cost a lot more, it you will have to shoot the same scene many times so that you can get the different camera angles you want.
Definitions of different types of film?
A single camera production can several different types of show, for example there is a serial, a series and a single drama. A serial is a sequence of individual episodes that have narratives that span over all the episodes, this means that all the episodes are linked to one another. For example "The Walking Dead" it has many different episodes that run from the same story line, so one episode finishes and the next will carry on from where the last left off. almost every episode in any series will end in a cliff hanger so that it will draw the audience back in to watch the next episode, there will also be a big cliff hanger at the end of the series ready for the next season. A series is like a serial except none of the episodes are linked together, so for example Doctor who is a series because each episode has a self contained narrative and none of the individual episodes are linked together, although at the end of a season there might be a cliff hanger that links to the next season but that is only to draw the audience back. A single drama is not like the others, this is just one episode with its own self contained narrative. these can sometimes be Pilot episodes which are just taster shows that may not take off.
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There are a a few different genres when it comes to TV and Film, some good examples are Costume Drama, Soap Drama, Crime and Comedy. A Costume Drama or sometimes known as a period drama is normally based in a certain era, for example Downton Abbey is set in the 20's, they usually use very elaborate costumes and sets to replicate the time that the series was set in, they would also use different accents to make the show seem believable. A soap drama is a serial that follows the lives of multiple characters, usually focusing on their emotional relationships. A good example is Eastenders, this soap is based on people who live in the east end of London, and how they react to problems that they encounter. it is a realist drama because it is based upon real life activities containing a multi-strand narrative. Crime is normally a series that consists of the audience following characters that are committing crimes and also the characters that are catching them, a good example of this is the TV show "The Bill" this was based around the lives of police officers in a particular area of law enforcement. A comedy drama is usually just like a normal drama just more lighthearted, an example is Fresh Meat which is a single camera comedy drama that consists of a the audience following 6 characters, this is a multi-strand narrative.
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There are many different types of story line, such as Open ending, Liner narrative and Realist. Each one will have a difference effects, some will leave the audience in suspense where as others are put in place to end a TV show or film. A Linear narrative is a story where each scene is in chronological order and there is no flashbacks or changes in time. these are normally used when following a characters life and almost always in realist films and programs, for example The Social Network, this is a linear narrative because we just follow the life of a few characters and everything happens in chronological order. This film is also a single strand narrative because the audience only follows one main character, although there are more characters that we do find out about others we don't get a massive insight into there lives. This technique of writing normally used in realist dramas because in real life you don't just skip through time. A non-linear narrative is the opposite to a linear story line because a non-linear narrative is film that has a fractured story line so to speak, for example pulp fiction has a non linear story line because you keep skipping through times to watch different parts of the characters lives. Pulp Fiction has a multi strand narrative story line because we as the audience follow several different characters throughout the film. This technique is used in lots of films and TV shows now-a-days because it helps show the audience things that wouldn't be possible with a linear story line. A flash back is a section in a story line where the audience get taken back in time to a part of a characters past. This can only be used in a non linear story line because it makes the story line change. A cliffhanger is where a film or TV program finishes with the a unanswered question and then answered in the following movie, film makers use this technique because it makes the audience want to know what happened next therefore they will go and see the next movie. with a cliffhanger there is always a followup story or film. A great example of this is in Harry Potter The Goblet Of Fire where we see Voldemort return, when we see this we want to watch the next film because we don't know whats going to happen. An open ending story line is very similar to a cliffhanger but there is not normally a following film, the audience are left to make up there own ending in essence. A good example of this is The Italian Job because the audience was left with a cliff hanger where the characters have got away with the robbery but have crashed and there loot is hanging off the edge of a cliff, then the film ends and we as the audience have no idea if they got away with the money, but there was not follow up film made. A closed ending or narrative is where a film or program ends with all the questions answered and no lose ends, theses are normally used in films that are a one off and don't have a sequel. A good example is About Time, this film compresses about 20 years of a characters life in to just under 2 hours and the story ends when the film finishes so there are no unanswered questions. A realist story line is normally present in soaps because it focuses on following characters in their every day lives and nothing extraordinary happens. most soap dramas like Eastenders come under this bracket because the writers try and make the story line as realistic as possible and you would not expect to see and flash back or change in time. A anti-realist story line is anything that contains anything extraordinary and not what we would see in real life, for example if a film contains aliens or zombies, these films contain a lot more special effects. a good example of this is Doctor Who because its main characters travel around in a flying police box which travels through time, this is also a non linear narrative because the audience gets taken through time.
Camera Shots
There are many different types of camera movements, each are used to make the audience understand and feel how the director wants them to.
Crane Shot:
Shots taken from a crane will usually be aerial and taken to view the actors from above but can also be used as a substitute for a aerial dolly in a a sense. Although a "crane shot" doses't mean it has to be shot on a crane, it can be done in many other ways except these are very uncommon. Dolly Shot: A dolly shot is when the camera is mounted on a tripod like structure which has wheels and runs on a track and will move from one point to another either sideways or forward and backwards (although this is called a track shot). You can tie in many different effects in to this type movement, for example it can be used so that the director can reveal something if you are moving sideways and when tracking the director can use a shot called a dolly zoom shot which is messes with the perspective of the shot where the main focus stays the same but the background completely changes and gets zoomed in. Flash Pan: This is when the cinematographer pans the camera very fast so that the picture blurs. This is usually used so that the editor can make a seamless cut between two shots. Steadicam: A Steadicam is light handheld mount for a camera which will allow you to get smooth footage which can simulate a dolly and still have the movement and accessibility of handheld camera, the mount can attach to the users hips and waist to distribute the weight round their body although this is only used when handling heavier cameras. The Steadicam was invented by cinematographer Garrett Brown. |
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Camera Movements
There are 5 main camera movements, Tilt, Pan, Zoom, Crab and Track, although there are lots of variations of each individual movements. Just like the different shots the director can use each one to tell a different story or spike a different emotion.
Tilt:
A Tilt movement is when the camera is tilted back or forward whilst on a tripod. This movement is usually used in conjunction with another shot such as the crane shot to get the maximum effect. Pan: Pan is Short for Panorama which means when the camera is tuned left or right, this movement can be done on either a tripod or can be done handheld but this is not very often because you want a smooth turn and it is hard to achieve by hand. Zoom: A Zoom is fairly self explanatory, it just means the cinematographer would use the lens to zoom in. Crab & Track: A Crab & Track movement is the camera moving sideways and forwards and backwards, i have explained in the "Dolly Shot" paragraph above. |
Editing Techniques
Editing is usually described by the process of putting small clips of footage called shots in to a sequence. It is this sequence that the editors play about with, this gives us different techniques.
Montage:
A montage is when different shots are put together and set to music, this is usually done to show the passing of time. For example in the film Rocky, we get shown a montage of him training which happens over months in the story but is condensed down to a few minuets. This technique is also used to show action, when synced to fast paced music the cuts become very short and the entire sequence become much more exciting.
Realist Editing:
Realist Editing is mainly used in Soaps and Dramas. The whole aim of realism editing is to make the editing invisible in a seance, they will try and draw as little attention as possible to things like the cuts and effects which helps the audience focus on the story line. With this type of editing certain rules apply, for example the 180 degree rule, this is where the camera has to stay one side of the actors throughout the scene.
Fast Cuts:
Fast cuts are used for a few reasons, the main ones are, to build tension and to show action. Editors use fast cuts which get tighter and tighter along with music to create a very dramatic and thrilling effect, a good example is "the good, the bad and the ugly" where the 3 main characters are in a Mexican stand off and waiting for the first person to shoot.
Cross Cutting:
Cross cutting is when two shots normally from different scenery are alternating from one to another. This technique is used to show that the shots are happening at the same time. I could us this technique in my work by swapping between two characters views.
Dissolve:
A dissolve transition is done by making one clip dissolve in to another. Editors use this effect to show that time has passed from one clip to the next.
A montage is when different shots are put together and set to music, this is usually done to show the passing of time. For example in the film Rocky, we get shown a montage of him training which happens over months in the story but is condensed down to a few minuets. This technique is also used to show action, when synced to fast paced music the cuts become very short and the entire sequence become much more exciting.
Realist Editing:
Realist Editing is mainly used in Soaps and Dramas. The whole aim of realism editing is to make the editing invisible in a seance, they will try and draw as little attention as possible to things like the cuts and effects which helps the audience focus on the story line. With this type of editing certain rules apply, for example the 180 degree rule, this is where the camera has to stay one side of the actors throughout the scene.
Fast Cuts:
Fast cuts are used for a few reasons, the main ones are, to build tension and to show action. Editors use fast cuts which get tighter and tighter along with music to create a very dramatic and thrilling effect, a good example is "the good, the bad and the ugly" where the 3 main characters are in a Mexican stand off and waiting for the first person to shoot.
Cross Cutting:
Cross cutting is when two shots normally from different scenery are alternating from one to another. This technique is used to show that the shots are happening at the same time. I could us this technique in my work by swapping between two characters views.
Dissolve:
A dissolve transition is done by making one clip dissolve in to another. Editors use this effect to show that time has passed from one clip to the next.