The song Room to Breath by You Me At Six uses in-concert footage in an interesting way. The footage appears through the artists in the band performing live and showing the crowd having a great time at the concert to try and make others want to see them live and enjoy it like the audience in the music video.
Narrative and Interpretive
Narrative videos have a story for the audience to follow and pull them in to watch all of the video to find out what happens. The music video for the song "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran is fairly literal to the lyrics of the song. As the narrative in the music video is about a woman who is living a difficult life with no money and homeless. Throughout the music video she is extremely depressed and resorts to drugs and prostitution and the lyrics of the song are about the narrative in the music video. "Light's gone, days end, struggling to pay rent. Long nights, strange man". This is about the woman living difficultly and doing prostitution to get some money. The song title "The A Team" means Class A drugs like Heroin, Ecstasy and Cocaine and the lyrics are "She's in the class A Team" and "Goes mad for a couple grams" which is about a woman who takes drugs and is shown in the narrative of the music video.
Surrealist/Absurdist
A surrealist or absurdest music video are strange and unconventional and on a literal narrative level may sometimes bear very little relationship to the lyrics. They are made to be remembered by viewers by making them shocking and different from other music videos to get people talking about it. For example "Everything You Do is a Balloon" by Boards of Canada is surreal and surprising music video as in the music video a group of people are riding bikes with monkey masks on and getting hit by cars which counts down each time someone is hit.
Impressionist
An Impressionist music videos tries to capture the emotional tone of the music rather than the narrative and literal meaning of the lyrics. These types of music videos are usually more 'artistic' than other music videos. There was actually a 19th century art movement called 'impressionism' which was all about recording how the world made the artist feel rather the world itself. This is just like impressionist music videos which have the same tone and elements such as soft lights, flowing and intermingling colours and soft colours, similar to the artistic movement. An example of an impressionist music video is "Say Something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera. The music video tries to get an emotional response through the use of the visuals and tone of the music by showing sad and upsetting scenes, like a child getting scared and hiding under her bed with her dog when her parents are arguing. Another scene is an old man crying and laying on a hospital bed with his wife who died.
Intertextual: Synergy, Allusion, Pastiche, Parody and Homage
Synergy
Intertextuality refers to a text shaped by other texts for example a music video can have references to films themselves or use real footage from a film and use it in a music video. This is called synergy - when two products or companies work together to promote each other. An example of a music video which used this technique is "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran which was a soundtrack for The Hobbit; The Desolation of Smaug (2013) played atthe end credits of the film. The entire music video uses footage from the film to promote the new released film. As the film was very successful it helped promote Ed Sheeran and sales of the song and soundtrack for the film. It gained huge success, receiving over 100 million views on YouTube, entered the UK Singles Chart at number 13 and reached number 1 in New Zealand.
Allude
Music videos can also allude to another media text, event, person, or any other historical or cultural reference. Allude basically means to reference something and is less obvious than synergy. For example lyrics in a song or about a certain person or objects in a music video which symbolize something discreetly. Allusion is used in the song "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin, there is a section in the lyrics where Led sings "I was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum and the evil one crept up, and slipped away with her". This is making a reference to The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, telling the audience Led Zeppelin is a fan of Lord of the Rings and maybe influenced him to write this song.
Pastiche/Homage
Pastiche is a light hearted imitation of a particular artist or style without mocking. Artist may choose to do this to pay homage to an artist, style or film. A homage is when an artist uses a music video to pay respect to others influences and who inspired them, as a way of saying thank you. An example of a homage is the fan version of "I Found You" music video by The Wanted, who are paying homage to The Beatles first performance at the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as they influenced the band. They do this by wearing slick suits, playing retro guitars, screaming fans and at the start of the music video using a black and white effect and 1960s font to match the style of the era of The Beatles. Also the narrative is about screaming fans going crazy and uncontrollable for the band so the band try to escape and hide from massive crowds of screaming fans. This is very similar to what happened to The Beatles in the film "A Hard Day's Night" by Richard Lester.
Parody
A parody makes fun of original work such as an artist and their song or film. An example of a music parody is "Tik Tok Parody" by The Midnight Beast. The song is originally by Ke$ha but The Midnight Beast made their own parody of this by changing the lyrics to make it funny. They swear, make fun of other celebrities and have a funny music video which is literal to the lyrics. The Midnight Beast are a British comedy/parody band and this parody of "Tik Tok" is what they are most famous for as it was their first big break through as it received 15 million views on YouTube which gained them lots of recognition.
Animation
An animation music video uses stop motion or computer animations somewhere in the music video. An example of an animation music video is "Careless" by Jack Beats. This music video uses live action interacting with computer animations for the actors shadow. The shadows changes into various monsters and animals such as an ape and dinosaurs.
Lip-Synch - Miming and Playback
Lip syncing is when the artist or performer mimes the lyrics in a song by playing the track as the artist mines. This is called "Playback". The song and the artist miming will then have to be edited together so it's perfectly synced with the track in post production. This will make it seem like the artist is actually singing the song. Lip syncing is used more commonly in a performance/narrative based music video. Or in music videos that uses certain effects, such as slow motion or sped up. If the artists wants a slow motion effect in their music video they would need to mime the playback at a faster speed during filming.
Here is an example of lip-syncing in a music video with a slow motion effect used throughout the video meaning the playback track would have been sped up so the artist could mime it at the same speed as the playback. This is so when parts of the music video are slowed down the artist miming will now be synced with the track at normal speed in post production.
Editing
Music videos are often edited together in interesting ways and sometimes challenge the conventions of classic continuity editing to make the music video more unique and engaging so viewers remember it. Rap God is edited in a creative and unique way and won "best editing" at the MTV Video Music Awards 2014. The music video uses lots of jump cuts, green screen and visual effects.
Cutting to beat
An editing technique music videos use is cutting your shots to match the beat of the song in post production. This makes the video flow smoothly and match with the song and establish a rhythm to your edits. The song "Be Real by Kid Ink" uses this technique at the start of the song when the beat kicks in. The shots also cut to the tempo of the song. At 0:54 seconds the song speeds up and the camera shots cut rapidly to match the beat and tempo of the song.
Post-production effects
Post production effects such as green screens, digital animations, computer generated imagery (CGI) etc are used to enhance a music video and make it more impressive and appealing to an audience if the effects are cutting edge. Post production effects are used if it would be too dangerous, impractical, expensive or impossible to capture on film. Visual effects can be a huge part in getting your music video popular and talked about if the effects used are interesting, mesmerizing or complex. In the music video "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons post-production effects are used to make the video interesting and fit the mood/style the band were going for. The band wanted the music video to have a dark and gritty feel and look to it. They did this by changing the lighting and colour in post production to dark grey and blue washed out colours to get that dark and gritty look. The music video also used computer generated imagery to create the scrap metal, run down bridge and ship in the desert to make the location look more post apocalyptic and interesting. Creating models in post production is good if the production hasn't got a large budget as it would be expensive to build an actual bridge or building then making it in post-production. Green screen also used for the large explosion that goes off in the music video which is created in post production by removing the green screen in the video and replacing the background with an explosion.
Example of a particular effect: Split Screen
Split screen is an interesting editing technique where the screen is divided (usually in half) of multiple images of different events happening at the same time on screen.
The creative music video "Sugar Water" by Cibo Matto uses the split screen effect in an interesting way. One side was following a character going forward in time and the other side followed a character going backwards but both sides were very similar to each other and kept in sync. In the middle of the song the characters met together and then the split screens switched with the other footage going forward in time now instead of backwards and the footage that was going backwards now going forwards in time so the music video ended where it started. This was a very innovative music video directed by Michel Gondry.
Example of a particular effect: Chroma Key
Chroma key is a special effect / post production technique for compositing two videos or images together. This done by using a green or blue screen in the background of any footage being shot during production. In post production the green or blue screen can be removed (Chroma keyed) on an editing software and replaced with an image or video. Anything in front of the green screen (Actors, props, sets) will still be visible.
The music video "Roar" by Katy Perry uses green screen throughout the video to make it seem like the singer is actually in a tropical jungle. This music video creates part of the jungle set and props where the singer is standing so she can interact with the environment and adds a green screen in the background so the jungle looks more vast and realistic.
Camera Movements
Camera movements such as pans, tilts, zooms and tracking shots are used to make a music video flow and look more visually interesting, realistic and exciting for the audience if the cinematography is engaging.
The music video "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy uses camera movements to make the audience feel on edge and uneasy. For example the video using lots of hand held camera shots with fast paced pans when one of the singers is getting tortured. Hand held shots are messy with lots of movement and shakiness which is what I think they were going for and works well to make the audience feel uneasy. The music video also uses lots of tracking shots to follow the action of the singers when they're walking.
(Handheld) (Tracking)
Camera angles and shot types
Using various and interesting angles and shot lengths can also keep an audience engaged like camera movements. A filmmaker can use camera angles to create meaning and tone within a media text. For example close ups can be used to show the actors emotion and work well with a sad/upsetting scene. Extreme long shots can be used to show loneliness, high angles to show weakness and low angles to show strength. Shot distances and angles and also be used to show different elements of the mise-en-scene.
In the music video "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake various camera angles and shot lengths are used to create meaning and some kind of emotion. Long shots are used to show the mise-en-scene and establish where the characters are. Close ups of the actors face are used to show their emotions. For example when one of the actresses was crying a close up was used to show hey make up running down her face and also used when she is kissing her boyfriend/husband. Close ups are also used to show the importance of the wedding ring in the music video as the video goes back in time to show the old couple getting married and putting on the ring.
Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene is everything within the scene what makes a music video what it is from the lighting, objects, costumes, setting and so on. All of these things are important and taken into consideration when trying to create a certain emotion and tone such as desire, glamour, passion, anger, etc.
I think mise-en-scene is extremely important in the music video "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson as it's a fun funky song influenced by the Minnepolis sound of the early 80s and the music video is set in the 80s. So to get this 80s look and vibe in their music video, props, costumes and setting were very important to get this across. Bright coloured and funky suits with big gold chains were used for the singers costume as well as old cars and the setting made the music video feel and look very early 80s.
"Warriors" is a song recorded for the soundtrack to the League of Legends 2014 World Championship promotional video and The Divergent Series: Insurgent - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
"Warriors"
As a child you would wait
And watch from far away.
But you always knew that you'd be the one that work while they all play
And you, you'd lay awake at night and scheme
Of all the things that you would change but it was just a dream!
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town.
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town.
From Dust.
The time will come, when you'll have to rise
Above the best, improve yourself
Your spirit never dies
Farewell, I've gone, to take my throne
Above, don't weep for me
Cause this will be the labor of my love
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
From Dust.
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
Here we are, don't turn away now,
We are the warriors that built this town
From Dust
Meaning/Content/Concept
This song is about a person who is different from everyone else and wants to achieve big "And watch from far away.", "But you always knew that you'd be the one that work while they all play.". I think this means the person has sacrificed his life, friends and family to focus on his dream. "And you, you'd lay awake at night and scheme, Of all the things that you would change but it was just a dream!". I think the line "Here we are, don't turn away now,We are the warriors that built this town." is the person finally living their dream and shouldn't turn away from it because of what others are saying.
As this song was for the League of Legends 2014 World Championship it could be about the professional League of Legends players who sacrificed a lot of their time into the game. Believing that they will one day live their dream of competing in the World Championships but their friends and family think they are wasting their lives with this dream. They ignore what everyone is saying about them as they believe they do have a chance and achieves their goal in the end.
Imagery
When I listen to this song I think of someone who is ambitious, fighting to be someone great and achieve their goal by overcoming all the boundaries. In the end the goal is reached and they are molded into a more powerful person through the journey they've gone on to get where they are now.
Genre/Style - Alternative Rock
Pace - The song starts calm in the verse but when the chorus kicks in the rock starts and the pace suddenly get quicker and the vocals and instruments get much louder. The song then goes slow and quiet again then back loud for the chorus. It keeps this pace throughout the entire song.
Duration - 2 minutes 50 seconds
Image and Representation
Imagine Dragons usually wear very casual clothing and have quite an indie fashion in their music videos. They band don't wear over the top costumes like Lady Gaga or Madonna. Most of the clothing they wear is just dark colours such as blacks and grays. The image on the left is from "It's Time" and is wearing a grey t-shirt with a leather jacket and two necklaces. This is an indie/rock look which matches the bands music style, Alternative Rock/Indie Rock. The image on the right is a live performance from "Demons" and the artist is very casual just wearing a t-shirt and necklace. This tell me the band aren't trying to be over the top with bright colours and crazy costumes but instead just want to be themselves and wearing clothes which make them feel comfortable and fit their style of music.
Imagine Dragons music videos are usually quite gritty and strange with dark colours. In the music videos "It's Time", "Demons" and "Radioactive" the colours are very dark. In "It's Time" the band are in a remote location with an apocalyptic future look. "Radioactive is also quite dark and gritty and humorous at the same time as puppets are in a cockfight as if the band are mocking it. This music video tells us the band are against cockfighting and use the music video to show this.
The band have also made some strange, surreal music videos more recently such as "I Bet My Life" and "Shots". The music video "Shots" is very artistic with lots of strange and interesting visuals and effects which are difficult to explain but have messages that can be interpreted. In the music video "I Bet My Life" the narrative is very surreal as the character gets sucked into a dam pipeline which leads him to an underwater house. The man sleeps and wakes up on a small sailing boat which flies off a waterfall. At the end of the narrative the man wakes up from the surreal dream.
Discuss the emergence of music videos and introduce the purpose of the essay.
The purpose of this essay is to discuss why music videos exist, why and how they have gotten so popular and why they benefit artists as a way of promotion, income and synergy. The first music video made was Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975 for the purpose of promotion. The music video was created Bruce Gowers which was his big break and bought him international recognition. The first music video to be aired on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles in 1981.
Promotion
Music videos are used to promote the artists and their song as well as promotion of directors. Artists can use a music video as a way of promoting their talent by playing an instrument in the video and also promote themselves by showing off their personality and how they want to viewed/known by the public through their performance and appearance. They may also decide to use lots of close ups of the artists face and have their name appear in the music video so viewers remember and recognize them. Artists can use a logo, costumes or a colour code as a means an identification to promote them and their song.
For Example Ed Sheeran is well known for his incredible talent on the guitar through his music videos on YouTube.
In the music video "One" by Ed Sheeran, he promotes his talent as a singer and ability on the acoustic guitar by playing through the entire song just himself, without any extra instruments, tune or background music accompanying him. Just him and guitar.
Ed Sheeran also has a "X" logo drawn onto his guitar to promote his new album "X" or "Multiply" as fans will recognize what the logo is. The music video also promotes Ed Sheeran's image and personality as a serious artist and songwriter through this music video as the mise-en-scene is very bland with not much going on so the viewers focus on the artist and guitar. Along with the black and white filter and lyrics of the song about losing someone you love.
Directors/filmmakers can also be promoted through music videos by having a distinctive style and being different compared to other music video directors that people will remember. For example David Slade is known for his very odd and messed up music videos such as "Apex Twins - Donkey Rhubarb" and "Stone Temple Pilots - Sour Girl".
David Slade has also directed his own movies, some of his best are Hard Candy (2005) and 30 Days of Night (2007) which are both thrillers. Most recently David Slade directed and produced a number of episodes for Hannibal (2013-) starring Mad Mikkelsen.
Producers' Strategies
How and why are artists marketed differently?
Mainstream artists will have a much bigger budget from producers than new, independent artists as main stream artists are already well known and popular so it's safer for a produce to invest into a mainstream artist as they will have a massive fan base and garaunteed to get lots of views and song/album sales as people like what they already know. An independent artists however will have a much smaller budget and will mostly likey have to pay for it all himself. This means the artist will have to be much more creative and unique if they want to get noticed and compete with the mainstream artists. Independent artists can help themselves by distributing their work on social media websites such as Facebook or YouTube. However there will be thousands of other artists sharing their work everyday trying to breakthrough into the industry. This means an independent artists will have to be really creative in their music videos with the budget they've got to try and stand out from the other artists and get recognised by the public, agents, producers, directors and record labels. Radical Something is an independent trio which "blends hip-hop and rock with a decidedly Californian vibe".
Extension of Income
Artist's are paid every time their record is played on the radio, receiving royalties or other payment in exchange for the use of their product. If an artist also has a music video for their record they will also receive money in royalties every time the video is watched on TV or YouTube. However it is very difficult to track all the views on one music video due to the number of media outlets we have today. Instead an estimate will be made depending on how popular the track is and how well it's selling and based on this royalties will be paid accordingly.This makes it difficult for independent or alternative musicians to get noticed as mainstream artists usually always top the charts because their songs are played on the radio all the time for more people to hear and search the song on the internet to watch the music video. For example "Up Town Funk" by Mark Ronson was on radio stations all the time and on YouTube the music video received 540 million views. Due to this recognition the single was a smash hit, spending 14 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 7 weeks at number one on the UK Single Chart.
While alternative artists/band find it difficult to get played on the radio and rely on other media outlets such as social media and YouTube to get heard and recognized as radio stations and television channels won't take the risk because people won't know the artist or song and won't watch or listen to it. They will choose to stick to mainstream songs as it's much safer as people know the type of music and artists.
Extension of Outlets/Platforms
An outlet or platform is a source which allows us access to a media text. Platforms/outlets that allow us to view a music video or listen to music are radios such as Heart Radio and Kiss Fm. Television on channels like MTV and Vevo. The internet, for example YouTube and Facebook. Artists CDs and DVDs such as Ed Sheeran's new CD album "Multiply" or "X". There are many, many different platforms which allow us to access music now a days. This growing number of media outlets is great for independent artists as they will have more of a chance to get noticed by someone as they have a large number of different platforms to share their work with friends and fans. This increases the chance of getting fame and going viral. However the large number of platforms could make it difficult for non mainstream artists to try and get seen as the more platforms there are, the more artists there will be all trying to get noticed. Also all the mainstream artists will always get seen and not giving the non mainstream artists a chance.
Synergy
Synergy in the media industry is the promotion and sale of a product through licensing deals with another company to use a product. Walt Disney pioneered the idea in the 1930s when he allowed other companies and films to use Mickey Mouse in various products and advertisement. For example a company can use Disneys Mickey Mouse in their own products and in so doing promote Disney.
Ed Sheeran has a licensing deal with Beats by Dr Dre. Ed was in an advert promoting the product but also promoting himself as his new song "sing" was playing in the background. In both Ed Sheeran's music videos, "sing" and "don't" both promote the product Beats by Dr Dre as Ed Sheeran is wearing them and the actors in "Don't" are using them. Close ups of the beats headphones are used through the music video to show off the product.
"Ed Sheeran - Don't" "Ed Sheeran - Sing"
Conclusion
Music videos will always be popular and in high demand as it benefits both the artists and the fans. Artists can gain more income by having a music video and it's what the fans want. They want to see their favorite artists sing and perform.
In this essay I will be talking about the use of single camera techniques, why single cameras are used to shoot film and benefits single camera production comes with when filming. I will address all points from camera, lighting, sound, editing and the differences between single camera techniques and multi-camera techniques as well as which genres and formats use/prefer to film with.
Camera
How is the camera used and the footage shot?
Single camera productions obviously only use one camera throughout the shooting of a film. As only one camera is being used it will add to the realism and create a more intimate feeling for the audience and get the audience into the action/scene. However more than one camera can be used when it's difficult to use just one in a certain scenes such as an action scene with a stunt that can only be executed once so the director can get more than one shot distance and angle. Multiple cameras might also be used when a scene is heavy on dialogue so the actors won't have to keep pausing while the shot is being changed. Single camera productions will need the same scenes and sections of scenes to be acted a number of different times so the director can capture the scene from different angles and shot lengths. This makes filming expensive if the production is filming onto actual film as the film stock is expensive and single camera productions will be using a lot on the same scenes.
Lighting
How is single camera production lit?
Lighting in single camera productions is much easier as you can light each shot individually as there is only one camera being used you haven't got to worry about lighting more than one camera or make sure that each one has the same lighting in the shot. In muti-camera each shot must have the same lighting or it won't match when the shot changes to another camera, causing the film to look unprofessional and if it's been filmed in a studio. Lighting in single camera production is far more detailed and interesting as tone and style can be added to individual scenes to achieve the desired look and feel in the scene. For example Film Noir films are single camera productions that rely heavily on lighting. As Film Noir is usually associated with low key lighting with black and white visual style. So the lighting needs to be prepared perfectly to achieve the Film Noir look for each shot. This is easier to do in single camera production as each shot can be prepared individually while in multi camera production all the cameras used must have the same amount of lighting which can be a difficult to achieve at a high standard. Also the detail in the lighting won't be as good like it would be in a single camera production.
Sound
What are the advantages/disadvantages of sound in single camera?
The advantages of sound in single camera production is that you can usually just use one central or directional microphone to capture all the ambient noises and dialogue. Whereas in multi camera production each character, interviewer and interviewees can be mic'd as multi camera products allow for mics to be visible on camera. For example The Jeremy Kyle Show, sometimes the host will hold a microphone and the interviewees will where a body pack mic. During post-production single camera has the advantage when it comes to editing as it has more to work with. As single camera productions shoot multi takes of one scene to get different angles and shot distances, they will have a number of different takes of dialogue and ambient sounds. So the editor can go through all the shots and if he find a shot which is great visually but the audio isn't good enough, he can take the audio from another take of the same shot and edit it over the shot which looks good visually.
Editing
How is single camera production edited?
In single camera production the post production stage can take a long time to edit all the footage gathered as in single camera you should have loads of different shots of the same scene repeated with different angles, distances and lengths. With loads of footage and repeated scenes you will have to go through the footage and find the shots which were the best and fit in the scene. A way to keep organised with what shots were the best and worked is to create a shot log which will come in handy when editing footage. It is a list of the shots captured in a scene with a description of how well it turned out. This will help the editor/s easily find the best shot for the scene without going through every single shot taken.
Single Camera genres and formats
How and why do certain genres and formats lend themselves to single or multi-camera production?
genres such as period drama, crime drama and horror are particularly associated with single camera production. As single camera productions have the ability to create the feeling of realism and a more personal product as the camera can move within the scene to make the audience feel more involved. Multi camera productions cannot move the camera as freely as more than one camera is being used you will need to be careful not to get the other cameras in the shot. As well as this single camera productions can use many different angles and shot distances to capture the action from different perspectives. As single camera creates a more realistic product it works great with horror as the audience will feel more tense and involved with the 'scares' due to the camera movements and different angles used within the scene for example "Penny Dreadful". Same can be said with period dramas as the they're set in an era in the past, single camera productions can make the it seem much more realistic when accompanied by the costumes, props and sets to recreate the required style and tone for example "Rome" and "Boardwalk Empire".
Comedy shows utilize in both single and multi camera productions. Sitcoms that are filmed in studios/sets in front of a live studio audience such as "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "The Big Bang Theory" will utilize in multi camera production. Multi camera comedy shows can feel more natural when a joke is told as the response from the audience and the other actors are more genuine than a single camera production comedy as the response would have been captured in a different take. Comedy shows such as "The Inbetweeners" and "Plebs" are filmed using single camera techniques.
Soap operas are usually filmed using multi camera techniques as episodes need to be produced fast and multi camera productions can do this at a faster rate than single camera productions as multi camera productions can shoot a scene in one take as more cameras are being used while single camera productions will have to retake scenes over and over with different shot distances and angles making it a more lengthy and time consuming process which soap operas cannot afford to do. For example "EastEnders" is a multi camera production and must produce episodes at a fast rate as it's on every weekday. Sometimes multi camera techniques cannot be used if filming a scene in a real house which does not have the space for multiple cameras.
Aside from specific genres, there are also various formats associated with single camera productions:
Series
A series is a number of episodes with the same characters but a different story-line which unfolds in each episode. However there can be a continuous plot in the background of each episode which resolves around the central characters. An example of a single camera production series is "Grimm" as it has the same characters each episode with a clear protagonist and is presented with a new fairy tale creature that must be stopped from causing havoc in each episode.
Serial
A serial is very similar to a series however a serial typically follows a extended or continuing story-line which can span over many episodes or a series or it could even be never ending such as a soap opera. For example EastEnders is never ending with no seasons/series and started in 1985 with 5041 episodes as of 3rd April 2015. A long lasting or never ending serial like EastEnders will utilize in multi camera production as they can produce episodes quickly. An example of a single camera production serial is "Game of Thrones" (However not a soap opera as it has seasons and will have an end) which is commissioned for 10 60 minute episodes in a series and a new series starts each year in spring. Game of Thrones has many, many different characters but the same characters in each episode with no clear protagonist or antagonist. Game of Thrones has multiple story-lines going on with each character which overlaps and develops across the episodes and will usually end with a cliffhanger to make the audience want to watch the next episode right away to see what happens next with the story and characters.
Single Drama
A single drama is usually a story told in a one-off episode but can run over two or three parts like a television movie. The minimum length of a single drama is 5 minutes. An example of a single drama is "The Great Train Robbery" (2013) which was nominated at the 2014 BAFTA for best single drama. It lasted for 2 episodes which lasted for 185 minutes overall.
How is the camera used and the footage shot?
Lighting in single camera productions is much easier as you can light each shot individually as there is only one camera being used you haven't got to worry about lighting more than one camera or make sure that each one has the same lighting in the shot. In muti-camera each shot must have the same lighting or it won't match when the shot changes to another camera, causing the film to look unprofessional and if it's been filmed in a studio. Lighting in single camera production is far more detailed and interesting as tone and style can be added to individual scenes to achieve the desired look and feel in the scene. For example Film Noir films are single camera productions that rely heavily on lighting. As Film Noir is usually associated with low key lighting with black and white visual style. So the lighting needs to be prepared perfectly to achieve the Film Noir look for each shot. This is easier to do in single camera production as each shot can be prepared individually while in multi camera production all the cameras used must have the same amount of lighting which can be a difficult to achieve at a high standard. Also the detail in the lighting won't be as good like it would be in a single camera production.
The advantages of sound in single camera production is that you can usually just use one central or directional microphone to capture all the ambient noises and dialogue. Whereas in multi camera production each character, interviewer and interviewees can be mic'd as multi camera products allow for mics to be visible on camera. For example The Jeremy Kyle Show, sometimes the host will hold a microphone and the interviewees will where a body pack mic. During post-production single camera has the advantage when it comes to editing as it has more to work with. As single camera productions shoot multi takes of one scene to get different angles and shot distances, they will have a number of different takes of dialogue and ambient sounds. So the editor can go through all the shots and if he find a shot which is great visually but the audio isn't good enough, he can take the audio from another take of the same shot and edit it over the shot which looks good visually.
genres such as period drama, crime drama and horror are particularly associated with single camera production. As single camera productions have the ability to create the feeling of realism and a more personal product as the camera can move within the scene to make the audience feel more involved. Multi camera productions cannot move the camera as freely as more than one camera is being used you will need to be careful not to get the other cameras in the shot. As well as this single camera productions can use many different angles and shot distances to capture the action from different perspectives. As single camera creates a more realistic product it works great with horror as the audience will feel more tense and involved with the 'scares' due to the camera movements and different angles used within the scene for example "Penny Dreadful". Same can be said with period dramas as the they're set in an era in the past, single camera productions can make the it seem much more realistic when accompanied by the costumes, props and sets to recreate the required style and tone for example "Rome" and "Boardwalk Empire".
Comedy shows utilize in both single and multi camera productions. Sitcoms that are filmed in studios/sets in front of a live studio audience such as "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "The Big Bang Theory" will utilize in multi camera production. Multi camera comedy shows can feel more natural when a joke is told as the response from the audience and the other actors are more genuine than a single camera production comedy as the response would have been captured in a different take. Comedy shows such as "The Inbetweeners" and "Plebs" are filmed using single camera techniques.
A serial is very similar to a series however a serial typically follows a extended or continuing story-line which can span over many episodes or a series or it could even be never ending such as a soap opera. For example EastEnders is never ending with no seasons/series and started in 1985 with 5041 episodes as of 3rd April 2015. A long lasting or never ending serial like EastEnders will utilize in multi camera production as they can produce episodes quickly. An example of a single camera production serial is "Game of Thrones" (However not a soap opera as it has seasons and will have an end) which is commissioned for 10 60 minute episodes in a series and a new series starts each year in spring. Game of Thrones has many, many different characters but the same characters in each episode with no clear protagonist or antagonist. Game of Thrones has multiple story-lines going on with each character which overlaps and develops across the episodes and will usually end with a cliffhanger to make the audience want to watch the next episode right away to see what happens next with the story and characters.
