First Multi-Camera Production Reflection

Today we carried out our first multi-camera live production called 'programme within a programme, as a group we sorted out who would be carrying out each role throughout the production, we also carried out all of the necessary pre-production work well ahead of the day so we were well prepared.
 

Myself, Andrew and Joe managed to go into college on the Monday before production day to finish off any pre-production work and to export our VT tapes with the assistance of Alun.

 

By going in the day before it really helped us and relieved us from becoming stressed on production day as we had everything ready to go. We learnt that planning pre-production sufficiently is key and the first step to creating a successful production. 

 

In our production I had the role of vision mixer which at first I was nervous about as it was a completely new task. However once we got into the TV studio and looked at the equipment thoroughly it became more clear and seemed a lot simpler than I had imagined, after our first rehearsal I started to get into the role and enjoy it more.

 

When cutting between the cameras and the VT tapes sometimes I didn't make the cuts quick enough or changed to the wrong camera but this was down to the fact that the director could have been giving me more instructions as to when to standby each camera and then when to cut to the camera. The director did give me a lot of instructions as to when to play the VT tapes and when to cut between cameras but at some points simple instructions were missed out and I was left to decide which cameras to cut to myself. This wasn't a problem as it was easy to cut between the cameras when the interviews were taking place as it was just alternating between camera one and three.

 

When it came to the other groups productions I also had a role in each of these, I ensured that I had two completely different roles so that I could experience as much as possible.

In the second groups production I was a performer and I found this role quite challenging because the group hadn't told me that I was in their production until production day therefore I was given a script that I hadn't had chance to learn and ended up having to read straight from. This was probably down to the groups lack of planning and the fact that they were still completing their pre-production work on the day of production.

 

In the last group I got to be in charge of one of the cameras, this was camera two and was mainly focused on close ups of the presenters in the production. I therefore had to communicate with the director though the microphone and headset to ensure I was carrying out all the shots required and focusing on the correct presenter. Carrying out this role was interesting and was succesful, I haven't really been in control of the camera before therefore I definiteley learnt a few basic skills about the cameras in the TV studio and managed to help the group out with their production.

 

Overall I think our group did really well for a first attempt at the live production and I really enjoyed my role as vision mixer as I think even though it was a little bit stressful at times it was an interesting role to carry out and I will now feel more confident in being a vision mixer in the future.

I also feel that I have learnt a lot from this first live production and I will now be able to take the new skills I have learnt and improve on any areas in our final production.

 

Analysis - Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QL_uG2GSZo

The Olympic Games came to London in 2012 and the opening ceremony for the games was a big highlight for the year, it was a very interesting and imaginative welcome to bring the games to London.

The production of the opening ceremony uses several multi-camera techniques throughout its simultaneous filming and use of over ten cameras. The cameras used included close up shots, crane shots from above the action, sweeping shots of the audience and mid shots of the performers. 

The production repeatedly changes from a close up shot to a long shot to keep the audience engaged on all aspects of the production.

There are shots of the audience present using overhead and crane cameras which clearly show everything from all different angles which allows the viewer to feel as though they're part of the production.

The style of production is very dramatic and imaginative, it is something we will remember forever and will go down in history as such a big event, the style is influenced by what's going on in the production rather than how the camera's are used, but the use of sweeping shots and close ups help make the style more interesting and creative.

The production was located at the Olympic Stadium in London therefore there was lots of space for cameras to be easily situated however due to the large amount of performers present throughout the production this could have caused problems. But due to varied shot types and the use of crane/sweeping shots this avoided any interactions with the audience or performers whilst still capturing the entire production.

All of the shots used are very quick and varied in style to keep the viewer engaged, there are so many different things going on that it is essential for the camera to keep changing to ensure every part of the production is covered.

Analysis - Queens Diamond Jubilee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMVCe-KD_yc

The Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert was a popular and historic live event that took place in 2012 and involved many different popular acts, bands and more. The event was held in London and gathered thousands of people together to celebrate the event. 

The event featured simultaneous coverage featuring approximately nine different cameras with varying different shots from long shots of the whole event and audience through to close up shots of the band on stage. The production also featured the use of crane shots to capture footage from above the crowd.

Throughout the entire event it was a common pattern that when an act is about to come onto the stage the audience is shown before in a long shot which then turns into a mid shot of the band on stage. The cameras vary throughout the production from the stage and back to the audience to show the viewer what's going on from all angles, this also allows the viewer to see the audiences reactions as well as this you can clearly see from the bands facial expressions that they have received a good reaction from their audience.

The visual style of the production isn't influenced by the cameras but instead by what's happening on the stage and in the audience for example the bright lights and the stage set up, these visuals are generic and used widely in other productions such as this one to create a vivid and exciting atmosphere. 

There is also no need for on screen titles as the commentator in the production clearly states the band prior to their arrival on stage.

I also noticed that in the production the band interact with their audience which then cuts to a shot of the audience to show their reactions, they definitely have a high interest rate especially when the band are performing, you can clearly see by the audience's reactions that they are enjoying the performance.

The event was held outdoors therefore the weather could have been a problem for camera operators but luckily it was a nice, dry day therefore no problems occurred however the location did still only have a small amount of space available due to the large audience. 

Analysis - Take Me Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWOvfYH2meU

Take Me Out is a popular dating/game television show aired on Saturday evenings, the program has had five series so far and has been hugely popular since it first aired in 2010.

The production consists of the use of approximately eight different cameras that capture different shots including close ups, crane shots, sweeping shots, mid shots and long shots. The filming is simultaneous and as shown below the most popular shot type in the production is definitely the mid shot and long shot.

Take Me Out begins with a catchy but unique introduction and title to the program which feature bright lights and different lighting effects, these are generic visuals of any program in this genre. 

The production begins with a VT where the girls who will be appearing on the show are displayed, the program then cuts straight to the studio where the presenter comes onto screen to introduce the girls onto the show. This pattern in production is repeated in the show each week. 

Throughout the production the camera is always focused on someone different whilst including shots of the audience at the same time to display their reactions to what's going on. By showing audience reactions regularly it shows how people are feeling and that they are enjoying the program.

As the production is set in a studio there aren't any particular constraints of location, they have made good use of the available space and used crane shots from above the audience to capture the entire production.

Analysis - Daybreak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH0VWbdF2uU

Daybreak is a popular live television production that is aired in the mornings, the production has many high ratings and viewing figures and follows many celebrities lifestyles with interviews and performances as well as other news and day to day chat.

The show begins with two presenters introducing the show and then introducing whom they will be interviewing, it then cuts to a VT which in this case is of The Saturdays, which then cuts back to the studio where the band are about to be interviewed, the use of the VT which is shown below, before the band actually appear gives the audience a short but informative introduction to who's coming up. 

The camera is always focused on the person speaking therefore it cuts frequently between the band and the presenters, this keeps the audience engaged and listening to what they're saying. 

The style of the production is very simplistic but I did notice that the title of the show, channel and current time is displayed in the corner of the screen throughout the whole production, this clearly states to the audience what they're watching and helps them to keep track of time in the mornings! This style is used widely in this type of generic daytime chat show production

The production involves simultaneous filming where approximately 5-6 cameras are used including a wide variation of shot type from close ups, mid shots, crane shots to sweeping shots. As you can see below the close up shot comes across as the most used in this production which allows the audience to focus on one thing at a time, the position in which the shots are taken also allows the audience to stay orientated as to who is talking on screen.

  

The use of VT's and pictures throughout the production keeps the audience interested and causes them to want to keep watching as well as the presenters asking the band intriguing questions where the band give answers that the audience really want to hear.

The production itself is set in a studio therefore it is spacious and well designed for the production, there aren't really any constraints of location and the producers have made good use of the space available by using crane shots to get shots from different angles and from behind the audience allowing everyone to see everything clearly.

Introduction

Throughout this assignment I will be exploring into multi-camera production looking into different techniques and how these types of productions are produced as well as researching into the different reasons for multi-camera use.

I am going to research and analyse into four well selected live television events, two of which will be studio productions and two live events.

I will look into the coverage of action, how the production communicates with the viewer, the visual styles that are used, how the production maintains viewers interest and the constraints for production locations or environments for each of my chosen productions.

For my first studio production I have chosen Daybreak because I feel that this programme will involve a wide variation of multi-camera use and will be a great example to analyse the way a typical daytime chat show is produced, I also feel that as I dont usually watch this type of studio productions I will be able to critically evaluate the production.

The second studio production I have chosen to analyse is Take Me Out which I have chosen due to it being a really popular programme that I will be able to evaluate in great detail as I do watch the programme therefore it will be easy to notice techniques and the use of multi-cameras in the production.

I have then chosen the Queens Diamond Jubilee as my first live event to analyse because this is a one off production that had a high interest  therefore it will be a creative and interesting live event to analyse.

Finally I will analyse the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games 2012 because this event was the once in a lifetime oppertunity to see the olympic games in London and due to the location of the event there will be a wide use of multi-camera shots that I will be able to anaylse and comment on.