There are two basic ways to produce your story on film or video.
- One-Camera Technique
- Multiple-Camera Technique
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Traditionally, movies are shot using one-camera technique. One camera is placed in multiple locations and the action is repeated over and over. The one camera captures this action from multiple angles.
For a movie, several months, or longer, are spent shooting. Then the show is edited, which can take months, or longer, as well.
A smaller production, say 2–3 minutes, could be done in a day. This is what we did as TV news crews. It took a full day of work for a two-person team to produce two minutes of air time using one-camera technique. And these were not fancy videos by any stretch of the imagination. People who’ve never been involved in video making find that difficult to believe, but I promise it’s true. We were moving fast. One camera technique is a slow process.
Using multiple cameras is the more standard technique for TV studios. Multiple cameras capture the action simultaneously, and the show is edited live, on the fly, with a device called a video switcher. (Or a computer with a program that mimics a video switcher.)
Most situation comedies are done this way. All talk shows like the late night comedy shows are done that way. Known as studio technique, this method is MUCH faster than one-camera technique. Once everybody is in the studio, a one-hour show can be done in a little over one-hour. Shooting the entire thing remotely and editing later would take months.
One-camera is slower and more expensive, but allows for more creativity since no decision has to be instantaneous. One camera technique allows for more creative camera placement, which gives you more visually interesting angles.
Using multiple cameras is easier, faster, and cheaper, by significant margins.
Both can be done either in a studio or out in the field. And not to make it confusing, but often, more than one camera is used with one camera technique in order to minimize the number of times action must be repeated. This is especially true when shooting interviews.
No matter which technique you decide to use, being in a studio makes it easier to control the sound, lights, and everything else that matters to your production. A big-budget movie director will meticulously control everything, the low-budget producer video maker can’t be so picky, but that’s that way it is.
Field production offers a lot of versatility that tends to be stifled in the studio. One of the reasons why a modern TV show like CSI is a lot more fun for today’s viewers than old episodes of Dragnet is the fact that modern shows are shot in the field. This technique allows the show to be the fast-paced, thrilling drama viewers love.
IS BLACK & WHITE BORING?
My high school students groaned in protest when I pulled out the classic TV shows, and tended to blame their “boringness” on the fact that they were black and white. Not true, I’d tell them. It’s more about the pacing, camera angles, camera movement, and sound effects.
Some of these same kids thought it was cool and artsy to turn their own color video into B&W in the editing room, (which takes two clicks) so go figure the logic!
COMBINE STUDIO AND FIELD PRODUCTION
A live news broadcast, network or local, is an example of both studio and field productions combined. News anchors inside a studio introduce viewers to video segments that were shot out in the field and edited before airing.
With a live news broadcast, everything is planned out meticulously, down to the nanosecond. The plan is executed by a staff. A small local TV news show might have ten people working on a single show, a national network would have up to one-hundred people, maybe more.
The studio crew is connected through an off-camera sound system, so they can speak to each other.
A director, several producers, camera operators, a teleprompter operator, sound engineer, tape deck operators, and a floor manager are all connected with audio headsets like the picture below. A live newscast is a highly coordinated effort that requires intense cooperation.
BIG OR SMALL MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
On the other hand, you can set up and operate a studio virtually all by yourself if your show is simple enough. I’ve done it a zillion times.
Camera operators are expendable (sorry, guys). Many large dollar operations use robots. You can use standard tripods locked down. The audio board can be preset. All you really need is someone to switch and someone else to be on camera. Now, that is about as low budget as video gets, but I promise it works for the small operation.
FIELD PRODUCTION
The field segments of a news broadcast are shot on portable cameras by a crew of one to four people. Most are two-person crews, a reporter and a photographer.
On average, twenty to sixty minutes of tape are shot for every finished two minutes of story.
TIP: The more raw video you shoot, the better your finished product will be. (Assuming you have time to sift through it all.) More choices in the editing room equals a better product. Of course time = money, which is why high quality costs more.
If you are brand new to this art, do yourself and favor and over shoot. Newbies seem to have the universal habit of not shooting enough. Yes, I know it’s a lot of video to wade through, but I promise you’ll thank me in the end if your goal is a quality, professional video presentation. Just make sure to get a variety of shots that will edit together into a professional looking sequence.
PROS AND CONS OF EACH METHOD
Field production gives more opportunity for unusual camera angels, camera movement, and visual variety. You’ll probably end up with a faster-paced show. Meticulous (and slow) computer editing is a better way to create visual masterpieces if that’s your goal, compared to the live, on-the-fly (yet faster) video switching.
Generally, visual variety equals visual excitement and a more entertained viewer. The outside world is naturally more exciting than an indoor imitation, and this usually shows in the final video.
On the other hand, studio shows are so quick, cheap and easy to produce. Once you have the studio set up, nothing’s easier than sitting a few people down and letting them talk spontaneously. Use that simple format with talented people and you have The Tonight Show!
Depending on your goal, a simple studio might be perfect. Not all videos need to be fast-paced visual masterpieces, in fact sometimes that’s counterproductive.
If product demonstration is your objective, a studio is often the way to go.
Even if you couldn’t swing an entire studio, you can get top-quality with one person wearing a lavaliere microphone in your nicely lit room. Look at QVC, they’re not much fancier, that’s for sure.
I hope this information helps you decide how to make the videos you want to make.
Thanks for reading Video Production Tips.
Lorraine Grula
nice pictures i like it