3 Shoots That Need a Multi Camera Production Setup – Episode 5

PODCAST EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Michael Hall: From ShoHawk Media this is Filmmaking Footnote with your host Michael Hall. You’re listening to episode 5. This is the show where we give you the best filmmaking and production information so you can make the best project possible. Without having to spend a bunch of time or money at film school.

Let’s do it! Hey everyone, welcome I’m your host Michael Hall thank you so much for being here today. And today we’re talking additional cameras or as some people like to call it a multiple camera setup.

So I have actually been working with a lot of multiple camera setups recently. In general multiple camera setups have been a bigger and bigger ask because there’s so much content that needs to be captured these days and from so many different angles. Having multiple cameras and multiple shooters on set is a really great way to to capture a lot of content in a short amount of time.

And I’m seeing that more and more often where we have multiple still photo photographers on set and a videographer at least for the for the photo shoots that I’m working on and the reason for that is because we’re usually pretty short on time usually the subjects that we’re capturing on my sets they’re really busy people and only have a couple hours to be on the set. So the best way to actually approach the problem is by having a couple shooters, even more shooters than necessary, so when you’re shooting with someone who has limited time on set but you need to tell a lot of different stories meaning different angles or different setups.

The best way to approach that problem is by different multiple shooters and multiple cameras on set. This has actually been a a main stage for a long time a really good way to solve problems for a long time when you look at something like sitcoms or even action sequences in a multi-million dollar budget films use multiple camera setups because when you are trying to capture something that is very expensive.

Say for example you’re shooting a car chase or you’re shooting an explosion scene you need multiple angles of of that action sequence to cut to but you can’t you can’t keep re- shooting the same thing over and over again with one camera. The best example that comes to mind of of an action sequence that uses multiple cameras is the scene in the fugitive with Harrison Ford.

I know that’s a throwback reference that I’m throwing in there but I just watched the special features and there’s a there’s a train crash sequence in in The Fugitive and they actually crashed that train.

That was back in the early 90s before CGI was really prevalent and they felt like the models that they were using were not going to actually capture the scene to give the intensity that it needed so they they actually crashed a train. I highly recommend looking up those behind the scenes on YouTube because it’s really interesting how they they actually go about crashing the train but they have multiple cameras set up around the the impact of the train so that they could capture the the maximum action and in in that in the the scenes footage.

They actually talked about how one of the cameras they had to dig out the next morning because it took like 12 hours to actually find the camera because when the train crashed it hits so much debris and trees that it took out one of the posts that had a camera on it and so it took the crew I think the crew was up like all night trying to find the camera and they dug it out the the footage was amazing. I think they ended up actually using the footage in the final film. But that’s just those are there’s a couple key examples of how you can use multiple camera setups another way that another way I personally in in my production partner Chris are using multiple cameras right now we’re producing a documentary and we are shooting with a lot of I guess you would call them quote-on-quote influencers that’s a term a lot of people like to throw it around now.

An influencer is someone who is has a lot of credibility in their fields whether they’ve written books or they’re a podcaster or you know they just have a lot of clout in their industry so we’re shooting with a lot of a lot of influencers right now and these guys don’t have a ton of time to give to us. It’s actually you know it’s it’s really nice that they’re able to sit down with us for an hour to an hour and a half. So the way Chris and I approach this since we want the documentary to look interesting visually and we want to have different camera angles but we don’t have a lot of time with the subjects themselves we set up at least two cameras in the room when we’re doing the interview to cut back and forth between.

And it’s worked really well for us every single every single interview that we’ve done so far has it had at least two cameras which gives us a lot of range between the two to cut back and forth between. And I was I was actually reading earlier that you know like I mentioned a lot of sitcoms use multiple camera angles because they tape in front of a live audience and they want it to to feel real and dynamic, and I guess that when they were filming the TV show Mork & Mindy with Robin Williams Robin Williams would do so much improv on set that they they actually developed a technique where they would have one camera specifically on Robin Williams.

Whereas all of other sitcoms at the time we’re just using a three camera setup and so they added a fourth camera just to follow Robin Williams because he was you, know he’s Robin Williams he just he would do he would do whatever he he felt like at the time and with the with the three camera setup they they couldn’t capture everything they would miss a lot of stuff because he would go he would go off his marks.

And I guess that that is now standard when shooting shooting sitcoms is to have one camera following the subject and then a regular three camera setup so that was that’s pretty interesting Robin Williams of course changing the game as he did in quite a few situations.

So yeah there you go that’s those are those are great ways to use multiple cameras like I said shooting document notes, excuse me I hit my mic. So shooting documentaries a great way to a really great time period to incorporate a multiple-camera setup sitcoms is a great example of when to use multiple cameras action sequences. Like I said with the example of the fugitive and then shooting people or celebrities or subjects that don’t have a lot of time but you’re trying to capture a lot of content that’s that this is a really great way to to capture.

A lot in a short amount of time with a subject there is one downfall of using a multiple camera setup which is you cannot be quite as dialed with your lighting you have to be a little more flexible when you’re using one camera. You can get really really tight with your lighting and you can get that that beautiful cinematic lighting that everybody loves but when you have multiple cameras you have to be a little more flexible since the cameras are set up at different angles. You will have different shadows and different different textures that you really have to keep in mind and so that’s the biggest downfall when using a multiple camera setup.

But, in my experience you know I shoot a lot with natural light shoot a lot outdoors and when we’ve looked for our documentary when we’ve shot inside with with our lighting setups we’ve we’ve been you know we’ve been forward thinking and thought thought a lot about the shots and so it hasn’t been incredibly detrimental.

But if you are thinking about using a multiple camera setup just keep that in mind that is a that’s a challenge you will face but honestly and having both those cameras just for safety having all that footage to choose from is is really really helpful and I would not I would not trade that for the world.

Alright guys, that is it for additional cameras if you have not yet subscribed to the show please head on over to iTunes and leave us a rating that would really help us. I know we’re only on Episode five I’m gonna keep these coming but I would love to hear honest feedback don’t don’t give me five stars just because you want to make me feel good I really want hear what you have to say about the show.

I want to make this a really really educational educational and actionable show so please please please give me honest feedback but please give me feedback that will be really helpful we’ll keep these coming appreciate you guys.

Thank you so much for listening really appreciate your time we will talk soon.

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