Unit 23 assignment 1

Examples of programmes that use multi camera productions 

X FACTOR

LOOSE WOMEN

I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE!

DEAL OR NO DEAL

SKY NEWS

FOOTBALL AND SPORTS EVENTS

STRICTLY COME DANCING

JEREMY KYLE

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

FRIENDS

A multi camera production means a programme that needs more than one camera to film, to capture every detail needed to keep the audience interested. Usually using over several cameras and camera men/women are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene. Multi camera productions involves various shots and angles, when we are watching a football match they're are many different players and we need to see the match from different angles and perspectives for example mid shots, birds eye view and close ups. Programmes such as live news need to be filmed with multi cameras to capture everything perfectly such as special guests, the news reporters, videos and weather and interviewers because there's a lot to film with just one camera. Film's also use multi camera productions whilst filming dance routines in musicals and dance films to capture every aspect of the dance. This is also used when filming expensive stunts this is used because it's too expensive to only use one camera and everything needs to be perfectly capture in different shots and angles. Although they're are two different types of multi camera productions, one uses a vision mixer this means the shots are changed by changing the channel whilst being filmed live example cutting to a break or different material and the second type is recorded on tape where this can be then edited in post production process. With multi camera sitcoms will only be 'fixed' locations in the show. For example there will be a "front door" that leads into the living room from the right of the set, which will feed into a kitchen on the left side of the set. There's usually a flight of stairs directly behind the couch in the living room, etc. Also, practically every multi cam sitcom will be a laugh track and you can see the generic conventions immediately. Friends is a good example because this scene is set in Monica and Rachel's apartment, which is one of the shows most used sets as we see this in every episode. There is a front door that leads to the kitchen and the front room. They also use laughing tracks when a character has said something funny. But a downside to multi camera productions is that there is less control over the angles of various shots and there is obviously a more limited range of shooting locations so it has to be filmed on a simple set. 

Multi camera production diagrams

SINGLE CAMERA PRODUCTION

A single camera production uses one camera, that are able to get up in the actors face, which helps the audience to feel what the characters are feeling by the camera movements and it's more free from the constraints of a multi camera setup. It's also free range and is able to be allowed the freedom of movement so we can see a lot more interesting movement with the camera shots. This also allows more varied cinematography and creative expression since the camera isn't stuck in one spot in a generic sitcom set up. This can mean that the show can have more complicated sets and a much higher prevalence for exterior shots. Single camera sitcoms also rarely use a laugh track when a character says something funny. They are generally far more energetic/layered than a traditional sitcom, especially since the actors don't have to compete with a laugh track, or have to deal with the other limitations of a typical multi camera studio set. 

EXAMPLES OF SINGLE CAMERA PRODUCTIONS...

 These programmes I have chosen pictures of are all single camera productions. Television producers make a distinct decision to shoot in single-camera or multiple-camera unlike film producers who almost always opt for single-camera shooting. In television, single-camera is mostly reserved for prime-time dramas, made for TV films, music videos and advertisements. And soap operas, talk shows and some sit coms more frequently use the multiple camera set up. The reason that these examples of Single Camera Productions have used this method of filming is because they use the technique to have specific camera angles and camera movements in their programmes. Mostly television producers use the multi-camera technique because it's a lot cheaper and takes less production time. Because these are single camera television shows they are mostly produced without a laugh track. 

The following web links talk about the pros and cons of working in a multi camera set up.

http://journeytosuccess92.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/multi-camera-techniques.html

http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-single-camera-versus-multiple-camera-filmmaking

http://jacksinglecameraproductionblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-single.html

 Summary of these websites the pros and cons are...

• Time Saving – If you wish to view the same scene from many different angles, using a single camera set up would require the scene to be acted out three times. With a multi-camera set up footage of all three angles can be recorded at once.
• Live Events - Some events occur live and simply could not be repeated so that they could be filmed from multiple angles. This may include things such as sports matches or concerts
• Live Audience - Sometimes it is beneficial for a television show to have a live studio audience, to provide feedback to the writers and director in regards to the reception of their production and also to provide a laugh track. A multi-camera set up enables the scene to flow and allows the audience to react.
• Continuity - There would be less continuity errors using a multi=camera set up as the scene would only be being acted once.
• Editing - It will not be necessary to use time and money editing as this will have been done during production using a vision mixing desk.

Despite the above points there are times when Single camera production is a more viable option. Here are the con’s of Multi-camera production.

• Less flexibility - There are limited options on where camera’s can be placed in a scene. For example you may not be able to do an over the shoulder or point of view shot for fear of getting the recording equipment caught on camera.
• Lighting compromises - It will take a lot longer to light a multi-camera shoot than it would a single camera production because more of the scene will be on show. A better lighting set up would be achieved if the cinematographer only had to focus on how the scene would look from one camera angle. Also it is important to remember there are more people on set and avoid placing lights in places that could cast shadows across a scene.

One important thing to consider in any type of production is Cost. I feel it definitely needs mentioning however as times have changed it no longer seems to be a pro or a con…

• Cost – Initially equipment costs were what prevented multi-camera set ups from bein used. However in recent years equipment costs have lowered. Multi-camera may in some cases be the cheaper option nowadays if you consider the amount of money spent on locations, crew, and actors in a much longer single camera production.

The following types of broadcast use multi camera set ups:

Panel Show - 8 Out Of 10 Cats

"This programme uses multi camera techniques. The timecode 00:20-00.45 which shows how they have used different cameras to show mid shots of the guests who are starring on the show. They then show a wide shot at 00.53 and then zoom into the the host Jimmy Carr's face to show the audience who is hosting the show. We then see a tracking shot of the audience and panel at 26.14-26.17, this shows us that they have used more than one camera because if they we're only using one camera the show would be seen to the audience like this. 

So they have to use more than one camera because it would really boring for the audience and also viewers want to see the guests reactions to jokes and close up's of their faces. 

Quiz show - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Quiz shows need to use Multi Camera Productions to give the programme an intense vibe to make the audience wonder if the guest will win the quiz or not and walk away with a million pounds. 

While the questions are being asked at by the quiz host we see a high angle tracking shot  at 00.53-1.04 that moves down into a mid shot of the guests face. 

In my opinion I think this technique adds intensity to the show and captures every aspect of the show, plus if the camera was just on both men and they we're just asking each other questions it would be rather boring so choosing shots and soundtracks makes this multi-camera production a much more enjoyable show. 

Also at 2.19-2.20 we see a member of the audience overjoyed that the man has won a large sum of money, involving the studio audience into the show adds a sense of realism and this could only be achieved whilst using more than one camera.

Studio News - Sky News

At 0.16-0.36 we see a reporter in mid-show informing the viewers on a news topic in a studio with a multi-cam set up, showing the reporter speaking to the camera informing the audience about what is going on in America when 9/11 just happened.  

The camera then cuts to a VT showing the live footage of the buildings, they use multiple cameras to show 

Sports Events - Football Match

 "This programme uses multi camera techniques. The timecode 00:01-00:04 shows how they have used  one camera to wide shots of the field and then from 00:34 to 00:37  they have cut from a wide shot to a medium long shot of a player with the ball. They have had to use more than one camera because has to follow the action of the ball and filming a sporting event from one camera position would be really boring for the audience." 

Comparison:
When looking at 8 out of 10 cats compared to the live football coverage, they have both used successful methods of interesting the audience by following the action, Which is giving the audience the action from different angles and showing all of the action.  Out of these two multi-camera productions, i would say that the football coverage is most successful as it is keeping the match interesting for the audience as well as showing the action thoroughly and from different angles. I don't believe that this live coverage will have been able to be filmed as a single camera production as it would just be one static shot throughout, making it quite boring for the audience as well as not showing the whole action.

Unit 33 Assignment 1 - Valley of The Dolls

Unit 33 Assignment 1 Evaluation

Evaluation

At the start of my stop motion planning I set out to make a fashion video, showing different styles of fashion during summer and winter and my target audience was teenage girls and I would call the video "Valley of the Dolls". For this I wanted to achieve something unusual and creative, the type of stop motion I was going for was 'surreal'. I wanted letters to appear onto the white sheet to show the name of the video and vinyls with letters on worked more than just letters on their own because they couldn't blow away in the wind with how heavy they were and gave it more of an interesting and arty feel to the video. The goal I was trying to achieve was to make an artistic and unusual fashion video to appeal to girls and show different outfits in the two different main seasons of the year. I think i've personally achieved my goal, from my very first idea I wanted the sky to be moving and then revolve around a girl in the grass in the summer with flowers slowly moving towards her, everything I originally  put into my storyboard and planned I made reality in my video. 

Heres a list of moments I thought we're the best in my stop motion... 

• 

I thought this part was a good start to the animation because it was my very first idea that I planned of the moving clouds in the sky to open the video with and I followed through with my idea. I wrote ''ValleyOfTheDolls.com'' which I got this idea from an advert I saw on TV for a fashion website online called PrettyLittleThing.com, I thought this would help the audience understand that it is a fashion website before they saw the model and clothes and knew what the name of the shop was before they got to the very end where I spell out VALLEY OF THE DOLLS on the white sheet using vinyls and letters cut out from newspapers as I thought that this would cause less of a confusion for the audience. 


I was very happy with how the ending turned out, I tried to film this part with just the letters but then realised that they blew away in the wind and needed something heavy that would stay in place. The vinyls added a great look for the animation as they add colour and life and the fact they're all large and the same shape as one another. It also adds a certain type of style which I wanted to create in the video, as the type of fashion I was going for was quite vintage/boho-chic and make it seem like a small fashion boutique online. I like how the chimes audio I put on this scene makes it look magical and I did a voice over saying "Valleyofthedolls.com" in a slow voice to get the message across incase the audience can't read what the letters say on the vinyls. 

I also think in my animation I used the sound very well and as I go to smell the rose the birds start singing and chirping to make it have a summer vibe, which you can already tell by the flowers and clothing I am wearing but I think it's a good way to add a certain effect to your animation and sound has a huge impact on the audience. Also I got Marina & the Diamond's voice saying Valley of the Dolls, which keeps getting the name of the website into the audiences head the way it's always repeated and in your face. Making people remember and check the fashion website out, I think the way it's creative would also appeal to people. 

3. 

I also think the props of the flowers add the summer feel so the audience can tell that the set design is showing the summer season and match the clothes and lighting is meant to be bright and vibrant to add to the narrative. The sound design also relates to the season by the chimes and birds chirping. In this part I also think it's good how the image tricks the mind into thinking I was wearing an outfit underneath my first outfit and the way I always put the other clothes to the side of myself still in the eye of the audience. 

I think that the worst part of my stop motion is the winter part, I had to film these shots during a rainy day so the lighting wasn't great so I had to put a filter called "Dream" over the pictures, this did add a more winter effect but it could of been better if I choose a better day to the winter part although it wasn't meant to be as bright as the summer. The pictures are faster than the summer ones as well so you can't really tell which clothes i'm wearing in detail. 

My target audience was for teenage girls, I think I successfully targeted them because of the "girly" fashion and bright colours I used also the flowers and the fact a teenage girl is promoting the fashion. I am targeting my audience by wearing clothes that would be appealing to a stereotypical teenage girl (depending on her fashion sense) from shops such as Topshop, River Island and Zara, these are some of the most popular clothing shops for teenagers and I'm meant to be promoting my own brand of online clothing Valleyofthedolls.com so by using clothing ideas from other popular shops means it will target my audience. 

I used audio of birds chirping, wind blowing, chimes, rain and thunder. I also used Marina and The Diamonds soundtrack Valley of the Dolls and her other track SU-BARBIE-A, because it uses the same instrumental as Valley of the Dolls but uses interesting voices from Barbie adverts and films which reference fashion and how much of an impact it has on girls. I think that the most successful sounds I used we're the soundtracks and defiantly the audio's because I think that it makes the seasons become more noticeable to the audience. 

                 PUBLIC SCREENING QUESTIONS

Conclusions from feedback data

The most common answers about the target audience was that straight away people could tell it was for teenage girls because of the types of clothes I was wearing, myself being a teenage girl and also the colours, flowers and the natural setting and the fact it's for a fashion website people could tell that it only targets teenage girls and not boys because it shows no males in clothes and only girls and fashion they would usually buy. The public could tell that the storyline was for fashion and was for an advert that you could access online for clothes for different seasons. It was made obvious due to the voice over and text at the start whilst the clouds are moving. 

Also the public liked the fact that the animation was real life and objects instead of using clay models, the character design was well chosen and works well because it fits the videos audience teenage girls and using a real life teenage girl reaches out to the target more and is creative showing different types of fashion on a person and wouldn't worked as well if I used a clay model, someone stated that it would of saved time which was true but was done well and suits the video. 

The colours were bright and effective and you could tell it was summer because of the flowers colours and the bright blue sky and clouds, the green grass and the white sheet made the model stand out more plus the colourful summer clothes stood out even more because of the white background. The colours in the winter part we're really dark and it was hard to tell and concentrate on the clothes used in the winter part because there wasn't as bright lighting to show the clothes in detail. Also the colours of the records with the letters stood out but they couldn't really see the letters I cut out from newspapers and stuck on the vinyls because the records we're so bright but they understood the idea. 

The set was effective because it was simple and was placed in a garden showing grass and a white sheet and was based there, it was a new idea compared to other fashion adverts which are usually shown in expensive studios with a green screen or big city's like London and New York City. But this created a more realistic setting because real like teenage girls aren't super models and it made the video seem quite innocent and 'cute'. 

The common answers about the reasons it could of been better we're that the winter part could have been slowed down towards the end along with the record and letters because it started off slower and become to fast for the audience to catch the clothes in detail because I changed them too fast in the winter part. Also the lighting in the winter season could have been improved rather than having a dark filter because it looses the detail of the clothing aswell as it becoming too fast. The letters on the records at the end could of stood out more, the letters should have been brighter than the background making them stand out so the audience could read that it says Valley of The Dolls, but the text at the start and the voice over makes up for it. 

And I agree with everything the general public have gave me to take into consideration, I agree that the winter part was quite rushed and slightly too dark to look at the clothes in detail which is something I wish I would have taken into consideration whilst making the animation but it was a short amount of time we we're given to make the video and the winter part was shot on a winters day so I thought putting a filter over it would also make it seem more like a winters day than just dark bad lighting. 

Compare your stop motion to something similar

This fashion stop motion video is for an actual website called www.jeanmachine.com. The model stays the same throughout the video and looks like a realistic older woman, which I think is the same in my stop motion fashion advert as I'm not trying to be a supermodel and neither is this woman which adds realism and reality to the video. The shots are perfectly in-sync to make it seem like she is wearing numerous outfits underneath each other which I tried to create but it mine wasn't as professional as this. We both used the colour white to make the fashion stand out and have background music. The lighting throughout is bright compared to mine having filters and she seems to be showing winter fashion in the video whereas mine shows summer and winter.

Analysis of my treatment

1. Yes I can understand the plot as it is well detailed and vividly written along with images to support the imagination of the reader. the characters are very well written and explained along with their motives and reasons why they were chosen.

2. The target audience is accurate because it is a worlwide known fact that one of the most used way of expressing oneself is through fashion and no one utilise that more that women and girls. 

3. Yeah through the characters and plot the genre is more than obvious.

4. They've used other videos of a similar style of support their idea in terms of the technical part of the animation style and also narrative.

5. I cant really suggest any other i think the product is suitable and accurate, more importantly is the fact that the products targeted audience will definitely relate to it.

6. In their scene description they have explained what the visuals will look like and the reason behind their choice, certain colours represent certain season of the year and certain colour wash represent different moods and thats the kind of the detail that was found in their treatment. girls typically love and romanticise aesthetic visuals wither its in nature or through pictures and film, their choice of location and mise en scene are a reflection of that fact.

Unit 33 Assignment 2 Treatment

Assignment 2: Treatment 

Fashion Advert 

Plot: My Stop Motion is going to be Live Action, it's going to be targeted at teenage girls and is going be advertising different collections and styles of clothes for different occasions and events. It's going to be based outdoors, it will be set in one main location which will be a Woodland area. 

Target audience and Genre: 

It's targeted at teenage girls because stereotypically girls are meant to find fashion interesting in a way that they feel they can express themselves personally through clothes and styles. Shopping and finding outfits is something most girls enjoy and usually follow fashion trends. This could be brought on them at a young age when they played with Barbie dolls and changed the dolls shoes and outfits during the different seasons and days so fashion to the stereotypical girl has been brought onto them during this early stage of life. Also girls are shown in advertisements for fashion, catwalks and online websites and advertisements for the latest fashion collection in shops. I think that this is a large population to target because also every teenage girl needs clothes during the summer/winter due to the change in temperature and to suit her current moods and express their personal style. 

Also the teenage market is very much around celebrity culture & the latest trends. Teenagers like to replicate looks they have seen on their favourite celebrity, the styles for this can vary a lot. Teenagers also often read older women’s magazines to be inspired. The teenage fashion market is usually at the cheaper end because teenagers don’t have the money to spend on luxurious clothes, teenagers clothes are usually more casual & daywear.

The statistics for teenage girls who shop at different shops for their clothes and the highest is Topshop, who have models such as Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss and other high end supermodels who most teenage girls look up to for fashion inspiration and also the owner of Topshop is worth £5billion, which shows that fashion for teenage girls collects a large sum of money due to the obsession girls have for style, clothes and fashion which proves it's something worth advertising and marketing because it reaches a large sum of people. 

First half - 

The opening scene of my stop motion animation will be of the sky and clouds moving along as time passes and I will choose a bright day to shoot this scene because I want the cinematography to reflect summer/autumn for the collection of clothes my human character will be wearing during this scene. 

 

The soundtrack/backing track to my advert will be Marina & the Diamonds - Valley Of The Dolls (Official Instrumental) 

There will also be use of non diegetic sound of birds, wind that I will record using a sound field recorder and will add during the post production stage of editing. And also I will use more surreal sounds for example a sparkle sound and bell noise. 

Design - The actor will be shown laying on a plain white sheet on the grass in a woodland area, wearing summer clothes. She will be surrounded by picked bright flowers/roses on the white sheet she is lay on which will move progressively further away from her onto the grass as the actor changes into different selection of clothes due to the season changing, the first collection will be summer showing dresses, light jackets and sunglasses. 

It will progress onto hand-made snowflakes slowly moving onto the plain white sheet and during this element of the video will make the audience understand that we are now going to be modelling Winter fashion, such as coats, scarves and jumpers. This will reflect that her outfits and mood is changing due to the fashion/style she that is wearing.  

As the snowflakes move away from the white sheet a number of letters will appear onto the white sheet to spell out 'Valley of the Dolls' this is the name of the fashion brand/website which I am promoting in the video.

- Similar products

I have been inspired by a video on Youtube of how my actor's clothes will change and have decided that I will use this method...I will simply take a photo of the actor pulling on her outfit and the next frame will be her wearing her new outfit with the old outfit in her hands, she will put it on the floor and it will give  the audience the illusion that she is wearing each outfit underneath each other. 

The actor will then stand up after posing in all her collection of outfits. We will then see the white sheet she was lay on will fold up in the background. The genre of stop motion I am planning on creating is 'surreal' which I think will be enjoyable and interesting for the audience. 

Another inspiration was this video...

My model will be lay on a white plain sheet in wooden land area and different objects moving to and from the sheet that reflect the season, aswell as the models clothes changing. 

Both videos I have uploaded are similar to the stop motion which I will be creating. I will be using an below shot like in the morning elegance video. Also the objects moving to and from the white sheet is what I will be doing with my props. The black background makes the model stand out and makes the genre surreal. The forrest and the bright colours will highlight and compliment the clothes and the model will use the same method of showing off different clothes by using the method from the changing clothes stop motion video. 


- Drawings of what the model will wear & the setting design...

- STORYBOARD

- Audio

Marina and The Diamonds - Valley of the Dolls instrumental

Sound of sparkles

Wind audio

Audio of snow

Audio of birds singing

Audio of nature

Voiceover saying "Valley of the Dolls.com"