Alex Gilbey

Single Camera Techniques

Using single camera has many pros, however it also includes some con. The pros of using
single camera are it is a lot easier to set up, this makes it faster to set up, this is a benefit
because it means the production team dont have to spend as long setting up for a scene,
therefore cutting shooting time drastically. There is less equipment that needs to be used
making it easier to shoot on smaller locations. Also the camera moves more freely, this
benefits the audience as it makes them feel part of the action. On the other hand there are
also cons to using single camera. Editing becomes harder as only one angle can be shot at a
time. Also all the footage is on one camera. Meaning if that camera goes corrupt then all the
footage is lost.

Formats
Format is the concept of a television show. It distinguishes the genre and length of the television
show. There are three main conventions: series, serial and single drama.
A series is a set of episodes to create a season. A show will then have multiple series. The general
conventions for a series would be having an open end. This gives the audience more desire to watch
the next episode in order to find out what happens next. Typically at the end of a series there is a
cliff-hanger, again giving the audience more desire to watch the following season. Some other
typical conventions of a series would be the narrative continuing throughout all the seasons. For
example the enemy in a television programme tends to remain the enemy throughout all the
seasons. A series has the same characters throughout all of the episodes.
For Example:
Sherlock is a crime drama, it fits the codes and conventions of a typical crime drama as the lighting is
relatively dark to give a mysterious mood. The shots used are quite rapid showing connotations of
crime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys_lTdsmJVk in this clip we see the season finale where
Sherlock jumps off the building. This fits the typical conventions of a series as it is a cliff hanger, we
as the audience dont get to see if he dies or if he lives, we are left to come up with our own
conclusion until the following season.
Another example would be Misfits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYcc0UU1soc this is the season finale. This indicates that its a
series because we dont know what has happened to the protagonist. Leaves the audience to ask the
question, is he dead or alive?
A serial is similar to a series, it follows the same key characters throughout the seasons however
there isnt a continuing story. Each episode is different. The typical conventions for this would be
that each episode is relatively fast paced, this is because the matters need to be resolved by the end
of an episode. Serials always have closed endings in order for this to work.

Alex Gilbey
For example:
EastEnders would be a good example of this, it follows a set of characters and is set in a square
which is typical for a serial. The story is also continuous which is a convention of serials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l5gXImhIe4 this clip shows the ending to one of the episodes.
As you can see we follow the same characters throughout, we know the story behind each
character.

Another example would be Coronation Street. Similarly to Eastenders this show follows a set
of characters and is set in a town. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OrFHqMdyYk this
clip shows part of Coronation Street and as you can see we follow the same characters, and
like the previous example we know the story behind each character.

Alex Gilbey

Genre
A genre is a category for films, for example comedy, horror etc. We use genres in order to
classify the different types of film or television programmes. Conventions in film is what
usually happens in that genre. Period dramas are probably one of the easiest to spot in
terms of genre. Period dramas are set in, or reminiscent of, an earlier time period. For
example Ashes To Ashes and Pride & Prejudice. The general conventions of a period
drama would be elaborate costumes & locations in order to demonstrate the time period.
They also tend to have a linear, but asynchronous narrative as there is usually flashback but
the story still follows that straight line a linear narrative has. Period dramas are often part of
a series (many different episodes to the same theme & story) each episode tends to have a
three act structure concluding with an open ending. A majority of period dramas have high
production values, this is needed because of the elaborate costumes and settings that are
key to the show. This means that period dramas tend to come from commercially successful
companies such as the BBC. The way sexuality is represented in period dramas is it is not
very graphic at all as it is seen as repressed. Another convention would be they have multi
stranded narratives based on the characters, this means that each character develops their
own storyline. The lighting in period dramas tends to be simple and subtle, there is never
anything too drastic and out of the ordinary e.g. spotlights.
For example: An example of a period drama would be Downton Abbey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FZdk7LHQ0o in this clip we see the typical
conventions of a period drama, the elaborate costumes help the audience to identify the
time period (post-Edwardian era). The lighting is quite bright but very subtle and the shots
are very slow moving and flow nicely together with no sharp cuts.
Another example would be Jane Eyre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8PLpXvhtlc this
is the trailer for the film. This clip shares similarities to Downton Abbey, by demonstrating
the time period through settings and costume.
The typical conventions for a crime drama are, debates about innocence & guilt. This is one
of the key conventions leaving the audience to wonder who is innocent and who is guilty.
Verisimilitude is another key convention, this is where the audience can recognise the
representations of ordinary people. Questioning morals is another convention of crime
drama. Opening teasers are another convention, we see the crime take place but we arent
shown who the perpetrator is. Lighting is one of the main factors that make it feel like a
crime drama. They tend to use dark lighting in order to give a feel of mystery. The shots
used tend to be quick to give a feel of urgency. City locations tend to be used in crime
dramas.
For example:
Luther is a BBC Crime drama which includes these conventions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHDeIspEW6Q . In this trailer we see the key
convention, a debate about innocence & guilt as well as questionable morals. This is
demonstrated in the clip because the audience are left to wonder why hes smashing up his
office, what has happened in order for that to be the result? Luther includes the typical

Alex Gilbey

codes and conventions of crime drama predominantly through lighting. As we can see in this
clip the lighting is dim to give that sense of mystery and danger. As this is a trailer there is
music in the background, its slow and slightly contradicts the codes and conventions, but
thats why it works so well as the codes and conventions have been followed perfectly
throughout the rest of the trailer. The sound is reversed giving it an eerie feel.
Another example would be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPSCH9y2NcU this is the season 1 trailer from the
crime drama The Killing this follows the conventions of tv crime drama as we see the crime
take place yet we are unaware as to who it is.

Narrative
Narrative is the way the story is told. A linear narrative is when a story follows a straight
structure: beginning middle end. Linear narratives are the most common as they are
the easiest to follow and understand. When a film has a linear narrative the audience (most
of the time) know where the story is going next. However linear narratives do have some
problems. The story could be considered boring as the audience are able to guess the
ending or what comes next in the film. An example of this would be Dirty dancing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcra0-0Gu4U this is the movie trailer, and from this we
can recognize that it has a linear narrative as we can see the problems in the film have been
resolved at the end. Linear narrative films also have closed endings, meaning that all the
problems in the story have been resolved, there are no underlying issues at the end of the
film. Another example for a linear narrative would be Project X.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sqb_C0x_Xo &
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sqb_C0x_Xo This is the ending scene, in this it is
apparent that there are no underlying issues left to resolve in the film, demonstrating its
linear narrative.
A non-linear narrative is when the order of events is rearranged or deconstructed. This helps
to show the characters psychological state or the theme of the story. The problem with nonlinear narratives are that they can be difficult or confusing for the audience to follow.
However this kind of narrative can make the plot more engaging and interesting. The
Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is a good example of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqijVXvw7_E this is the trailer to the film, in this clip it
is apparent that the story has a non-linear narrative because his life starts at the end.
Although the film follows a straight structure the order of events have been rearranged.
Another example would be Fight Club, this film starts with the ending before we see the
beginning. This represents the protagonists psychological state.

Alex Gilbey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yksyZXfIB90 Scrubs is a good example of this as it

contains dream sequences, therefore rearranging the standard order of events.
Flashbacks are scenes that are set earlier than the time of the story. This is done to create
more depth to the story, they are also used for comical value. The TV show friends
incorporates a lot of flashbacks for comical value, for example
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=friends+flashback+scenes in this scene
comedy is incorporated at the very beginning as we see what all the characters looked like
when they were younger. Not only are flashbacks comical but also to add more depth to the
story, and example of this would be the film Titanic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n00Aq5F4f8 the majority of this film is a flashback, its
a flashback to her life on the boat. This adds more depth and meaning to the story.
Realist narratives are story lines that are believable because they appear real, or they are
based on true events. This is incredibly common in the horror/thriller genre as it creates
more tension making it more scary/thrilling for the audience. This is also done to add more
depth to the story. Realist narratives can be beneficial because the story becomes more
relatable and engaging. An example of this would be the film Gia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zsXGWgopDon this is a film based on true events
about the model Gia Carangi. Another example would be Paranormal Activity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6gqvlSifOg this is a scene from the second movie, although
this isnt based on true events it appears real as it has been filmed using a CCTV effect, the
dates also give the impression that its real.
Anti-realist is the opposite of realist, these are storys that arent believable and are based
on fictional situations. The benefits to having an anti-realist narrative is that it creates
leeway to include special effects. An example of this would be Doctor Who
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFZaqsaJ4eE this clip suggests an anti-realist narrative
due to the use of special effects and unhuman characters. Another example of this would be
Battlestar Galactica, this show is well known for its anti-realism with its use of special effects
and theme of the story, similarly to Doctor Who https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvYVR6XXsHA this is the trailer for season one of this
series, just from viewing this we can immediately see its anti-realist narrative.
Endings are key to a film/television show. There are two main types, open & closed endings.
An open ending is where the matters of the film are still unresolved, there is more content
to follow. They usually end on a cliff-hanger, resulting in the viewer having to come up with
their own ending. An example of this would be Inception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnsahVaa_0Q in this final scene we see that the
matters in the film are unresolved. The benefits to an open ending are that it can leave the
audience immediately wanting to watch more, meaning they are more likely to watch the
sequel/next episode. Open endings can also make the film more powerful. On the other
hand it can leave the audience frustrated as the key issues are unresolved. Another example
of an open ending would be Eastenders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXICmcosN3Q
this is the final scene to an episode, there is no dialogue in this part making the audience ask
questions as to why the character is leaving and what will happen next. Closed endings are
when the matters in the story have been resolved, this is seen in a lot of British comedy for
example The Inbetweeners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VPEBSnY2W0 this clip is
one of the episodes of The Inbetweeners. The recap the protagonist does at the end of the
episode clarifies that it is a closed ending as he is recapping the problems they have faced
and how theyve been resolve. A film example for this would be the movie Seven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xG5hSOMGn0 in this final scene we see that the key
issues have been resolved.

Alex Gilbey

Technical
The problem with single camera is that the camera isnt stationary. As you follow the
characters the camera is obviously unstable. In terms of lighting the issues with this is that
you have to take all your lighting with you if youre shooting outside. Sound is a key issue to
using a single camera, this is because if youre shooting a conversation between people you
have to shoot one person saying all of their lines, then the next saying all of their lines. This
is a problem because the people can sound different, making the conversation not flow.
Sound quality can be hindered if there is distance from the camera to the actors. This means
you will have to dub over the voices. Editing can be difficult as the cameras arent
stationary, which will have to be resolved in editing. When using single camera you dont
bring the location to the cameras, you bring the cameras to the location. Due to the
freedom of using a single camera it is easier to create more depth to a storyline, for example
following the characters. On the other hand it can sometimes be easier and better to use
multi camera. Its easier to make the story flow. With multi-camera you have more freedom
of where to film as you have to build a set, however this can be a problem as building a set
costs a great deal of money.