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Multi Camera Productions: Non-Narrative Formats

Non Narrative formats of multi camera television are basically pieces of media which do not tell a story. Example of Non Narrative Formats are; the news, sports events, entertainment shows.

The typical Non Narrative Multi camera production could look like this if it were to be set in a studio, more than one camera, each capturing different angles of the subject. 

This format could be adapted to fit the purpose of the type of broadcast, for example, if there a more subjects, there is a possibility that the production would need more cameras, if the production’s purpose is to record an event like a festival, maybe they could use cranes.

The News:

The news definitely uses a multi camera setup, for example, the BBC uses a multi camera setup in their studio, it is evident during interviews when more than one angle is being presented live to the audience, we would usually see a wide shot of the studio, capturing the person that is being interviewed and the news presenters. Another shot would be a medium close up of the person being interviewed.

A multi camera setup for the news is extremely beneficial for multi camera productions as multiple angles of the studio would have to be broadcast live to the audience, there is no time to pause and then switch the angle, unlike a single camera production. The production would have to keep switching camera angles so that the audience keeps interest. 

Sports Events:

Any production which deals with any fast moving activity would need to have a multi camera setup, using the example of football, it would be extremely difficult for a camera operator to keep following the ball up and down the field, especially when television cameras are extremely large. It is easier to position the camera in multiple positions around the stadium.

This could be applied to other types of sports, for example, Formula 1, it is literally impossible for anything with a camera to keep up with a Formula 1 car, that is why cameras are placed at multiple points, mostly on the corners of the track as they are usually hot spots for action, supported by the GIF below. 

Multi camera setups are crucial for sporting events as every moment in the event is important and it is hard to predict if anything news worthy occurs, like a crash or an important goal. This kind of setup is like having eyes everywhere. 

Entertainment Shows:

In my opinion, entertainment shows feel like a combination of the news and a sporting event combined in one, in terms of acquiring shots. Using the example of Britain’s(Or other country’s) Got Talent, a person gets interviewed on stage by the judges, and the camera keeps switching, multiple angles of the performance are being captured so that the audience doesn’t get bored. The cameras aren’t only pointed at the judges and the performers but they are also pointed at the audience, so it’s like having eyes everywhere inside the stadium/theater. If they didn’t have camera’s pointed everywhere, Australia’s Got Talent wouldn’t have captured this amazing reaction.

In reality television shows such as ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ or ‘Big Brother’, the use of a multi camera setup would benefit as it allows all the people taking part in the show to being filmed. This would help in capturing reactions of every single person.

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Multi Camera Productions: Narrative Formats

Multi Camera Productions:

These types of productions use more than one camera to record the action. This would have the advantage of convenience for the people during the production stages and for the consumers.

It is faster to produce a multi camera media product as it takes less takes to record the footage, the editors have the convenience of choosing which camera angle to use to conjure the director’s ideas. This is why shows which were designed to release an episode at least once a week choose to use more than one camera. 

In my opinion, the most significant disadvantage of using a multi camera setup is that there is less creativity in camera angles to convey a narrative, which supports my idea that multi camera productions only exist for pure consumption and have no deeper meaning.

The Big Bang Theory:

An American situational comedy created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. The show was originally filmed in front of a live studio audience this clearly expresses that this show was filmed using a multi camera setup as there would be no time to set up a single camera especially if there is a live audience watching the production. The television show received mixed reviews from critics but still favourable for another couple seasons to be commissioned. Later seasons of the show had a below average reception, most of the reviews criticized the show for its decline in comedic quality. After receiving this type of response, I would assume that they would stop recording in front of a live studio audience, however would keep filming using a multi camera setup to meet the codes and conventions of an average American situational comedy.

The Big Bang Theory managed to get a few awards, most of them were due to the actor Jim Parsons, who portrays Sheldon Cooper. In 2010 Parsons won a Prime time Emmy Award of Outstanding Lead Acton in a Comedy Series, in 2011 he won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by and Actor in a Television Series, he was also awarded another Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and then again in 2014.  

The IT Crowd:

To contrast the awful aspects of american situational comedies, I have chosen to talk about a television show that I’ve actually enjoyed, but it might be culturally biased.

The IT Crowd is a British situational comedy created and written by Graham Linehan. Against public opinion, Linehan deliberately chose to video-record the production in front of a live studio audience, doing this at the time was considered risky. He wanted to challenge the common trend of people thinking that sitcoms are a dying medium. 

I would consider The IT Crowd to be a multi camera television show as the main location is a set in a studio, which had a live studio audience, however, there are multiple instances where the show would cut to outside of the set resulting in the production switching to a single camera setup. 

The IT Crowd has won awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs), the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Rose d’OR television entertainment awards.

The similarities that I can think of between The Big Bang Theory and The IT Crowd is that they are both situational comedies, they use multi camera techniques, they used canned laughter and they have a similar set of characters (a couple of nerds and a character which gives contrast to the nerdy characters to set them straight). 

If they’re so similar, then why do I think that The IT Crowd is better than The Big Bang Theory?

The IT Crowd hasn’t been dragged on by the studio, like the saying goes ‘All Good Things Must Come to An End’. Having a smaller amount of episodes allows jokes to be fresh and original, it would also reduce the likelihood of using the same joke again, unlike The Big Bang Theory where you hear jokes which sound similar, this would probably explain why The Big Bang Theory had a decline in viewer interest as it seemed like the show would never end. 

Techniques of Narrative Multi Camera:

Each narrative multi camera production should have at least one camera for each character and two cameras to capture the whole set. When a character is talking, the vision mixer or editor would switch to a shot of that character, following this, would be another close up of the other characters for their reactions.

The wide shots of the set would usually be used to establish the location the scene is set in, in the case of The Big Bang Theory, there would be a shot of the living room, and in the case of The IT Crowd, it would be a shot of their office in the basement. 

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Studio Staff: Roles and Responsibilities

Studio Floor Staff Roles and Purposes:

The ‘Studio Floor’ is the part of the studio where most of the actions are recorded or broadcast. The typical studio floor will consist of a set, a couple of cameras, microphones and lighting rigs. Some studios could have a live audience but some others don’t, it depends on the type of production. 

Floor Manager:

They are the people who are incharge of the studio floor, they make sure that all the presenters and the guests all meet their cues. Before filming, they check everything that is needed for the production, like equipment and props, making sure that everything is ready for filming. Overall, they oversee the whole production so that it goes smoothly and nothing goes wrong.

Floor managers are usually self employed and work freelance, their salary changes depending on the contract with their employer. It is expected that floor managers earn up to £120 to £400 per day, experienced Floor Managers would expect to earn about £25,000 per year. The average Floor Managers work 14-hour days for multiple days, however this is balanced out by having a few days off work.

Camera Operator:

The average operator’s day is to come to the studio or the location, setup the cameras and then record what the director wants to be recorded. If an operator were to be employed in the production of a soap opera or situational comedy, the operator would have to know the scene inside-out, this is done by reading the script and planning all the camera movements and practicing them. So that the scene is captured to the director’s liking.

The starting Salary for a Camera Operator is roughly £15,000 per year, but this could change depending on the production. A more experienced operator would have an increased salary of about £20,000 to £35,000. Operators are mostly freelance so the salary depends whether you decide to work or not.

Audio/Sound Engineer(A1 and A2):

A Sound Engineer’s job is to test all the audio equipment. They mix audio so that the audience is able to hear the performance. They would have to interact with devices such as microphones and speaker systems and set them up in a way that would please the audience.

Income depends on the section of the industry you’re working at, this ranges to large and small studios, small venues and live music tours. Starting salaries start at around £15,000 but this will increase with experience and reputation. Working days could last 10-14 hours, but most sound engineers work as freelance, the most profitable way to make money as a sound engineer is going on tour for a live event. 

Gaffer:

Another title for this occupation is Chief Lighting Technician. Gaffers create lighting for sets in studios, they determine how much light would be needed, they take the lights, intensity and which direction the light falls into the scene, a lot of time is spent planning so a Gaffer would still be working on their downtime. Gaffers are also responsible for safety since they work with electricity. 

A Gaffer usually works freelance, it is expected that an average Gaffer would work 12 hour days and have only one or two days off. It is expected that a Gaffer would have in income of over £31,000 they are chief technicians. 

Gallery Staff Roles and Purposes:

This part of the studio controls every aspect of what the audience at home is seeing. They can control everything from, the lighting, the camera angles, and the graphics being shown on screen.

Director:

Unlike film productions, live productions place the director off set and in the Gallery, additionally, the director calls out cues based on instinct. The director’s job is to basically glue themselves to the screen and then request the vision mixer to switch to his or her’s desired camera angle. Being a live broadcast director is not as creative as a film or television drama director as it is testing more of the director’s organised thinking. 

More of the creative aspects of the production are controlled by the executive producers and writers, directors are usually hired on a per-episode basis. The average TV News Director at the BBC earns about £47,000 to £50,000 a year. It is expected that a TV director could have a 40 hour week, as a director would have to attend meetings with producers and writers so that the director could execute their ideas.

Technical Operator:

According to the Bloomberg Broadcast Operations Team, a TO must be able to possess a strong knowledge of technical operations, this would include the fundamentals of audio and video. TOs should also have the ability to troubleshoot audio and video problems, be able to comprehend the equipment and techniques in the area of broadcast hardware and automation systems. It is also desired that they also have knowledge in satellite/fiber transmission. 

It is expected that a technical operator’s salary in the BBC, according to glassdoor.co.uk is to be £24,000 - £26,000 annually.

Video Tape Operator(VTO):

VTOs can work either in live television productions or post-production. VTOs can also be referred to as Technical Runners or Tape Operators. They perform a plethora of tasks during production, like adding inserts, captions, titles, operate slow motion equipment for action replays, record incoming satellite feeds and keeping archives of material. During a live studio broadcast, VTOs will be part of the gallery staff. 

The average VTO works a 12 hour shift this includes, weekends and nights. The time in this job is usually spent indoors, in high tech studios, a lot of pressure is put on VTOs especially during live broadcasts as they have know what to capture and when to capture it, like in Formula One during a highlight of a race or a crash. A new VTO could earn up to about £20,000 per year, like most jobs in media, VTOs work freelance and their income will depend on the production.