Multi-camera techniques

Live performance – The Black Keys

The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. In the video they perform Howlin For You, Next Girl, Gold On The Ceiling, Thick Freakness, I'll Be Your Man, Your Touch, Little Black Submarines, Dead And Gone, Tighten Up, Lonely Boy and I got mine. They performed that set at a Zane Lowe session (BBC), 15th February 2012.

The band consists of two men, Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). They regularly play with other musicians. In this specific example they have a keyboard player and another guitar player. With four people on set it is almost a necessity to have multiple cameras. The obvious reason to focus on each member of the band. If they only had one camera to film with it would be vary time consuming to get a single shot, stop the band, set up a different shot and carry on filming. With multi-camera they can have a camera to focus on each musician, and a safety shot. This means the video mixer can sit at a screen with the director and choose each shot as it is performed.

By using multi-camera the audience is constantly engaged and focusing on different band members and their instruments. It would be very boring if there was just one camera at the front and the image stayed the same.

Public Event – Isle of Wight Festival 2014 (Travis)

The 2014 Isle of Wight Festival was held from the 11th to the 15th June. Travis are a British post-Britpop alternative rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1990, comprising Fran Healy (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dougie Payne (bass guitar, backing vocals), Andy Dunlop (lead guitar, banjo, backing vocals) and Neil Primrose (drums, percussion). In this footage from Isle of Wight 2014, they are performing their hit song ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me.

Multi-camera filming is generally used for performances such as this one. It allows the audience to get a close look at each member of the band as well as a look at the audience. By having shots of the audience, the people at home can feel the ‘atmosphere’. Multiple cameras are also used so that the performances are almost edited immediately so the festival review show has all the footage fully edited.

Chat show – The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton show airs every Friday at 22:35. The show invites various celebrity guests on each week. On top of the 3/4 celebrity guests the show also includes a performance to bring the show to an end. The performer generally has an album/tour being released soon. With more than one guest on the show at a time, it would be very time consuming to stop a shot, move the camera, set up a shot and carry on filming. Multi camera allows the video mixer to cut between camera angles quickly. This means the show can be broadcast live. The multi-camera technique is also helpful in providing audience reaction shots and close ups of individual faces.