Studio Production: Framing My Shots

Framing My Shots

I decided on a 5-camera set-up. This was the most effective way of getting the shots I needed from the cameras I had. I chose to use 3 static Cameras, one left of stage, one right of stage and one centre from high above the studio floor (for my safety wide shot). This is the most common setup for the style of show that we were shooting. I also had one camera on a track, so I could get a moving dolly shot from centre stage, and also one handheld camera, which allowed me to experiment with unusual shots and also to get audience reaction shots.

“Multi-camera setups have the advantage of practically guaranteeing that all ‘action’ is captured and nothing is missed”  (George Bartlett)

To utilize my cameras to the best of my ability, I discussed with my production team which camera operators would be best suited for which camera. I decided that my cameras would be operated as follows…

	Camera Operators and Allocations
Sam Ellis	Head Camera Operator	Camera 2 - Tracking/Dolly
Nikita Gautam	Camera Operator	Camera 4 - Handheld
Sam Creamer	Camera Operator	Camera 1 - Static Left
Gabby Casey	Camera Operator	Camera 3 - Static Right
N/A	Camera Assistant	Camera 5 – Studio Rig

Once my camera crew was briefed, I decided on which shots I would use for each camera. I created camera cards for each sequence of the script, to provide each camera with information during rehearsals so that they could get to grips with their shots and frame sizes. These camera cards also enabled me to keep on top of what shots could be offered and I also encouraged my crew to offer me any shots they could, which they thought may be of use for the different sequences of the show. Once my shots were ready, we were able to hold regular rehearsals using stand-ins to go through different sequences of the show. Each week we focused on a different part of the show, ensuring that we had covered and rehearsed each sequence at least once before our full rehearsal day on the day before the record.