Multi-Camera Production unlike the single camera methods usually used in film, is a production method where 2 or more cameras are used to capture action at one time. The use of this technique is so that a director and/or producer can have the freedom to cover multiple different angles at one time, therefore catching all of the action from an interesting angle. Because of this use having multiple cameras on a set is incredibly useful in creating interesting recordings of live events and is used most prominently in filming in this way.
For Example if a director or producer wanted to record an interview live they would require two or more cameras for this. This is so they could capture at least 2 angles, one of the interviewers face and one of the face of the person being interviewed. Using one camera for an interview would either be too difficult to film, or the camera angle would have to be static, and this would risk losing the interest of the watcher.
If the subject that is being filmed is being broadcasted live as well as recorded live then the cameras will require a Vision Mixer, who will be at a switchboard to switch between different camera angles to get suitable shots all while broadcasting these shots to a live audience. This is a simplified diagram of the usual setup of a multi camera switcher.
Multi-Camera techniques are used in a many different kinds of television shows such as Studio and set based shows such as the news and The Jeremy Kyle Show, Sports events, 3 walls sitcoms such as Friends and reality TV like Big Brother.
A good example of a studio based multi camera production is the show Mock the Week.
In the first sweeping shot of this video audience you can see at least 3 of the cameras used in this studio. Their positioning gives you an idea of how many cameras may actually be on this set. There should be somewhere nearby 8 cameras in this studio. This is because using fewer or even a single camera on its own would make filming all the action on this set in an interesting and engaging way. Because of this each person in the programme has their own camera trained on them at all times so, if they were to say or do something a camera will already be capturing the action, ready for the vision mixer to switch to that shot.
