Multi-Camera Project

Multi-Camera Evaluation

Our programme is called C r A z E and it is an alternative game-show that involves a team of two contestants that take part in challenges in order to move up the scale of money and win the jackpot. The target audience for our show is families and would plan to air it at 7.00pm on ITV1, replacing ‘The Cube’ on which our show is based on. 

I took on the role of the vision mixer in the group, deciding which shot to use next and transitioning them. I also helped with the sound and did a bit of editing. All of these job roles were of the technical skill, but I already had knowledge of how to go about these roles in order to complete the filming. If I were given the chance to do things differently, I maybe would have used some different shots, or maybe participated a bit more in the editing. 

During pre-production, we planned what genre we would do for our show and took inspiration from existing programmes to plan our show. I think that we were well organised during pre-production and that by the time we came to filming, we were well prepared and ready to shoot. We had call sheets, shot lists, cast/crew lists, and more work that we did during pre-production to ensure that the filming went as smoothly as possible. Apart from a couple of cast changes, I believe that filming went well. Everyone did their job roles well and rose to the challenges that came our way. We all knew what was going on as communication within the group was well established. 

Our show is recognisable as a game-show format, and we have achieved this through studying other game-shows and taking certain aspects of it and inserting it into our production, e.g. the challenges. The way we set it out reflects other game-shows, like having the voiceover introducing the challenges and then the contestant taking part in it, then revealing whether they have passed or not. The way we framed and shot it was well planned, with most of the shots being medium-close up shots but sometimes including extreme close up shots on the contestant. We included arial shots to show the challenge, and then change all the shots to get all the angles of the challenge. The lighting in the challenges was just one spotlight that lit the contestant, and then filters to show whether they passed or not. The lighting wasn’t great, as when the filters were applied, the lighting went really dark, and the contestant couldn’t be seen. During the challenge, there is not much sound, apart from the contestant moving slightly, so we decided to add in a voiceover who controlled the challenges and introduced them. For this we had a sound pack and recorded Adams voice and manipulated it to sound low and menacing. We then added this to the footage that we captured. As well as the voice, we had a piece of music that we thought was appropriate to the show and added that in as well. A lot of time went into editing our show and we cut where we thought appropriate and put it together in the style that we planned our show to be like. The pace of our editing is quite slow and tense, as that was the atmosphere that we wanted the show to be like. The footage alongside the music builds up into an anti-climax, then leading into the next challenge being introduced. Overall, I believe our show worked the way we planned to, and I think that it came out better than we first thought it would be. If we were to do this again, I think that I would only change a few things like the lighting, in order to make it even better than our original.

When we went to the Engine Room, we had the chance to work with producer Andrew Buchanan in order to pitch our programme and make it better. He helped us plan how to write a proposal in order for it to catch a commissioners eye, and tips in how to make our programme better. We showed our show to a few people in order to get some feedback into how we can make it better and we took on board that we should clean up the sound in the voiceover as some people couldn’t understand what was being said. 

This unit has taught me the principles of multi-camera production such as looking for a niche that it missing from current television schedules and creating something that would stand out from the typical multi-cam production that is being shown on current T.V. I have also learnt about how important it is to research the demographic that you are aiming for in order for it to be successful within that age range. Working as a team hasn’t been a hassle as I have done it before. Communication was not an issue within our group and we all worked together to get our production done. 

Production Diary

During filming of our studio programme I took on the role of the vision mixer in our group, which means that while it is being filmed, I change the shots of what is being broadcast. I think that I took on the role and did it to my best ability, and I believe that the outcome was good and to a professional standard.

Another role I took on was sound. While filming, I ensured that the sound was of the correct volume during the filming. During post-production, I helped with the sound recording of Adams voice that we then added in after. I think I did a good job with the sound, and it turned out well.

I also helped with editing a bit, just adjusting the clips and helping when to cut so it is finished to a high quality. Although I was not heavily involved with the editing, I think I participated in a helpful manner.

Multi-Cam Programme report

Never Mind The Buzzcocks is a music themed multi-camera panel quiz show. Every week a different guest host presents the show and there are different guests that appear by two regular team captains as well. This show is shot by studio cameras that link up to a studio gallery that controls the footage that is recorded. The footage is taken from the several camera’s that are shooting in the studio and then is edited to include VTs and to shorten it down to a half hour show. Like The Crystal Maze, the show is mainly comprised of medium-close up shots that capture the reactions of the guests on the show. These are interspersed with wide shots that show the viewers both of the teams. The show starts with a titles sequence that then fades into an establishing shot of the audience that then pans round to the whole set. A wide shot of the set then zooms slowly into the guest host that goes onto introduce the guests of the show. While they are being introduced, a VT is run of several clips edited together of the guest. After the VT, a medium-close up gives us a profile of the guest. 
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is a reality show set in a jungle in Australia that several celebrities are then dropped into and then left to live there for a period of time. During this time, they participate in several challenges, which, if they win, lead to rewards for the whole team. Manual cameras are used to record the challenges that the celebrities compete in, as well as there being fixed cameras to capture footage that manually controlled cameras cannot, rather like The Crystal Maze. During the night, or after completing challenges, while they are at camp, several fixed cameras catch the competitors reactions to camping out in the wild. These cameras then switch to night mode when night falls on the camp, so whatever is happening can still be recorded and clearly visible. When the sun rises and the celebrities prepare for their next challenge, two hosts present the show. An establishing shot of the jungle backdrop then pans down to the hosts which then cuts to medium-close ups as they tell the viewers what is happening. The celebrities are briefly interviewed before the challenges and, again, medium-close ups are used to capture the reactions, much like Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Wide shots of the whole team are used when they are being told what the next challenge is, which is interspersed with medium-close ups to catch reactions.