Introduction to single camera 

 
To record a scene with a setup of one camera, rather than a 
multi-camera setup is referred to as a single camera 
production. Whilst using multiple cameras at once to record 
a scene can be useful in order to have different types of shots 
as well as camera movements within the scene, there are also 
many effects that can be achieved with single camera. 
 
Advantages​:​ Even though, the single camera techniques used 
in film can be more time consuming, normally, they give the 
director more control on each shot. Furthermore, some producers feel as if they have 
more space to let their creativity flow in single camera productions. This is due to the 
fact that more attention can be brought to each individual shot as the footage is filmed.  
 
Less time is also spent both setting up a singular camera, and editing the footage (as it 
would be in chronological order). In addition to this, using a single camera is more 
adequate for low budget productions as less camera equipment is required and 
therefore allowing more money to be spent on other aspects of the production. 
 
In order to achieve a less complicated method of production, producers often opt to use 
a single camera which they use to film perhaps one character saying all their lines and 
then separately film the next character, and later combine the footage through the 
editing process of the film. 
 
Disadvantages​: ​Whist using single camera methods during movie productions or TV 
series productions to achieve more interesting and cinematic shots, these production 
methods aren’t as well suited to other types of mediums such as talk shows and 
sit-coms. This is because live reactions from audiences are being recorded in real time 
to the performance and therefore, if the director want to change in between different 
 
shots and angles, several cameras must be used, as a single camera could not possibly 
do this. 
 
It is also more challenging to maintain continuity with single camera productions, as in 
between takes, it is easier for continuity mistakes to be made. 
 
An example of a type of scene that would always use a single camera is a sequence shot. 
In a sequence shot only one camera is needed to record a long piece of action and the 
camera movements can range from steadicam, panning and most commonly tracking. 
 

Adjusting camera settings 

 
In order to understand the types of shots and the required framings, I put myself to 
practice and take pictures of each shot. I started by taking pictures on automatic 
settings in the camera, then with manual settings (in order to play around with the light 
and focus more freely), and lastly I had another shot at automatic settings. They are in 
this order (from left to right) in order to demonstrate the improvement in both my 
technical ability, and the quality of the shot.  
 
Aperture and Shutter and focus, were the main manual settings I used in order to create 
the shots shown below. The aperture (which is a hole within the lens through which 
light travels into the camera body) was used in order to control the amount of light goes 
into the shot. The higher the number of aperture the better the focus of a subject which 
is further away from the camera. Shutter speed can also be controlled in manual 
settings. The camera shutter is in front of the camera sensor and it remains closed until 
the camera fires, which is when the shutter opens and leaves the camera sensor 
exposed to light. Something to bare in mind is that, during the day, the camera is 
exposed to a greater amount of light outdoors compared to the light exposure indoors. 
Finding the right balance with aperture and shutter settings is very important if you 
want a shot to look professional land adequate to the lighting.  
 

Shot types and framing 

 
 
Extreme close-Up 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
This type of shot emphasizes the details of a small area of the subject, (most commonly 
eyes or mouth). Extreme close-ups are often used to draw 
attention to a particular feature in a lot of detail, even 
though, ironically, it reveals less about the character as 
 
everything else is kept a mystery in this shot.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Close-Up 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
 
Close-ups tend to be extremely powerful shot. 
They can closely frame an object or prop to 
highlight its importance, but are mainly used to 
highlight the expression of a character. The 
frame is filled with a face, therefore drawing 
attention to the facial features, which dominate 
the shot. Close-ups are used when the director 
wants to clearly portray the emotion of a 
character. Usually in this type of shot, the camera 
would be kept at eye level in order for the 
audience to feel a deeper connection to this character, as if they were standing in front 
of them. 
 
Mid-shot 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
 
Mid-shots reveal roughly half the body of a character 
and therefore are ideally used if a character is holding 
an object of importance, or if they’re body language is 
 
relevant to the scene. Mid-shots are also used often to show an interaction between 
characters, as the framing of the shot allows both facial expression and body language 
to be noticed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mid-Long-Shot 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
Mid-Long-shots reveal most of the subject. They are a 
slightly wider variation of mid-shots. This similar type of 
shot was popularised by cowboy movies in which the 
thighs were incorporated to the shot in order to show the 
prop the characters were holding, (in this case the guns). 
This mean that mid-long-shots are now mainly used if a 
character is holding a prop that needs to fit in the frame. 
 
 
Long Shot 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
Long Shots are useful for showing the subject from 
head to toe and therefore showing proportion, size and 
costume of the subject better. The characters present, 
are still the main focus of the shot, unlike in extreme 
long shots where the establishment of the setting is the 
main focus. The scenery is still quite visible, therefore 
setting the scene and the placement of the characters 
in it. Long shots are ideal for covering action, as every 
movement is clearly shown in screen 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extreme Long Shot 
 

 
Extreme Long Shots, often serve the purpose of establishing a location as well as 
showing were the characters are in relation to other characters or the location. This 
type of shot can be used to make a character look small in proportion to its 
surroundings and therefore portraying a sense of either low importance or perhaps 
unawareness or disorientation in the environment. 
 
Establishing Shot 
 

 
 
 
Low Angle 
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Angles can be used to manipulate how a character is 
portrayed. Low angles, for example, make a 
character appear bigger and more dominant, 
therefore they are commonly used to give a greater 
sense of status or heroic power to a character. 
 
 
 
High Angle 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
 
When a camera looks down at the characters, often it 
is to give a lesser sense of status or make a character 
look weak and vulnerable or submissive to what is in 
front of them. High angles are quite common in film 
and can come in many forms, from close-ups to 
long-shots. 
 
 
 
Bird’s-Eye-View 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2

   
   
Bird’s-Eye-View shots, are an extreme version of 
 
high angles, in which the geography of the location can be seen, as if it were in a map. 
There are different variations of this shot. This can be used to show the placement of a 
character in a location or to give a sense of insignificance and highlight how small the 
characters are in comparison to their surroundings 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Worms-Eye-View 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
 
Worm’s-Eye-View shots, are an extreme version of 
low angles. This shot shows the subject directly from 
underneath. This type of angle is sometimes used in 
order to show a character looking down at something 
on the floor. It is an alternative perspective some 
directors decide to incorporate in order to 
experiment with camera angles. 
 
Canted Angle 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

  
     
In canted angles, the camera is purposely not leveled 
in order to portray the fact that the frame of the shot 
isn’t balanced. This can have many different effects; 
for example it can represent dizziness, confusion and 
disorientation. Canted angles are mostly found in 
action movies, as the camera can follow the angle and 
 
movement the character is in (for example during a fight, or even during a drug 
experience)  
 
Two Shot 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
Two shots include two characters in a frame. The 
distance between them can be used to symbolise the 
relationship between the two characters. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Over the Shoulder shot 
Automatic settings Manual settings 1 Manual settings 2 

 
Typically, over the shoulder shots are 
confrontational by nature as they include a 
face-to-face interaction. They are commonly used in 
scenes where a conversation is taking place, and the 
back of one person is shown and only the face of the 
person in front is revealed in order to show, either a 
speech, or a reaction to a speech. Most commonly, 
over the shoulder shots, are accompanied by a 
reverse shot and sometimes a master shot, which 
switch from one to another throughout the 
conversation. 
 
Shot-Reverse-Shot 
 

 
 
Shot-reverse-shot has a similar effect to an over the shoulder shot; both film two sides 
to a conversation, and sometimes include a master shot which shows both characters. 
The main difference is that the audience is only shown both characters separately in 
their own individual shot, whereas in an over the shoulder shot, we can see the back of 
the person facing them. In shot-reverse-shot, since the characters are both facing 
opposite directions, the audience would assume they are facing each other.  
 
 
 
 
Eyeline Match Shot 
 
Eyeline Match can also be considered an editing technique associated with maintaining 
continuity. Eye line match is done in order to 
show the audience what the character is seeing; 
It begins with a character looking at something 
off-screen, and then the next shot would reveal 
the subject that the character is looking to. The 
juxtaposition of the shots, makes the audience 
assume that that second shot shows what the 
character was looking to as well as the location of 
the subject in correlation to the character.  
 

 
Camera Movements 
 
In order to get a better understanding of camera movements in single camera 
productions, I’ve filmed examples for most camera movements in order to both 
experiment with the motion and explore the different equipment required. Camera 
movements can be a very powerful way to bring drama to a piece and communicate the 
character’s emotions 
 
Static:​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek8As4wKTtY  
Static is not so much a camera movement, in fact quite the opposite, it’s when a camera 
is still as any motion is already in the frame and therefore there is no need for the 
camera to follow around any of the action. 
 
Pan ​(Right)​:​ ​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF8jW07d2ZU  
This type of camera motion, is when the camera remains in the same place, but turns 
 
left or right to show whatever action is happening on the screen, as if observing a tennis 
match, for example. This is one of the most basic camera movements, as it is very easily 
achieved with a tripod. This type of camera movement is made to achieve a ‘spectator 
effect’ on the audience, meaning they should feel as if they are only watching the action 
objectively from a distance, but are not involved in it. Panning specially, is mostly used 
to follow the screen action. 
 
Tilt ​(Up)​:​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIF0d_sOWeg  
Tilting the camera has a very similar effect to panning. Although for both camera 
movements the camera remains in the same spot and are most commonly filmed with a 
tripod (with tilt function), the main difference is that the camera tilts up and down 
instead of right to left. Tilting up and down is also meant to make the audience feel as if 
they were objectively watching the action taking place from a distance. Tilting up is very 
often used in order to show a character from head to toe, or vice versa, in order to 
slowly reveal more and more about a character, although that effect can be achieved 
also on an object or setting. 
 
Crab Track ​(Right)​:​ ​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSvpC72nC9M 
Crab Track​(Left)​:​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0swAup1kvJk 
 
Track shots move sideways. If the characters are still, tracking can be used to introduce 
the characters individually as the camera moves from character to character. If the 
characters are moving, the camera would normally move at the same speed as the 
subject, alongside of them, to give the audience the impression that they are moving 
alongside of the subject. Track motion is very smooth because a dolly piece of  
equipment is used. 
 
 
Dolly ​(Back)​:​ https://youtu.be/bUk47cUNzUY 
 
Dolly moves front or back, to move closer or further away 
from a subject. It is avery smooth motion as a dolly (which 
is the piece of equipment shown on the left) is used. The 
camera moves on wheels 
 
 
 
 
 
Crane:​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk8OO2OhCQo 
 
Cranes are a very useful piece of equipment which allows 
the camera to move at an angle in a smooth motion. This 
motion has more of a cinematic effect rather than a 
realistic effect. The audience will feel as if they were 
spectating the on-screen-action 
 
 
In all Crab tracking, dolly and crane, the camera