How To Shoot A Scene With A Single Camera

[@maplestreetpictures7454]

Shooting a scene with one camera is so much better. Cause that way you get to focus entirely on each and every moment , that is my favourite way to shoot.

[@lolamby1]

One camera? Luxury. I use zero cameras for ultimate artistic purity.

[@mistermastermind528]

So a theater play?

[@siddharthrajan7092]

Fellow filmmaking procrastinator ???

[@sazinkosi6018]

Fucking Legend

[@jude.niranjan]

Guilty of procrastination

[@riskybiscutz]

Werner Herzog is that you?

[@Holtenstein]

#1 reason to use a single camera, IMO, is lighting! Lighting can be adjusted perfectly with one angle. Whereas with multiple angles you have to light the scene and hope it works. Close-ups for dialog often have different lighting than the wide shots. Audiences hardly ever notice the lighting changes from one angle to the next. It's very commonly used.

[@Thisiscinemalist]

What we just saw is known as Classical filmmaking. Which includes coverage like Wide two shot then medium and then move to close ups. This style was really popular in the late 40s and 50s. You'll see this in most of Hitchcock's films. But in the mid to late 50s, after the effects of second world war were a little lessened, some of the French critics saw all these films and said, "Hey you know what, these are all the same - the same techniques, the same coverage. Cinema is an art form and it should be free of all this formulaic, methodical making." And they started experimenting with the art form itself. And that became the 'French New Wave'. In which the filmmakers were deliberately avoiding these classical filmmaking techniques. For example : In 'Classical filmmaking', you would cut a scene in such a way, that it flows seamlessly, without any "Jumps" in time. But French New Wave filmmakers avoided this technique and experimented with the editing and "Jumped" from one shot to the other in time. Continuity of action was NOT followed. This technique later became famous as 'Jump Cuts'. Another technique which came from the Frech New Wave is 'Breaking the fourth wall'. Meaning characters looking straight into the lens and making the audience very much aware that you are indeed watching a film. Classical filmmakers would have never done that. All I want to say is, Classical filmmaking is not bad. But that's not the ONLY way of shooting films. You can also experiment with the coverage. If you think that the shots you chose are putting the emotional point across accurately, then stick with them. It's all about how accurately can you portray the truth of a perticular moment on screen. Ps : The biggest filmmaker who is influenced by this 'French New Wave' in today's cinema is Mr. Martin Scorsese.

[@m.w.r.1408]

The jump cuts and breaking the 4th wall things you talked about remind me of Godard's breathless. Is that part of the french new wave?

[@Thisiscinemalist]

@@m.w.r.1408 Yes. 'Breathless' is one of the most popular French New Wave films.

[@m.w.r.1408]

@@Thisiscinemalist I'm going to be completely honest, i really enjoyed breathless but i didn't understand it or understand why it was so important. What other french new wave things can I check out?

[@Thisiscinemalist]

@@m.w.r.1408 that's totally fine! You enjoyed it, that's a win. It's important because as I said in my comment, it's one of those films which challenged the status quo of filmmaking at that time. Other very obvious films of the 'French New Wave' you could check out are '400 Blows', 'Jules and Jim', 'Cleo from 5 to 7', 'Vivre Sa Vie', 'Shoot the Piano Player', 'Last year at Marienbad', 'The umbrellas of Cherbourg', 'Stolen Kisses', 'Eyes without a face' (though not so much of a New wave film but still a good french film), 'Band of Outsiders', you can also check out other films of Jean Luc-Godard like, 'Pierrot Le Fou', and 'Two Or Three Things I Know About Her' and 'All the boys are called Patrick'. I can think of these off the top of my head, but there are many more great films. Cheers! :)

[@DiazGames]

Thank you ! Finally someone said it. There are no hard rules in filmmaking.

[@okechawilly]

I think shooting using a single camera is greatly a better way to start your career in film… it saves a lot of hustle since all most of the indie projects are highly limited to budget and experience!

[@chrisfern4699]

New to filmmaking here. How can I keep my shots visually consistent for my short film? Some shots for one scene are darker or lighter than others.

[@Leprutz]

@@chrisfern4699 That is why you need a director of photogrpahy that is his job usually.

[@Leprutz]

@BM Khalid Hasan You might point out some good points here and yet I beg to differ. It is all relative. It all depends on the camera one is using for a shoot, it also dpends on the different lightsources you have. Sometimes the ISO needs to be cranked up if the light is not bright enough. Like I said... everything depends on where you are and what tools you have at your disposition.

[@Twizzforsberg]

We have 1 to 4 cameras when we do our zero budget movies. Easier to cut and start the line instead of starting over. But its a hell to fix the colors when i edit

[@tatenopictures]

@@chrisfern4699 what i have learned so far, don't try to light the faces, light the space*.. and mabe try lighting the wide short first and as you shoot to close-ups.This will save you a lot.

[@Simplyluvly]

I always shoot a scene for my videos by using single camera - a single smartphone actually. Just doing it autodidact, but now I learn something new from this video. Thanks for sharing.

[@strangecasa3783]

This is the topic that I have tried to wrap my head around as simple as it may seem to some, but couldn't really understand. This is the best video I've seen so far on it. The biggest thing was how they do coverage on multiple actors on a scene with a single camera. You did such a great job explaining it down to the nuance.

[@RobertPodosek]

Yeah you never really think about it but it's nuts to shoot the same scene 5+ times! Makes sense though. Cool video.

[@DaCarnival]

@@RobertPodosek 5 times? That's the bare minimum for a classically covered scene - Say you have two people talking, and cover it in a wide shot, 2 mediums and two close-ups. If you only get one take for each set-up, you've already shot the scene 5 times. More reasonable is 3-6 takes for each set-up, so at that point you've run the scene about 20 times - which is normal on set. David fincher goes for 10-25 average on each set-up, so that's how he ends up with more than a 100 takes on the same scene.

[@Leprutz]

@@RobertPodosek Often times they don't really shoot the whole scene 5+ times. Example: Master shot is the whole scene once. And then depending on the other shots.. The director already edits while shooting. Meaning that he will only take a few sentences or actions from the whole scene in that angle and the other missing sentences or actions are done in the other shots. This sometimes forces the Editor to edit with just those shots, meaning he can't be very creative either. And as you can see, there is no perfect way of shooting. Every one has his own style when shooting and each way of shooting has its pros as it has its cons.

[@RobertPodosek]

@@DaCarnival Thanks for the info, makes sense. No need to be a snob about it though.

[@logicfrogmedia]

personally, I think this is the best filmmaking channel on youtube. You simplify technical things while explaining artistic exceptions to the rules- fantastic!

[@Treblaine]

I noticed that a lot of spielberg's long "oner" shots will occasionally have a single cut to a close up then cut right back to the same shot. Take in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Brody meets Indy at the latter's home, the entire scene is one long continual shot with brilliant blocking and staging but there is one cut to a closeup of Indy unwrapping a revolver and feeling its weight in his hand, then cut right back to the same oner. Similarly when the "monkey man" sneaks in to poison dates there's a single cut away to the dates being poisoned though you could see it quite clearly from the wide shot the cut to a closeup and back really adds emphasis on that point.

[@andrehugomedia]

Love the "Birthday Party" analogy. Makes so much sense.

[@surjithvr4575]

I really liked the idea about birthday party ❤️ really appreciate your video

[@askabarberpodcast7660]

I want to say thanks again. This never gets old anytime I need to refresh or refocus. I’ll come back to this video. Super awesome thanks again and again.

[@hunterosking3255]

This video is amazing. It covers the basics of filmmaking in such an incredibly precise way. I wish I saw it when I was starting out.

[@romanazuara]

Excellent video, Years of video school in one single video! Fantastic!

[@brandongiddens]

Every video you’ve ever done is awesome. I work in the industry and continue to learn every day. Your content is like a little head start every time you upload. Thank you and keep it up! I love watching your stuff!

[@mishx62]

good video, other notes: single camera also offers much more flexibility with lights, sometimes there's a choice between the best lighting with one camera or just good lighting with 2 or more, doubly so when working in smaller spaces. it also forces the director and cinematographer to choose their shots more carefully, consider what they really need and what they can let go to focus more on what's actually important. and on the other hand, if you have a project that has either non-actors or actors doing improvisation shooting multi-cam is a must, you might not be able to ever capture a specific moment again. sometimes there's a magical moment and you just want to catch it in more than one angle.

[@Gabriel_Oliver]

Thanks for this video! I've been meaning to find some kind of guide to help with how to consistently shoot scenes for a short film I'm working on. And this is a great jumping off point. Thanks again!

[@ScriptSleuth]

I really appreciate the work you put into this video. Well done, mate.

[@StanleyNunn]

This was very useful as I am in pre=production on my movie right now. This helped a lot.. thank you.

[@FacetheMuzikEntertainment]

very informative and it taught me a lot. It may be more work but I believe the single camera aspect if done right helps tell the story better.

[@darxy9227]

i just found you're youtube channel a few weeks ago. I really like the way you describe how filming works. I think it's great for beginners and overall just fun to watch and learn about film in general! thanks for all the hard work you put into these videos 👍

[@carlpleasant]

This is an outstanding video. Well done.

[@sk8mcbang]

The birthday analogy was great and really helpful, thank you!

[@damancandance1]

incredible uh COVERAGE of this topic, simple and comprehensive. thanks for all the work and tips!

[@trumanandnoahproductions1159]

hilarious joke

[@akosnemes2249]

There is a lot of positive information in this video. Thank you!

[@SokalAgency]

Well done, stylish and intriguing video. I came here looking for insight into one camera shooting and picked up some good ideas and learned about coverage. Thank you.

[@dannymagallanes5174]

Man, i really love your content. It was so helpful and enjoyable to me!! Don’t die 🙏

[@GlennHanns]

A big disadvantage of multi-camera setups is the quality of lighting, many angles affect what lighting rigs can be placed for optimal lighting. I try to shoot multi-cam down the line rather than cross coverage. A wide or MS shot on the A axis is also covered in a MCU/CU but on the same axis. This gives the best of both worlds, coverage with optimal lighting. Coming around to the other actor (B axis) I’ll do the same. This works for basic dialogue scenes, movement and more complex blocking may need something more.

[@nick_g]

Makes a lot more sense. Single cam seems like a better way to go I think.

[@Neecola88]

This was absolutely amazing, thank you!

[@jcon654]

My guy Rudy was a perfect video in describing coverage. Fantastic and thank you 🎉

[@CrossfeetGaming]

I've earned some of my classmates' ire because I was usually the only one in my class that uses one camera at a time, therefore shoots where I'm the director takes way longer than they're used to. Why? I prefer cameras over the shoulder (or you can see the actor's back) in shot-reverse shots.

[@Samsonmanase]

Very helpful im a new filmmaker and i was debating the two camera thing !!

[@PakeSalmon]

Thank you for Milanote. I am loving it already!

[@loganwelty7094]

This was incredibly insightful. Thank you mate🤙

[@dominickmorales130]

Great Post Thank You

[@HighSeasonAI]

thank you. i never felt like i would star getting it but im fianlly getting it more. thank you

[@A1Loaded]

nice job

[@TV-he5ek]

I love the "PARTY" idea

[@Martin.stokes]

Amazing! Gains lots of clarity here 😁

[@sujith7368]

This is what I was looking for, and please make a video about 'turnaround' And coverage with natural lighting Thanks mate❤️

[@navyakanthnani]

I appreciate your work, you really make the concepts and topics simple and easy to understand. And I would appreciate more if you can use little calm background colours rather than. Yellow which is little disturbing. Rest apart you do a great work.

[@hayatefaith4273]

No yellow is least disturbing

[@sukkerfrigajol90]

As always, really nice and informative video! Huge fan of your channel I really like all the graphic elements you use to hightlight your points. Can you maybe do a video on lighting? Different lighting styles, setups, etc? That could be very interesting. Greetings from Denmark

[@diegoramos6685]

These videos are so helpful! Please keep up the great work!

[@Imran-pi5rs]

You're amazing, bro

[@Official_JC_Torres]

This video was the best video on how to do this I loved it. And it was so easy to understand best tutorial video ever

[@dylanthompson9983]

Always extremely valuable insight in these videos 🙌

[@jos3goodkid]

Absolutely love your videos man. Been keeping with your channel in the last year and it’s one of my top favorites . I keep learning and building confidence in this channel. I hope to shoot a short film soon one day. PS: do a Kubrick video!!!!!!!! Or John Alcott !!!

[@eobeniche]

Comment to help the channel. Love the video, love the content, love the movies you choose to use as exemple, love the yellow and love the b&w.

[@SoekartoAde]

thank for uploading this video

[@ayeeeck4512]

Can't believe this content is for free🤯

[@internationalhiphopscreenw7866]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@JeyakanthanNitharsan2]

it's a helpful video for film makers. Thanks

[@treynesbit6516]

Wow, this is incredible

[@Chininton]

I really appreciate this channel you don't even know

[@victorneves2868]

Thank you!

[@fleurneeleman9641]

Your content helps me out a LOT!

[@TheFaustianMan]

Another reason for shooting on one camera, is that back in the day it was a pain in the ass to match footage. All lenses were slightly different, as goes for film stocks, and color grading (called timing back then) wasn't something you could do by pausing the film and subtle adjustments. It was basically throwing a gel over the camera while the film played, and you had to be quick to pick the color you liked. Now with digital, it's much easier. Although, I hate digital, it does let he creator have more control and allow for cameras to match footage easier along with a more standardized lens manufacturing process. For instance back in the day you would have to visit multiple warehouses to find lenses with close serial numbers to insure the same lens profile. This was almost impossible. To do that for another camera was already a herculean task. It was also a trick by the directors so the Studio would have to use what they shot. Whilst with most Marvel movies, which aren't cinema ;) ) there are multiple cameras. Because the director has as much say in the final cut as the fry cook at McDonald's does to your meal. Good vid.

[@ShaneBaker]

Thanks. As always, I learnt something from your video. One problem I have with single camera coverage of a dialogue seen is the endless continuity breaks - particularly with actors looking in different directions from cut to cut. Call me OCD, but I find those micro-continuity breaks off-putting.

[@ricimercury9490]

I’ve been wanting to make a film but the lack of a crew is infuriating and have been a setback to my ambition. Thank you for this video

[@Gibberish1983]

Invest in your people/social skills

[@corey1022]

Fantastic refresher!

[@filmmaker5457]

Thank you for the wisdom.

[@donavin51]

Very helpful info. Thanks!

[@prestondaniels3890]

very informative thanks guys

[@srinivassridhar5151]

I found this video interesting and helpful, but I feel that the video could have gone more in-depth with the continuity issues with a single camera, i.e the 180-degree principle, action continuity, as well as the best way to cover a scene from an editing point of view, i.e how to deliver the best coverage to an editor? And how some directors cut in the camera itself, so as to not cover it traditionally and choosing just a few angles and shot sizes to cover a scene and how their approach to coverage shapes the movie as well as their signature style and philosophy. I kindly request you to make a part two covering these aspects of single-camera coverage, and lastly, thank you for making these wonderful videos.

[@kaishutaa8504]

Wow, same thing i have in mind. I bet you have shot on one camera to get this questions

[@srinivassridhar5151]

@@kaishutaa8504 I have only one camera bro

[@kaishutaa8504]

Same here

[@nicolaspredi786]

your channel is awesome mate

[@4ksightandsound]

thank you very well informative

[@sky.london]

Thank you

[@ClaudioDesideriFilms]

Gold knowledge, thanks!

[@NYPeterP]

Amazing! Thank you)

[@edwassermann8368]

thx! this was great!

[@reginaldharrison123]

Very helpful!

[@danielbautista2561]

just in time!

[@pointsofhonesty]

beautiful video

[@pablovi77]

Most films are shot with a single camera. Even Tv series, that have 2 or more units, shoot with a single camera. And even if you use two cameras, they’re in the same axis, one tighter than the other. I have never seen two cameras on two different angles. Except on sitcoms, soap operas, etc…

[@uphillracer]

Great stuff, thanks!

[@abhideshmukh2182]

Its very useful sir ❤️🔥👍🏻...plz keep making videos like this🙏🏻....

[@johntupper1369]

Commenting to help this wonderful video with the algorithm

[@its_jumana]

Awesome as usual 💖💖

[@mistermastermind528]

I had the opportunity to shoot with 2 cameras years back. And I found that the only time I ever got to use both was during a conversation scene. One would be a medium over-the-shoulder shot and the other cam would've taken a close-up shot of the same person. I never placed both cameras on each actor simultaneously as I felt the continuity in editing would've suffered if I moved to a medium shot to a close up shot of the same actor.

[@turbotaquitogoogle8095]

Same, that's the way I prefer to do it. Usually it's because of a lack of lighting equipment, when I can only light one character at a time

[@mistermastermind528]

@@turbotaquitogoogle8095 agreed. My teacher also said the same thing.

[@konstantinkliche9941]

What a great channel.

[@RightNowMan]

I liked this video. Very informative. Thanks.

[@jd0808jd]

This is great!!

[@marwanbenamor929]

thanks good content

[@Kleanboyuniverse]

Very informative

[@rne1223]

Nicely done.

[@NanoNguyen]

Really like how u explained shooting a scene is like someone walking into a party

[@dtodeschi]

thanks

[@jackkarski4082]

top stuff mate

[@fantasybricks4160]

Amazing video

[@CoolJRT2009]

Can you do how to edit a single camera scene? How do you sync audio when it's from another take?

[@hippopictures]

Great video!

[@williambrownlee9684]

Well done. 👏👏👏

[@Isaac.Victor2006]

Brazil here 🇧🇷

[@nagarajan6838]

dude you should start a still photography channel,cause i want to learn photography lot of love from INDIA all the best for u r future

[@PEYOHAGEN]

thanks !!!! mil gracias !!

[@shashankmishra8517]

it was useful!

[@diegodrenoso]

you are a master

[@tinycat]

Your videos are great!

[@HribarDP]

love it!