Multiple cameras + Lighting = fill in the blank!

hscully, I have been in the world of working two cameras "side by each" (usually a wide and a tight) for many years on episodic series and features. The are a myriad of pros and cons to doing this. I can elaborate if anyone is interested.

Patryk, again your point is well-taken. If you are operating A camera, you really need to be able to rely on your B camera operator to be doing a good job, whether he/she is simply doubling up on focal lengths or hunting-and-pecking for interesting shots. On a two camera shoot, I will always fight to get two operators so I can keep an eye on framing and focus on both cameras.

There are basically three worlds we are talking about here. On the no-budget indie side of things, you may be best off with shooting single camera because all things considered it will probably end up being more efficient--there is a learning curve to using two cameras properly, both on the camera and lighting side of things. Then there is the other end of the spectrum, the Deakins and Willis end, where a DP has the luxury of a schedule that allows single-camera shooting. In the middle lies the rest of the industry, where there is tremendous pressure to make every minute count and achieve maximum number of setups in a working day, and this is where you will largely see two cameras working most of the time.
 
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CharlesPapert said:
hscully, I have been in the world of working two cameras "side by each" (usually a wide and a tight) for many years on episodic series and features. The are a myriad of pros and cons to doing this. I can elaborate if anyone is interested.
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By all means, please do...
 
I don't think there is any debate for shooting side by side to use different focal lengths, the more cameras then the merrier. But has anyone here been consistently shooting reverse shots in addition to A cam? This is more the cage of was trying to rattle with the discussion of multicam use on films and challenges to lighting.

TV has also come up alot but I see a huge difference in the budgets, sets, efficiencies needed between a Hollywood film and a weekly episodic TV show.

Anyone's thoughts on that?
 
Yes Dennis, I am asked to cross-shoot a fair amount; it's quite common in the comedy world when two actors are improvising lines for a director to want to be able to shoot both sides at once. This is true of features as well as television (Apatow and Adam Sandler movies for instance). In a dramatic situation, it's more likely to be because of a gag or stunt that needs to be shot once or in the fewest takes possible, or perhaps if there are severe time limitations like shooting out a minor (the dreaded cries of "we lose the kid in 10 minutes!").

In general though, there should be a compelling reason to cross shoot because it can actually take longer to make look good.

I'm preparing a little manifesto and will go into more detail shortly. But the quickie answer is that if you are being asked by a director to cross-shoot for arbitrary reasons, you should push back against that (carefully, as always).
 
CharlesPapert said:
hscully, I have been in the world of working two cameras "side by each" (usually a wide and a tight) for many years on episodic series and features. The are a myriad of pros and cons to doing this. I can elaborate if anyone is interested.
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Yes, please. I'd be grateful for any information here. I'd not been on a set that shot this way except once, as an actor, and that was hand held. I was intrigued by it but not aware of the intention, even after seeing the resulting edit. I hadn't "seen" it in a cut until a recent catch-up marathon of Breaking Bad. I LOVE the way this is lit and shot. I'm kind of blown away right now by Slovis right now. Me and everyone else ;)

Anyway, I'd be very interested in whatever you can share of your experience there. Maybe better on another thread if this is orthogonal to this one.
 
Well, my idle threat to elaborate on this has turned into an eight page manifesto. Checking with the powers that be where it would be best placed on the site, stay tuned here for deets...
 
CharlesPapert said:
Well, my idle threat to elaborate on this has turned into an eight page manifesto. Checking with the powers that be where it would be best placed on the site, stay tuned here for deets...
Click to expand...

Firstly, I'm anxiously awaiting your manifesto. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to listen to the mad rants of my... err... elders? That really doesn't feel right. "Idols" is way too over the top, like I have hunky DP posters on my walls (which I most certainly do not). Let's go with I'm always grateful for the opportunity to listen to the mad rants of awesome people who I respect but whose jobs I want to take once they no longer can muster up the strength to press down on a radio PTT button. I was going to say the strength to roll a camera, but I couldn't get through it with a straight face.

Seriously though, the insight gained from reading a massive catalog of the musings of guys like Charles (who have been producing impeccable work for decades), as well as the shared knowledge of so many talented filmmakers at different stages in their careers (I kinda want to be like Timur Civan when I grow up, even though for all I know he might not be much older than me) is one of the best parts of this site, and (shh, don't tell anyone) one of the biggest secret weapons in the arsenal of anyone coming up in the digital age. Not to mention all of the up and comers like Kholi and Ryan Patrick O'Hara and with whom (unbeknownst to them) I'm deadlocked in a fierce battle of framing, light and movement. (Patryk: You're from NYC, so you and your career are a complete mystery to me, but your work scares me and makes me want to hit the woodshed) What did you guys do when you couldn't just hop online to tap into a constant stream of wisdom and knowledge from your peers (aim high) and professional role-models?

Back on topic (I've had my teenage girl "boy-band fan" moment for the day).

From the perspective of a mainly small-budget DP in the first few years of my career, one of the biggest challenge is the feeling of giving up control over the second angle when operating A camera. If I don't know exactly what B cam is doing at any given moment then it begins to feel like a total wildcard. Working with an operator you trust is a must, and while it means I don't really "worry" about the second angle, it's still an exercise in trust and giving up control if you're not sitting at a monitor. Lighting for multiple cameras certainly introduces new challenges and always involves a degree of compromise, but depending on what your goals are it's nothing that can't be worked/planned around to an extent (emphasis on the planning part) if the benefits outweigh the unavoidable trade-offs. Besides, shooting 2 cameras doesn't mean shooting reverses or wildly different setups. Grabbing a Medium and a CU at the same time is pretty nifty, and doesn't really require much additional thought or effort as compared to shooting with one camera. If you're uncomfortable with the thought of lighting for multiple simultaneous angles, just think of it as an exercise in master lighting. Light the scene, not the shot (except when you should light the shot).

I personally like the flow of shooting one camera. I like being able to experience every shot as it unfolds, and shooting single-camera always makes it easier (for me) to build a mental edit as the day progresses. I guess the best way to put it is that shooting single-camera feels like shooting a scene to me, whereas shooting multiple cameras feels like shooting coverage. Obviously there are no ways around shooting multiple cameras for complex gags, stunts, some action, and lots of improv, but given the luxury to make a decision based on something other than scheduling or the budget, shooting single camera feels like a more controlled, calculated process to me.

That being said, every time I work with two cameras we wrap with the feeling that we couldn't have made the day with one. It does feel fantastic flying through setups and having someone free to pickup extras (imagine adding shots to your day instead of cutting them). I'm also extremely grateful for the B-camera gigs I've had. I learn quite a bit thanks to the extra time afforded a B-cam operator to watch other people do their jobs, and shooting the compromised, "go over there and just get what you can" angle forces you to be on your game. Be good or go home (and be your own AC, because we don't have a budget for it).

I really don't mean to be so rambly. Honest. I guess why waste 5 words on what you could devote 500 to, right?
 
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