How to Shoot Different Angles with One Camera
As an author, you might be pleasantly surprised if a production company were to approach you with the idea of producing your book into a movie. The authors of copyrighted books often give permission to filmmakers to produce adaptations of their book on film, but at what cost? How much do book authors receive for film rights on average?
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There are various times in your career where you may be faced with the need to make the most out of your production time with a single camera on your side.
Using one camera, rather than two, to produce a production that appears as if you had several cameras to work with is a technique that, although difficult, will make you a better cinematographer in the long run.
So, whether you want to film with one camera, you’re low on equipment, or you’re just in a pinch, here are some ways to make a single camera appear like a more advanced multi-camera shoot.
Make Use of B-Roll
One of the easiest ways to make a shoot have different angles with a single camera is to use B-roll to your advantage. Simulate multiple cameras and angles by capturing b-roll before and after your shoot and using it to cutaway your shots.
Scenic shots, reactions and close-ups of the people or objects featured in your film can be used to produce a classic cutaway shot in post-production editing.
As you capture b-roll footage, consider the following:
- Capture the people and objects that you are filming in detail. Use zoom and close up footage to get varied shots.
- Capture the exterior of a building that you’re filming. Capture the building from various angles, including aerial views if possible.
- Capture wide shots of the scene before and after the scene has played out for use later in editing.
- Capture relevant location images that will help the audience understand where a scene is. Road signs and other relevant landmarks are great.
Use Zoom
You may only have one camera to work with, but you can use zoom to give the appearance of two cameras. Capture a medium shot but in periods between questions or after a question, try capturing a tight close-up shot via zoom that you can later use to edit in and give the appearance of having used multiple cameras for the production.
If you only have one camera, you can use a zoom lens to capture the additional footage needed. Start real wide and establish a clear view of the subject and the location setting.
Then begin to zoom in as important elements of the scene take place. If you zoom too much or you’re not happy with the footage later on, you can always crop in post-production and use b-roll to fill it in.
Shoot Two Times
Although it will take more time, you can give the effect of having used two cameras by shooting the scene twice. Use the first shoot to capture from a particular angle, and then shoot a second time to capture an additional angle.
In fact, with this process, you could capture several different angles with multiple shoots. It will add a significant amount of time to your production, but it will provide you with footage that you need to produce a professional appearing video in the end.
