There are multiple different formats that are used when
filming single Camera dramas. These are serial, single drama and soap
opera.
Serial
A serial drama is when a show has one continuous story. Each
episode in a Serial drama follows one idea meaning you must watch every episode
in the series to understand what is going on. This is a popular format to use
as it makes the viewer tune in to watch each episode so they don't miss out on
what is going on. If there was not one continuous story it would give the
viewer the freedom to watch the show when they want and not miss out on
anything. Breaking Bad is a serial drama. This is an extremely popular show. It
is an effective serial drama because it is gripping and thrilling. This makes
the viewer enticed in the program and leave them curious about how the story
will continue. Serial dramas often leave episodes on cliff hangers so the viewer
is left on edge, wanting to know what is to come.
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| Image from: http://www.wired.com/tag/breaking-bad/ |
Some Serial dramas last for as long as 20 episodes in a season. Serial dramas are often thrillers or actions because these are easier to get a long story line from.
Single Drama
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| Image from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/murder/ |
The writer will have created murder in this way because they
will have wanted the viewers to see everyone's side of the story. Also by doing
this, the audience can develop an educated opinion on the characters. Rather
than just having a bad guy, the writer can show why he has turned bad or if
they really are bad at all and not just being portrayed that way by other
characters. The viewer will then watch it to not only find out what happens but
also how the characters develop through different views.
Soap Opera
Soap Operas are the most viewed programmes on television. A Soap Opera is a lot like a Serial however there is no seasons. It just continues all the time. It is rare that a soap opera is done with a single camera however it is done. Some directors choose to make their soaps single cam so they can focus more on the characters. By doing multiple takes of a scene looking at each character, you can focus on their actions and expressions and make sure you get the best end result out of them. This is important because a lot of people watch soaps for the characters. Soaps are shows about everyday people that face realistic struggles. The viewers watch it if they feel they can relate or find the characters interesting. They are more likely to find a connection with the characters if they're performance is perfected which is easier to do with single camera.
Despite the benefits of using the single camera technique for a soap opera, it is not done often because it is extremely difficult to pull off. There is a tight time schedule for soaps, Coronation street for example airs 5 episodes a week. They need to film all the time to get these episodes ready. There isn't much time to do so many takes with a single camera.
When creating a single camera drama. You need to take in to account which kind of narrative will be most effective for your story.
Linear and non linear
A linear narrative is also known as a sequential narrative. A linear narrative is when all the events in the story happen in chronological order. The story flows from the beginning and has no flashbacks or jumps forward in the story. This is used quite often because it is simple to do and gets the story across well. It is unlikely to confuse the viewer because everything is shown as it happens. It is the safest option for a narrative for a director. It is a useful option to choose if the director wants follow one character or story. The Single drama, 'Toast' is an example of a linear narrative. This show follows a young Nigel Slater who gradually grows up to become the chef he is today. This is an effective linear drama because it is showing him growing up. It needs to go in the correct order so we know what happened in each stage of his life.
A non linear is pretty much the opposite of a linear narrative. In a non linear show, the events do not take place in chronological order. There will often be flashbacks or flash forwards to help develop the story line or explain certain aspects that may be unclear. This is also popular among directors because they can pull off more complex story lines. It is also more of a risk as there is a good chance the viewer might get confused with what is going on if it keeps changing out of place. Directors tend to go for non linear when they want to make the audience think. They don't want their idea to be too simple or boring which is likely with linear dramas. The very popular show 'Lost' is a non linear drama. In lost, a group of people survive a plane crash and get stranded on a remote island. They often show flashbacks of the survivors lives before they got stranded which link in with their actions on the island and their relationships with the other characters. This is effective as it explains some of the events that takes place and helps to get across why the characters are doing what they do.
Realism and Non realism
Realism is a form of narrative that people can relate to. It involves realistic or true events. Realism dramas are often based on true events that really happened. A director might choose to do this because it is easy for them and it is something that people will be interested in. By choosing a real event to make a film of, you already have your story line which eliminates part of the production process. Also by picking an event that has either affected a lot of people or something that a lot of people know of, you are guaranteed viewers. The serial show 'The Office' uses the realism narrative. This is because it is based on the events that take place in an everyday office. It is a realistic show so that people can relate to it. Many people work in offices and find that they know people like the characters involved which makes the show funnier. If the show were to add something completely unrealistic such as monsters, viewers could not relate and wouldn't find it funny.
A non realism narrative is a narrative that is wrote up and is not expected to be believable. They include things that could never happen in our day to day world and are just a fantasy. This narrative is sometimes chosen by directors who want to make something exciting and different. It gives the director no limits because the story isn't real anyway. Anything can happen in a non realism single camera. The TV show 'Misfits' uses the non realism drama. This show follows a group of youths on community service. This is a fairly realistic base to work on however each youth gets super natural powers. This is non realistic as no one really has super powers and therefore cannot relate. The director will have done this as not many people can relate to youths on community service yet the fact they have super powers interests viewers and means they can get involved in all sorts of non realistic mishaps, revolving around their abilities.
Technical requirements
A lot of directors use different technical utilities to improve the story and the narrative. One of the requirements is lighting. Lighting is very useful for adding a dramatic effect to the story. A different outlook on characters and situations can be given by adding or taking away light from the scene.
This is a shot where lighting has been used effectively. There is only light in the background of the picture to show what the setting is. The character in the center is completely blacked out which makes him look mysterious. Also because he is in a remote tunnel, it makes the audience think something big and dramatic is about to happen. There is not much detail so the audience doesn't learn too much from one shot. They are unaware what is to happen next and therefore continue watching. If the shot was completely lighted then the audience would know a lot more about the character and the location and they wouldn't be curious as to what is going on.
Sound is used similarly to lighting. It can also be used to add dramatic effect to shots and develop story. The use of sound can be more effective in certain genres. For example, in horror's and thrillers, sound can be used to add suspense and tension. Loud noises are often use to scare audiences so this can be achieved by over exaggerating sounds. This is also helped a long by having little background noise. An example would be a silent room with the odd creak of a chair or floorboard right before a scream that the audience was anticipating. This makes the scream even scarier as it is not drowned out by background music.
This video explains the effect and importance of sound in film. It explains how it creates an atmosphere. This is important because it lets the audience know what they are in for and what they can expect. It also indulges them in what they are watching and can keep then interested. Poor use of sound can make the production seem boring.
One thing that makes certain directors so successful is their own adapted style. Certain directors like things done in a certain way and for some of them this is effective. You can find that directors use a lot of the same shots and effects in their films all depending on what they think looks good or helps carry a story. One director who has a clear style is Martin Scorsese. He has created many successful films and most of which use his own unique style. Scorsese frequently uses slow motion and long tracking shots in his films. He also uses music that is popular. This is effective because he is picking songs that people know and songs that people understand. If the song carries a certain message then it can help carry the story of the scene. Also people will enjoy listening to music they like, they won't want to hear something that is unknown and sounds terrible.
This is a scene from 'Mean Streets'. This shows the typical effects Scorsese likes to use. In this clip we see Robert De Niro's character entering the bar. As he enters everything turns to slow motion and the song 'Jumping Jack Flash' plays by 'The Rolling Stones'. These are both done to help give the impression that this character is cool. The slow motion lets you take in how he enters and people's reaction to him. The music is of a rock and roll genre which lets you think he is as cool as The Rolling Stones. The song is also one of their most popular which lets you think he is popular. These effects done by Scorsese are very little however very effective as we soon build up this characters persona all from his entrance.
Soap Opera
Soap Operas are the most viewed programmes on television. A Soap Opera is a lot like a Serial however there is no seasons. It just continues all the time. It is rare that a soap opera is done with a single camera however it is done. Some directors choose to make their soaps single cam so they can focus more on the characters. By doing multiple takes of a scene looking at each character, you can focus on their actions and expressions and make sure you get the best end result out of them. This is important because a lot of people watch soaps for the characters. Soaps are shows about everyday people that face realistic struggles. The viewers watch it if they feel they can relate or find the characters interesting. They are more likely to find a connection with the characters if they're performance is perfected which is easier to do with single camera.
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| Image from: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/coronation-street-spoilers-drama-cobbles-after-carla-incest-bombshell-tracy-hits-rock-bottom-1535387 |
When creating a single camera drama. You need to take in to account which kind of narrative will be most effective for your story.
Linear and non linear
A linear narrative is also known as a sequential narrative. A linear narrative is when all the events in the story happen in chronological order. The story flows from the beginning and has no flashbacks or jumps forward in the story. This is used quite often because it is simple to do and gets the story across well. It is unlikely to confuse the viewer because everything is shown as it happens. It is the safest option for a narrative for a director. It is a useful option to choose if the director wants follow one character or story. The Single drama, 'Toast' is an example of a linear narrative. This show follows a young Nigel Slater who gradually grows up to become the chef he is today. This is an effective linear drama because it is showing him growing up. It needs to go in the correct order so we know what happened in each stage of his life.
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| Image from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wylpf |
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| Image from: https://squareeyedwastaken.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/lost/ |
Realism is a form of narrative that people can relate to. It involves realistic or true events. Realism dramas are often based on true events that really happened. A director might choose to do this because it is easy for them and it is something that people will be interested in. By choosing a real event to make a film of, you already have your story line which eliminates part of the production process. Also by picking an event that has either affected a lot of people or something that a lot of people know of, you are guaranteed viewers. The serial show 'The Office' uses the realism narrative. This is because it is based on the events that take place in an everyday office. It is a realistic show so that people can relate to it. Many people work in offices and find that they know people like the characters involved which makes the show funnier. If the show were to add something completely unrealistic such as monsters, viewers could not relate and wouldn't find it funny.
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| Image from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/characters/profile_david.shtml |
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| Image from: http://e4-misfits.wikia.com/wiki/The_Misfits_Gang |
Technical requirements
A lot of directors use different technical utilities to improve the story and the narrative. One of the requirements is lighting. Lighting is very useful for adding a dramatic effect to the story. A different outlook on characters and situations can be given by adding or taking away light from the scene.
 |
| Image from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/386535580494596148/ |
Sound is used similarly to lighting. It can also be used to add dramatic effect to shots and develop story. The use of sound can be more effective in certain genres. For example, in horror's and thrillers, sound can be used to add suspense and tension. Loud noises are often use to scare audiences so this can be achieved by over exaggerating sounds. This is also helped a long by having little background noise. An example would be a silent room with the odd creak of a chair or floorboard right before a scream that the audience was anticipating. This makes the scream even scarier as it is not drowned out by background music.
This video explains the effect and importance of sound in film. It explains how it creates an atmosphere. This is important because it lets the audience know what they are in for and what they can expect. It also indulges them in what they are watching and can keep then interested. Poor use of sound can make the production seem boring.
One thing that makes certain directors so successful is their own adapted style. Certain directors like things done in a certain way and for some of them this is effective. You can find that directors use a lot of the same shots and effects in their films all depending on what they think looks good or helps carry a story. One director who has a clear style is Martin Scorsese. He has created many successful films and most of which use his own unique style. Scorsese frequently uses slow motion and long tracking shots in his films. He also uses music that is popular. This is effective because he is picking songs that people know and songs that people understand. If the song carries a certain message then it can help carry the story of the scene. Also people will enjoy listening to music they like, they won't want to hear something that is unknown and sounds terrible.
This is a scene from 'Mean Streets'. This shows the typical effects Scorsese likes to use. In this clip we see Robert De Niro's character entering the bar. As he enters everything turns to slow motion and the song 'Jumping Jack Flash' plays by 'The Rolling Stones'. These are both done to help give the impression that this character is cool. The slow motion lets you take in how he enters and people's reaction to him. The music is of a rock and roll genre which lets you think he is as cool as The Rolling Stones. The song is also one of their most popular which lets you think he is popular. These effects done by Scorsese are very little however very effective as we soon build up this characters persona all from his entrance.
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