Joanna Traill BTEC Extended Diploma 19th January 2015
Creative Media Production
Film and Television
Unit 22: Single Camera Techniques
Task 1: Understand the features of single camera production
There are several different types of single camera productions such as a Series, a Serial and Single Dramas.
Single camera productions often take on genres such as Period Dramas, Crime dramas, Comedies/Sit-Coms and Soap Operas. These genres appear across each different type of single camera production whether it be a series, serial or single drama.
Series
A television series involves a number of programmes and seasons, each involving the same characters and the same locations, however each episode has a different plot. Television series often air a new episode every week as well as repeating older episodes during daytime television.
There are many different genres in single camera series and each genre uses specific single camera techniques in order to portray the desired genre.
Period Drama

The narrative of each episode in the Downton Abbey series are fairly similar. Each episode consists of a challenge that needs to be faced, whether it be for one of Lord Granthams daughters to find a suitor, or whether it be for the maids to learn how to read. The narrative always compares the problems of the rich to those of the poor. However the challenges that they face were often not resolved until a few episodes have passed. This made the series more intense and so the audience would want to continue watching it.

The narrative structure of the show is linear as the point of this period drama is to witness what happens to the lives of the aristocracy throughout the war period and as each series passes, the power that the aristocracy have lessens.
Sit-com

The technical aspects are fairly basic. The camera angles and the lighting is vey normal as the show needs to represent plain, every day life to help illustrate the narrative and the characters. By having simple cuts and everyday sounds the narrative is justified further.


Soap Opera


The technical aspects of Soap Operas are also similar to those of sit-coms with simple cuts between scenes and basic daytime/night-time lighting with normal sounds such as busy market streets.
The endings to each of the episodes however are very different to other television series as they all have open endings that leave the audience on a cliffhanger. This makes sure that the audience tune in to the next episode the following day to find out what happens to the end of the particular plot.
Serial
A serial is a television show with one storyline/plot running throughout each episode. A serial doesn't tend to contain more than 5 episodes however it can vary, and each episode is broadcasted once a week.
Each episode in a serial contributes to the overall plot of the story and each week the audience find out more about the situation that the characters are in however the story is not resolved until the final episode.
Crime Drama

Due to the shows intense narrative, it is ideal that the technicalities of the production should be intense as well. During a dramatic car chase or a rapid hunt the cuts are very sharp with dramatic music added to build the tension for the audience. There are also many close ups of the characters faces, especially the father’s, so the audience can clearly see the pain in the mans eyes as he tries to find his son.
Each episode ended on an open ending that would lead into the next episode. It is important for a serial episode to have an open ending as this requires the audience to watch the whole serial in order to find out the outcome. It also adds to the drama of the narrative as the week that the audience have to wait to find out what happens next contradicts the urgency of the fathers desperation to find out what has happened to his missing son.


The sounds are also important to the show as well as the audience expect to here sounds of guns being fired and bombs etc. considering the location and the current situation.
Single Drama
A single drama is a one off episode, often lasting about an hour/ hour and a half, and is usually based on a true story or current event.
Comedy

This single drama is an adaptation of one of David Walliams’ books. The narrative deals with realist events such as cross-dressing and exposes the judgement and discrimination that some people have. This single-drama is made to be a comedy as it emphasises how absurd it is to judge someone on what they wear and it makes a mockery of those who do judge.
The show is meant to be light hearted and so the technicalities of the show must replicate that same message. The camera angles featured are very casual, which juxtaposes how unusual it is for a young boy to wander into school wearing a bright orange, floral dress.