Always Shoot with 2 Cameras (WIDE & TIGHT)
- silverlightphotoco
- Apr 19, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 10
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So, here's the actual start of this blog post:
INTRODUCTION:
Throughout history, actors have had to be a robot and repeat their performances as directors reshoot over and over again. I thought this was a waste of time (and effort) so I built a multi-camera rig to help solve this "problem". I figured "Why not reduce the number of takes and the strain on the actors by increasing the number of cameras (vs. the number of takes) while you change lenses or camera angles"? However, I've been finding the technique of always shooting with 2 cameras transcends "real" filmmaking, and is even useful for covering subjects of everyday life, including cats, kids and etc. It's almost EVERY TIME I forget to add a second camera (and yes, it can be pretty easy with my "Minimal Kit" method) I tend to regret it...or should I be a bit more emphatic and say: I regret it every time. So, while this article covers the main reasons "WHY" I prefer to always shoot with 2 cameras, I do have another article that introduces the idea of HOW TO: Always Shoot With 2 Cameras.
Why I Always Shoot With 2 Cameras:
REASON 1 IT'S EASIER, FASTER TO SHOOT
While the tradition of shooting a scene multiple times (due to changing lenses or changing camera angles) has been fading away due to camera prices going down (productions can afford to have several cameras on a shoot) the habits learned from those days have lingered. Using a multi-camera rig can speed up the process of shooting by allowing each photographer to capture BOTH a WIDE and a TIGHT shot at the same time! This speeds up movie production and makes reality content much easier to capture (sports events, weddings, etc.)
REASON 2 IT MAKES EDITING EASIER TOO
One of the powerful things about always shooting with two cameras is (if both shots are good) the director will always have at least two shots to choose from while editing. I always cringed when I heard that certain directors would "shoot wide" (wider than the final shot) so they could have flexibility in post-production. As a photographer, this is really difficult to do, as there is there is such an OPTICAL difference between wide and tight shots that it's hard to separate that from your thinking while shooting (and "just shoot a bit wider" etc.) My approach is to always give the director those two shots they want, but shoot them with the appropriate optics, a wide lens and a tight lens!
REASON 3 IT RETAINS A "SENSE OF REALITY"
This point is important for movie production, but essential for news, documentary or other reality content. Imagine trying to get all of your shots for a wedding (or other live event) but missing a shot because you had the wrong lens on (too wide or tight). You can't just ask the person to "do it again" (laugh, smile, etc.) because then it wouldn't be real! However, if you always shoot with two cameras (wide & tight) you'll never have to choose which lens to use, so your reaction time can be quicker, and you'll be less likely to miss important moments due to changing cameras or lenses (unless you aren't in the right place at the right time).
HOW DO I DO THIS? (USING A MULTI-CAMERA RIG)
You can check out my updated post about HOW TO: Always Shoot With 2 Cameras for more details, but you can also watch the brief video below of my rig in action here. I'm also working on KIT PLANS to show exactly what items I use and how I build my 2-camera rigs.
CONCLUSION:
Tradition dies hard, and every new idea gathers both positive and negative attention, so if you do this some people may think you are strange. The editors will certainly love you though, as you'll be providing simultaneous wide and tight shots for every take, and maybe people will think you're a genius after they see how much faster you're working (and how much easier it is for the actors.)
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