Getting Started with Multi-Camera Video
It’s pretty obvious to most people that multi camera video has the potential to create the most engaging online experience. The challenge often boils down to where should you even start? My goal in this post is not to suggest specific equipment, but help you think through the functions you need so you can make the best choices on the tools to help get you where you want to go.
People Resources
One of the most overlooked aspects of a video system is how many people it requires to operate any given setup. Usually it’s best to have one operator per camera, someone running the switcher, maybe a director who just calls the shots, and in some cases someone doing camera brightness control (shading). Even in cases where you’re using robotic (PTZ) cameras it’s still best to have one operator per camera. While you can start to combine roles on simple setups, it requires people to begin to split their focus to multiple tasks making each task more difficult and decreasing the creative potential.
So before you start planning what tools you need to buy, plan the team you need to run the system.
Infrastructure
This may be dictated a lot by the cameras and switcher you chose to go with, but it is also worth considering what cabling infrastructure is needed. The main 2 options currently are SDI and ethernet, but there are also systems that run over fiber, as well as HDMI if all of the components are close enough to run over HDMI. Typically you want to keep HDMI runs short and avoid converters as much as possible because they add another potential point of failure and latency.
Camera locations and quantity
There are many schools of thought when it comes to camera locations, but the things to consider are what types of shots do you need/want and what is physically possible within your space. You want to look at what your typically do and think about how you want that to come across on video. This helps to inform your camera locations.
Front and Center
It is pretty common practice that the most natural look for someone speaking to camera is straight on with the lens at the speakers eye level. This allows for the most natural connection between the speaker and the audience that is represented by the camera.
Tight and Wide
From the front and center location, there are often 2 types of desired shots:
The tight shot (at least waist to head) helps the viewer connect with the presenters facial expressions in a conversational way like they are getting coffee together.
The wide shot (full body to full stage) helps the viewer to see the greater context of what is happening in the room.
These are the 2 primary shots that matter for a speaker. That being said having a second camera at this location is often more of a luxury and may not be the best choice if your overall number of cameras is extremely limited. As long as you have a different shot to switch to, the front and center shot can often cover both functions.
A final note on this location: to get the proper framing, you will need a lens/camera capable of a reasonable amount of optical (using the lens) zoom. It is also typically best to have this camera on a good tripod with a smooth or “fluid” head to keep tracking smooth.
Front Row
The second camera position I would look at, is the front row shot. This allows the viewer to feel very close to everything happening on the stage and gives a good alternative to the front and center shot. It also allows for a variation on the wide shot that gives good overall context to what’s happening.
This camera is most useful when it can move around pretty freely, either mounted on a tripod on wheels, a dolly, or even handheld.
In order to keep a handheld shot smooth, you want to create as many points of contact with the body as possible. Usually a good strategy is to tuck it into one side of the body like holding a (American) football.
On stage
Mainly for during music capture when there is more going on these locations serve to immerse the viewer in what’s happening on stage and show perspectives impossible without the camera.
I like to tuck 1-2 camera in the corners of the stage and focus on the elements that are right around them. These are best as handheld cameras.
Establishing Shots
The establishing shot helps the viewer to get better context of the overall room and is therefore usually found near a back or side wall.
This camera can be tripod or even Jib mounted to help draw in more motion.
Alternative Angles
These can appear about anywhere in the room, but the purpose is to provide a different perspective that can’t be gained from any of the other locations.
Communication
One often overlooked piece is that everyone on the video team needs to be able to communicate in real time. This is typically done with a specifically designed intercom system. While there are some “budget” options out there, this is one area you don’t want to skimp on. Luckily there are a couple good alternatives to Clearcom and Telex. Companies like Hollyland make a great solution at a good price.
Switching and graphics
In order to change between the cameras and other sources you will need either software or a dedicated device. Going the software route will require a fairly powerful computer and some sort of input card for the computer hosting the software.
Another piece to consider is that software will often add latency to the signal which may or may not matter in your situation depending on if you have Image magnification (live video in the room) or not.
Transitions
I spoke a lot more to directing style in my post “the art of video switching”, but it’s important to know what you want your switcher to be capable of when it comes to transition options.
Overlays & Destinations
The last piece of the switcher to consider is how many unique video mixes you need and how many Keyers or video overlays are needed for each.
Common uses for keyers are to overlay lyrics, teaching graphics, or branding elements.
Different uses for video mixes (M/E) could be an I-mag (image magnification) feed, a broadcast feed, or a separate projector feed for graphics. While it’s nice to have separate broadcast and imag feeds, It is perfectly acceptable to use the same feed for broadcast and imag, it just depends on your situation and what you want to achieve.
Distribution and live streaming
The final piece of the puzzle is looking at where all you may want to distribute video too. Do you need to get a splitter to send the same signal to your projectors, lobby, nursery, nursing mothers room?
When it comes to online streaming are you streaming out of a computer or a dedicated hardware encoder? If its, a dedicated computer, You’ll want to make sure you have the proper interface cards and the internal processing power to accommodate encoding video to be streamed. Theres also the question of your internet speeds and network infrastructure to be able to get the most reliable signal out to your streaming service provider.
If you’d like to discuss further how to plan out your video setup, I’d love to chat with you about it. You can send me a message here to get the conversation started.