To get the maximum benefits from multicamera shooting, it pays to allocate some time for planning. You and your team should sit down and discuss what the cameras will be covering.
If you’re limited by equipment or manpower, go for simple multicamera shooting, which involves an extra camera manned by someone else.
Even shooting with two cameras could produce fantastic results that may not be possible with a single-camera setup.
If for instance you’re shooting a wedding, you can elect to shoot the main event and have your assistant shoot footage for cutaways to add variety to your video during moments when nothing much is happening.
While two handheld cameras would suit occasions like weddings where there’s much motion among subjects, it would be a different ball game when it comes to shooting a stage performance like a play or concert.
On such occasions, you would want to have your cameras in fixed positions. If you have three cameras, you could decide in advance what each camera would be covering.
You could have one camera covering the whole action, another taking in the main action with background details included and the third camera concentrating on close-up shots of a singer or actor.
Knowing as much as possible about the event would help you make informed decisions when it comes to camera placements and composition of shots.
