The bread and butter of PTZ camera usage will always be situations where a second take isn’t an option—sports, musical performances, public presentations, religious ceremonies. These are productions where getting great footage the first time around isn’t just ideal, it’s imperative. And one of the easiest ways to step those productions up is by using more than one camera. By having multiple angles to cut between, you’re giving yourself both variety and safety. But more cameras also mean more potential headaches, with extra cable runs, the integration of a video switcher, and pressure to keep all your cameras on point. Read on for three techniques that can take your multi-cam PTZ productions to the next level.
Innovative Multi-Camera Positioning
The wide shot from the back of the room—a tried and true “A camera” position. Bring in a second camera and it’ll likely go closer to the front of the room, on the right or left side of the stage/subject. A third camera? Likely to live on whichever side the second camera isn’t. But even by the time you’re placing this third camera, you have an opportunity to step things up a notch and get a bit more crafty. Maybe you put it on a manual pedestal tripod you can quickly raise up and down, then you put that tripod on dolly wheels to slide it wherever needed. Or you hang a motorized pedestal from the ceiling and control it remotely.
The name of the game here is flexibility. Traditional camera positioning can get you your classic shots, but the real surprises can come when the PTZ is placed down low at the front of the stage, or high above it peering down at the presenters. Plot out where your subjects can be, lock in your core angles, then brainstorm some perspectives that people aren’t used to—those will be the shots that really turn heads. If you’re setting cameras up in a house of worship, try to get at least one wider angle that can capture parts of the audience and general ambience, as well as one closer to the front of the room for a clear shot of speakers without having to be all the way zoomed in. This closer camera can be partially hidden behind existing architectural elements so it’s not as visually distracting, but that will limit its possible angles.
Simplified Wiring and Workflow
Wiring up multiple cameras can get tricky fast, with most PTZ’s requiring power and control protocols going in while a video feed goes out. Run all three of those through separate cables and you can quickly get tied up, but run all three through an Ethernet cable—ideally Cat 6 or higher—and suddenly you’re not stressing it all so much. Make sure your camera can output video via IP, is capable of PoE (power over ethernet), and can run an IP-based control protocol. That info can be found in the manual or in the specs on the B&H item page. You’ll also need to double check that your network switch is PoE equipped. If not, get a PoE injector.
Send all of this data back to a central hub first then deal with added elements like breakout rooms or multiple streaming destinations. Simplifying the camera end of the equation and adding more complex elements further down the line at your computer/switcher/controller will save you time, cabling, and frustrations when building out multi-cam setups. Utilize PTZ cameras with advanced IP options like NDI|HX for even more flexibility and reliability.
Refined Presets and Manual Movement
Getting creative with your angles and camera movements is good, but often you don’t want to mess with them too much during while recording. By setting position presets for each camera beforehand in the camera’s controller or computer application, you can be super precise with your angles and much more efficient mid-production. During rehearsals and build-out, set some classic angles you know might be useful, but also challenge yourself to find a few position presets that might not get a ton of use but show more personality. Maybe an extreme close-up of the speaker, a super-wide of the entire room, or an audience reaction shot. Save them all to the preset spots in your controller of choice. Even if you never end up using them, it’s good to practice finding these unique perspectives after the physical cameras are already locked in place.
When you switch between preset positions, the camera will move quickly and precisely. That’s perfect when you need a fast change, but I also recommend trying out manual moves like slow pans and zooms to give your production a bit more of a human touch. The goal here is to get a little muscle memory going so you’re not hunting around the space or messing up a move mid-shoot. If you’re able to record all the camera feeds individually via your switcher, that will give you peace of mind knowing you can cut away from any messed up manual movements in the final edit. This is especially useful for houses of worship and any organizations that depend on volunteer operators who might not be as experienced.
All three of these techniques combine preparedness and craftiness, two of the most important traits for any PTZ innovator. If you have questions about PTZ cameras, feel free to give us a call, start a chat, or come visit us at the NYC SuperStore.
