One plus two (2)

The second arrangement – of the interviewer in the middle – gives greater control to the interviewer, but is considerably harder to shoot.

Two cameras

It is virtually impossible to shoot well with just two cameras, but can be pulled off if you have a very capable interviewer who doesn’t mind working to different cameras throughout the programme.

You have to position the cameras one on each side. With just a slight movement camera 1 can get a single of ‘B’, a 2-shot of interviewer and ‘B’ favouring ‘B’, a single of the interviewer talking to ‘A’, an OTS of ‘A’ favouring the interviewer, or a 3-shot.

Camera 2 gets the exact opposite.

The trick here is to get the interviewer to let you know who he will speak to next, either through some pre-arranged signal, or by the interviewer following the programme editor who calls out who will speak next.

Supposing you are on ‘A’ (Cam 2, MCU). If you know the interviewer will speak to ‘A’ again next, call for either an MCU of the interviewer or an OTS on Cam 1.

However if you know that ‘B’ will be questioned next, then Cam 1 needs to offer the 3-shot or 2-shot right. As soon as you cut 1, Cam 2 must offer the MCU of the interviewer looking at ‘B’. Cut to Cam 2 as soon as it is ready, letting Cam 1 reframe on an MCU of ‘B’.

It may sound a little daunting, but you get used to sequences like this once you have run them a couple of times.

Three cameras

You still have two cameras off to the sides (but now they are 1 and 3) which offer the same shots as above. Additionally, you can now risk crabbing either Cam 1 or Cam 3 further around to give an OTS of one guest looking straight at the other. This is a great shot if they start going directly at each other.

Cam 2 would normally start in the middle, where it would be the interviewer’s main camera. This can crab left and right, but its most useful place for the bulk of the interview is probably hard round to one side, where it can offer a 2-shot left favouring ‘A’, a 2-shot right favouring the interviewer, or a 3-shot. Cam 3 gets either an MCU or an OTS of ‘A’.

One plus two, two cameras

One plus two, three cameras