Wikipedia has a pretty good (though complex) explanation of filming with one camera:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup Also, Richard Kelly's book, "The Andy Griffith Show" has a good explanation. Here's mine: Basically, it involves using just a single camera at a time to film a scene. That means that all the scenes inside the courthouse looking from behind Andy's desk towards the cells would be filmed since the wall behind Andy with the maps has been removed to accomodate the camera. Then the camera is repositioned looking towards Andy's desk, the wall is replaced and those same scenes are filmed again. To make it even more involved, the first scene for each setup is called the "Master" shot which usually includes everyone in the shot (say Andy, Barney, and Opie all together in the Courthouse). They run through the scene saying their lines and then filming is halted while lighting is adjusted and the camera is repositioned to focus on one or two of the actors (a "Two shot"). The two actors would then run through the scene again reciting the same lines. Then finally adjustments are made for lighting and camera position, and the "close-ups" are filmed focusing solely on the individual actor. The same lines are recited, usually with the off camera actor going through the scene as if he were on camera. Andy Griffith once said that when Ron Howard had to leave the set to go to school, they would film all his scenes and close-ups, and then when it would appear Andy was talking to Opie (individual shots back and forth between Andy and Opie), Andy was actually just talking to a box or broomstick set up off camera where Opie would have been in the previously filmed "Master" or "Two shot." Because of all the stopping/starting of filming, repositioning sets and camera, adjusting lighting, etc. it took them approximately three days to film a half hour episode of the show with one day devoted to exterior scenes of "Mayberry" at 40 acres in Culver City. The film editor would then take all the footage and "assemble" or edit it to appear as if it were seamless. I think they did a pretty good job on TAGS! Robbie Barnwell _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
