# Sitcom Multi-Cam — Series Sub-Type

> Traditional sitcom shot with multiple cameras + live audience. Joke-dense. Theatrical.

## Defining elements

- Multi-camera setup (3-4 cameras simultaneous)
- Live studio audience (or laugh track)
- Theatrical staging
- Joke-dense (4-7 per minute)
- Recurring sets
- Family/workplace ensemble

## Examples

- Seinfeld
- Friends
- The Big Bang Theory
- Cheers
- I Love Lucy
- The Honeymooners
- Modern Family (single-cam, but worth comparing)

## Structural conventions

### 3-act structure (22 min)
```
ACT 1 (5-7 min)
- Cold open joke/situation
- Episode problem introduced
- Multiple subplots set up

ACT 2 (10-12 min)
- Complications
- Multiple storylines
- Joke density high

ACT 3 (5-6 min)
- Resolution
- Tag/button (final joke)
```

### Joke structure
- Setup → punchline
- Rule of three
- Callback
- Misdirection

### Subplot integration
- A, B, sometimes C story
- Different character pairings
- Some intersect at end

### Recurring sets
- Apartment, coffee shop, workplace
- 2-4 standing sets
- Audience anticipates locations

## Voice / style

- Punchy dialogue
- Multiple jokes per page
- Theatrical (not naturalistic)
- Live audience reactions
- Laugh tracks if no audience

## Episodes

- 22 min content + 8 min ads
- 22 episodes per season typical
- Multiple seasons (5-10 typical)

## Multi-cam vs single-cam

| Aspect | Multi-cam | Single-cam |
|--------|-----------|------------|
| Cameras | 3-4 simultaneous | 1 at a time |
| Audience | Live or laugh track | None (or canned) |
| Pacing | Punchy | More cinematic |
| Style | Theatrical | Naturalistic |
| Examples | Seinfeld | The Office |

## Multi-cam joke density

Aim for 4-7 jokes per minute. Common types:
- Setup-punchline
- Misunderstanding
- Reaction shots (audience laughs)
- Physical comedy
- Wordplay
- Catchphrases

## When to write multi-cam

- Network sitcom
- Joke-dense humor
- Recurring set franchise
- Family-friendly mass audience
- Live-audience energy
- Long-running series potential
