Preliminary Task

Shot/Reverse shot, 180 degree rule and match on action

180 degree rule

• When filming two people, the camera must stay on one side of a ‘line‘. The camera may pan across this line, but it cannot go the other side of it, or the sequence filmed will not make sense.

• For example; if two people are having a conversation at dinner and are sitting opposite each other, this ‘line’ would go directly from one of the characters to the other. The camera can then either go to the right of them or to the left of them, but it must stay that side (below – diagram of this rule).

Match on action• This is when one shot cuts to

another, which shows the first shot’s action and energy.This then gives the impression of continuous time in a sequence, creating a visual bridge.

• For example; a character could be running towards a door and then opening it, then the next shot could show the character running through the door from the inside of the room. The image below shows another example.

Shot/Reverse shot

• This technique is presented when one character is looking at another character, then, in a second shot, the other character is looking back at the first character. This gives the impression to the audience that they are looking at each other, or having a conversation.

This image shows an example: