Film Preliminary Exercise
Video
Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character
opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another
character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task
should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
The 1800 Rule
This dictates that you should keep the camera on one side of the line of action
between two people or events that are interacting on screen. This means that in the
edit you can cut between the two people and they will be facing each other from
opposite sides of the screen.
Shot Reverse Shot
This is a way of filming an exchange between two characters, and is often used in
interviews. The camera operator needs to observe the 180° rule and not cross the
line. The camera will film one person talking and looking off screen in one direction,
then cuts to another person responding whilst looking off screen in the opposite
direction. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the
viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other.
Match on Action
This is a filming / editing technique which enables the audience to move seamlessly
in relation to the on screen action and is a way of adding extra energy and
dynamism to a sequence. It is a continuity edit which is pretty straight forward but
does need careful attention to detail whilst filming.
Essentially match on action is where a movement or action is cut whilst it is in
progress in shot A and then it is completed in shot B (or in subsequent shots), shot
from a different position.
Shot A
Shot B
Shot C
There are some useful rules to think about while filming for a match on action:
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Don’t break the 180° rule and cross the line
Film the entire sequence from all angles (plenty of coverage)
Keep the subject in the same portion of the frame in both shots (think in
thirds)
Make sure that the person or object is in the same position in relation to
other things within the frame to avoid continuity errors
Make sure that, if you use an actor, that he or she repeats exactly the same
actions in both shots in exactly the same way to avoid continuity errors
Ensure you change the angle of filming by at least 30° (The 30° Rule) to
avoid a jump cut