This document discusses the rules of filmmaking that students should understand for their media course. It lists four fundamental rules: 1) match on action, 2) shot/reverse shot for dialogue, 3) the 180 degree rule, and 4) the rule of thirds. Students are instructed to define each rule and study examples that demonstrate when each rule is followed or broken. For their assessment, students must shoot and edit a video that applies these rules, including examples that break them and then follow them correctly. Understanding and applying these basic rules of cinematography is important for students' media coursework and projects.

1. RULES OF FILMMAKING
STARTER
To recognise and understand media language.
To be aware of the golden rules for film making.
In pairs, answer the questions about
your AS media course:
1. What type of media will you be producing for your portfolio?
2. How many marks are awarded for the evaluation of your media
product?
3. Why can’t you use a theme tune in your portfolio piece?
4. What is the maximum number per group?
5. When should your portfolio piece be completed by?
6. How many sections are there in the exam paper?
7. How much time do you have and how many marks are
awarded for each section?
8. What four areas should you focus on in your analysis?
9. Which processes should you explore in section 2 of the paper?
10. Which films will you be using as your case study?

2. Media language
Camera shot Editing
Sound Mise-en-scene

3. Media language
Camera shot Editing
Sound Mise-en-scene
Straight cut
Fade
Dissolve
Setting & props
Costume
Bridges
Diagetic / Non-diagetic
Parallel / contrapuntal
Position within a frame
Tracking
High-angle
ECU

4. Preliminary task
• A continuity task involving filming and editing a
character (1) opening a door, (2) crossing a room
and (3) sitting down in a chair opposite another
character, with who (4) he/she then exchanges a
couples of lines of dialogue.
• You must demonstrate match on action,
shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

5. The filmmaker’s rulebook
1. Match on action –
2. Shot/reverse shot for dialogue –
3. 180 degree rule –
4. The rule of thirds –
What are these rules? How would you define them?
Use the clips to help you come up with a definition.

6. The clips
1. Match on action –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZsUqJYiKHY&list=PLT
ncY6XLnu8ZwQGNLcZ0wyMPX_jZ0WQOj&index=15
2. Shot/reverse shot for dialogue –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Ey0a6LJRA&list=PLT
ncY6XLnu8ZwQGNLcZ0wyMPX_jZ0WQOj
3. 180 degree rule –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HinUychY3sE&list=PLT
ncY6XLnu8ZwQGNLcZ0wyMPX_jZ0WQOj
4. The rule of thirds –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEWx6zbUDrc&list=PL
TncY6XLnu8ZwQGNLcZ0wyMPX_jZ0WQOj

7. Self-study task
• On your blogs – write a definition of each of the
following media terms:
1. Match on action –
2. Shot/reverse shot for dialogue –
3. 180 degree rule –
4. The rule of thirds –

8. Good and bad
• Next lesson we will film, edit and upload an
instructional video on the rules of filmmaking.
• In it we will include examples of the rules being
broken followed by the same shot sequence
following the principles.