This document provides an overview of key camera techniques for a filming task, including the 180-degree rule, match on action, and shot reverse shot. The 180-degree rule maintains the spatial relationship between characters and scenes. Match on action creates a sense of continuity by cutting between shots that show the same ongoing action. Shot reverse shot alternates between the perspectives of two characters in a conversation for clarity. The task is to film and edit a character moving through a scene and having a brief dialogue using these continuity techniques.

1. W H A T D O I N E E D T O K N O W …
Coursework

2. Introduction to camera angles
 There are many angles and shots that are seen in all
forms of media.
 When you construct your preliminary task and your
opening sequence the shots that you use will be key.
 In the preliminary task, you need to include:
 180 degree rule
 Match on action
 Shot reverse shot

3. 180 degree rule

4. Match on action

5. Shot reverse shot

6. Skill 1: 180 degree rule
The rule:
• The camera(s) used should
stay on the same side of the
imaginary line at all times
• The line is drawn at a 90
degree angle to the cameras
viewpoint in the
establishing shot of the
screen
• The rule implements
stability in the film

7. SHOULD
NEVER BE
BROKEN

8. • The only exceptions for
violating the rule is for ‘effect’
– (e.g. A chase scene)
• Violating the rule will leave the
audience puzzled
Exceptions

9. Eye line
• Crossing the eye line when filming
over the shoulder shots would lead
to a shift in the persons eye line.
This means that the person in the
screens eye line do not match
• The two people present in the
scene should always be on the same
side of the frame in each shot

10. Results of breaking the rule
• Would leave the audience confused
• The audience would lose focus
• Losing focus may lead to the viewers
missing vital parts of the film

11. Ways around the rule
• The only way to cross the line without
losing the focus of the audience is to show
the camera movement
• You cannot cross the line or the viewer
will not be focused
• If the camera happens to cross then line
and shows the movement than it should
stay in that part of the line, unless the
movement is shown back over it

12. The 180 rule: In Summary
 The 180° rule is a filming guideline that participants in a scene
should have the same left-right relationship to each other, with
filming only taking place within the 180° angle in which this is
maintained in a conversation, for example.
 For example in King Vidor’s The Big Parade (1925), the
audience’s viewpoint is constantly southward of the action – the
American soldiers walk from left to right to the frontlines, and
right to left when they return home, creating a continuous sense
of direction .
 This allows the audience to have a greater sense of location in
the scene in terms of what may be off-screen in some shots, for
example in shot reverse shots.

13. Skill 2: Match on action
• Match on action is an editing
technique for stability editing
in which one shot cuts to
another shot revealing the
action of the issue in the first
shot
•This creates the feeling of a
sense of continuity – the
action present on the screen
creates a ‘visual bridge’, which
draws the viewers attention
away from slight Cutting or
continuity issues

14. Match on action: In Summary
 Match on action (or cutting on action) is an editing
technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to
another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first
shot.
 This creates the impression of a sense of continuity – the
action carrying through creates a “visual bridge” which
draws the viewer’s attention away from slight cutting or
continuity issues.
 This is not a graphic match or match cut, it portrays a
continuous sense of the same action rather than matching
two separate things.

15. Skill 3: Shot reverse shot
• Shot reverse shot is a
continuity editing
technique and can be used
in conversations
• A shot reverse shot would
start off showing what the
character is evidently
looking at (either a point of
view or over the shoulder)
and is then followed by a
reverse angle shot of the
character themselves
looking at it

16. Shot Reverse Shot
 Shot reverse shot is a continuity editing technique used in
conversations or simply characters looking at each other or
objects.
 A shot showing what the character is supposedly looking at
(either a point of view or over the shoulder shot) is followed by
a reverse angle shot of the character themselves looking at it, or
of the other character looking back at them, for example.
 Shot reverse shot often ties in with the 180° rule to retain
continuity by not distorting the audience’s sense of location of
the characters in the shots. Shot reverse shot in 28 Days Later

17. Filming task: Continuity
 You will have the of the lesson in groups to complete
the following task
 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.