A filmmaker is asked to film a character opening a door, crossing a room, and sitting in a chair opposite another character to exchange dialogue. This should demonstrate matching actions between shots, shot/reverse shot technique of alternating between characters, and obeying the 180 degree rule of keeping characters on the same side relative to each other.

1. Preliminary exercise
• Brief:
• Film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room
and sitting down in a chair opposite another character,
with whom s/he exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate: match on action,
shot/reverse shot and the 180° rule.

2. Match on action
• Also known as ‘Cutting on Action’.
• Matching the action from one shot to the next to prevent
the audience being distracted by the shot transition.

3. Shot / reverse shot
• Technique to show two
or more characters
talking to each other.
• Characters appear to be
looking in opposite
directions, leading
audience to believe they
are talking to each
other.
• What is ‘eye line match’?

4. 180° DEGREE RULE
• ‘Crossing the Line’
• Characters should always
stay on the same side
relative to each other to
help the audience
understand movement off-
screen. Otherwise the
audience is confused!