The 180 degree rule is a guideline that states that two characters in the same seen should stay in the same left/right relationship to one another. They should stay within the same 180 degrees and not cross the line. This allows the audience to have a greater sense of location in terms of what may be seen of screen in some shots.
For our preliminary task we had to create a short video containing two lines of dialogue and three camera techniques. These included; 180 degree rule, match-on-action and shot reverse shot.
Match on action is an editing technique for continuity editing in which the first shot cuts to the second shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. The action carrying through creates a visual bridge to distract the audience from any slight continuity issues or cutting.
Shot reverse shot is a continuity editing technique used in conversations or characters looking at each other or an object. A shot showing what the character is looking at (either from their point of view or over their shoulder) is followed by a verse angle shot of the character looking at it, or of the other character looking back at them.
