TECHNIQUES USED IN OUR FILM

For our preliminary project we had to display three media techniques:

1) 180 Degree Rule

2) Shot/Reverse Shot

3) Match On Action

180 Degree Rule

The 180° line rule is a rule used in filming when two characters are on set.  Basically, it wants one of the characters to be on the left hand side of the shot and the other to be on the right hand side.  This is done by having a '180 degree line' through the characters which the cameras can not cross. This stops the audience getting confused about a characters position.

Shot/Reverse Shot
This is a technique used within the 180 degree rule which can be used to show perspective as it is shot at eye level.  It is a shot that goes between two characters having a conversation.  It usually includes character 1s face over character 2s shoulder, and then flips to character 2s face over character 1s shoulder.
Here is an example of a shot/reverse shot from the sit-com 'Scrubs'-



Match On Action
Match on action is a technique where all though a shot changes the action and surroundings are exactly the same. An example of this is if someone is dancing and the shot changes in the middle of it, the pose we saw of them in the last shot is exactly the same in the new shot; all the aspects of mise en scene should be the same. This technique can sometimes be used to trick the audience with locations. For example, if someone walks out of a door the shot can change to a completely different location they're entering, but as long as match on action is done properly it looks like they've just gone through to the next room.