Demonstrating 180 Degree Rule and Shot Reverse Shot

The 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called jumping the line or crossing the line.

A shot reverse shot is a film technique where one of the characters is shown looking back at another character then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. Using the shot reverse shot this is an easy way of demonstrating a conversation because the camera shot switches between the characters because the camera concentrates on one character talking and then on the other character who replies so the audience has a clear understanding of who is speaking. Using this technique also makes the scene flow.

In the short video that my group and I made, the attention to filming was quite precise, we took to consideration in how the two characters would sit recording the video, and it was quite hard to. I believe while recording the footage I controlled the camera pretty well, throughout video it wasn't moving about, when recording, we had to crop out half of a characters body because it looked untidy.

However the first time of filming the clip the angle was wrong which made it look like was sitting at a different table. Taking this mistake into account when we re-filmed I was able to make sure that we got the right angle. My role was editing. I edited the clips together to make it look like it was a conversation that flowed and you couldn't tell that they were filmed at different times. I also had to make sure that none of the sound over lapped.