Introduction - a few filmmaking terms

Hello! In this first post to my AS Media Studies blog, I'll be explaining some of the more important Media language terms to do with filming.

Firstly, the '180 degree rule'. This rule is in place to ensure that when two people are filmed having a conversation, the actors do not look as if they are facing the same way, which would be confusing for the audience and look quite unnatural. As shown in the image below, shots should be taken on one side of the actors or the 'line of action' so that when clips are edited together, the footage looks seamless and professional, and immerses the audience into the action. The rule is called the '180 degree rule' because the camera cannot move more than 180 degrees around the actors. The rule also works when one actor is looking at an object rather than a person.




'Match on action' or 'cutting on action' is an editing technique where the action of a character is started in one shot and completed in the other. An example of this is when someone walks up to a door and reaches for the handle, and the following shot shows the person walking through the door on the other side. The cut connects two views of the same action, making it seem like the action continues uninterrupted by the change of camera position. This aids continuity and creates a seamless view for the audience, though in reality the two shots may have been filmed days apart. Some examples of match on action cuts in the comedy show Friends are explained here.

'Shot/ reverse shot' is also an editing technique to improve continuity between shots. This particular rule is used when two characters are interacting: the first shot shows one character looking somewhere usually off-screen, and the second shot is reversed to show a second character looking back in the opposite direction, so the audience presumes they are looking at each other. To reinforce this, a third shot is usually included, a two-shot of both characters facing each other. A classic example of this technique is two characters in a restaurant/cafe, as a two shot showing both characters sat facing each other establishes who each character is looking at in the shot/reverse shot. This is a very popular technique and can be seen in almost every film or television show where characters interact.