Preliminary task planning

Preliminary task.

For my preliminary task I need to create a maximum of a 2 minute clip, to film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, who exchange some dialogue. Needs to include  match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180-degree rule. 

Match on action.

Match on action is an editing technique used for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject of the object in the first shot. The action carrying through creates a 'visual bridge' which draws the audiences attention away from slight cutting or continuity errors. It shows a continuous sense of the same action rather than matching two separate things. 

The 180-degree rule.

The 180 Rule is important so the audience can understand where people are in a shot. The rule is that the camera or cameras, should stay on the same side of an imaginary line. The line is drawn perpendicular to the view point of the cameras. The rule enforces continuity. The rule is rarely broken, if it is it may cause confusion for the audience. The only real reason the camera might cross over the line would be for effect.
Here is an example where the rule is broken;  

However, before the rule is broken here, the camera pans round to show the audience the background difference between Smeagol and Gollum, so there is no confusion. The clip shows a violation of the rule for effect. The effect created is that of a shot reverse shot.

Shot reverse shot.

Shot reverse shot in a continuity technique used for conversations, or where characters look at each other or objects. A shot showing what the character is supposedly looking at, either as a point of view shot or an over shoulder shot, is followed with a reverse angle shot of the character themselves looking at it, or of others looking back at them. Shot reverse shot often ties in with the 180 degree rule. 

Examples of two characters having simple conversations, with various camera angles/rules (match on action, shot reverse shot, 180 degree rule) :

Scott Pilgrem vs the World:

BBC's Sherlock:

The Godfather, opening scene: