Continuity Editing

180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule acts as a guideline. When there are two people in a conversation or walking towards each other, you should only film on one side to create the illusion of conversation. If there is a conversation that is being filmed, one should be facing right and the other left, again creating the illusion of conversation. Even if they are facing each other, the cameraman must make sure the audience can see this when filming. For example, if the camera was filming person A from the right and person B from the let, it would not be creating the illusion of conversation as they would both be facing the same way.

Match on Action

This is when a scene should be consistent and look professional even if there are different camera shots. The cameraman must ensure there are no shots being repeated and make it look like shots have not changed throughout. They should create an illusion there is only one consistent shot.

Shot Reverse Shot

This also creates the illusion of conversation where two people are looking at each other but only one person is in a shot at one time. The people are shown to be facing the opposite directions again so the viewer realises they are facing each other.

When filming in the future, these three rules of filming with help me as I will know what to do as a cameraman and therefore produce a piece of work that will be better than if I wasn't knowledgeable about them. 

Camera Movements Video

Rule of Thirds Research and Notes

The Rule of Thirds acts as a guideline which can be found over visual images such as designs, films, paintings and photographs. Using the Rule of Thirds, an image is divided into nine equal parts.

The Rule of Thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section. Objects that are essential the audience focuses on are placed on a line.

Camera Shots and Angles

Camera Shots

Aerial Shot
An exterior shot filmed from the air, often used to establish a location.

Arc Shot
A shot in which the subject is circled by the camera.

Bridging Shot
A shot that denotes a shift in time or place, like a line moving across an animated map.

Close Up
A shot keeping only the face in the frame and nothing else.

Medium Shot
The shot that utilises the most common framing in movies, shows less than a long shot but more than a close up.

Long Shot
A shot that depicts an entire character or object from head to foot.

Dolly Zoom
A shot that sees the camera track forward towards the subject.

Low Angle Shot

A shot looking up at a character or subject, making them look bigger in the frame, making them also look heroic or the dominant character

High Angle Shot

A shot looking down on a character or subject often isolating them in the frame, making them look vulnerable.

Over Shoulder Shot

Shot over the shoulder of someone else whilst the other person talks, this creates the illusion of conversation.

Camera Angles

Birds Eye View

Shows a scene directly overhead, from the Point of View as a bird.  The shot puts the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. The shot below is a birds eye view from the film 'American Beauty'.

High Angle

The camera is elevated above the action to give a general overview. A high angle has been used in the image below from 'Matilda'. This is to show she is scared and vulnerable as she is just a child.

Eye Level

The camera is positioned at eye level, observing scene so that the actor’s heads are on a level with the focus. The angle below is at eye level, from the film 'The Apartment'.

Low Angle

This angle increases height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action scene. The image below, again from 'Matilda' is at a low angle, this is to show Matilda's perspective and also to give the woman the power.

Dutch Tilt

Sometimes the camera is tilted to suggest imbalance, transition and instability. The image below is from 'Rules of Attraction' and creates a dynamic composition due to the dutch tilt.

Point of View

A point of view shot is used in a film for the audience to see what the character is seeing. It incorporates a characters eyes. the image below is a point of view shot from 'The Kings Speech'