Continuity Editing

Match on Action

A match on action is when some action occurring before the temporally questionable cut is picked up where the cut left it by the shot immediately following.  For example, a shot of someone opening and going through a door can be edited to show two different views, whilst maintaining continuity by making sure that you can see the character in the same stage of motion that it was in before it was cut. To do this you’d show the character opening the door and then when it’s cut the character will be at the same stage of coming through the door. This can be achieved easily by using two cameras, one either side of the action, however it can be created with only one camera.

Shot reverse shot

A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other. It makes dialogue interesting and gives variety. It’s used in conjunction with the 180 degree rule otherwise the viewer will feel disorientated.

  

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180° rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

 

By Colette and Rhiain :)