Production Rules

180° Rule:


180° Rule

 The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other.


Match on Action:

Connects two shots cut together by having a character finish an action in the second shot that was begun in the first shot, making the sequence flow. 
For instance, if a character lights a match in the first shot, the same character will draw it up to a cigarette in the second.


Continuity Editing:

An editing style that aims to present the text in a linear and chronological manner to emphasize the real-time movement of the narrative and to create a sense of realism for the viewer by giving the impression of continuous filming.

Referred to as invisible editing, so that the whole sequence looks natural.

Shot Reverse Shot:

Shot reverse shot (or shot/countershot) is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Whether verbal dialogue is used or not.

Eye-line Match:

This feature of continuity editing involves two shots in which a character in the first shot looks offscreen at another character or object. The next shot then shows what that character is looking at from a position that reflects, in its angle, the character's position and the direction in which he or she has looked.