Research on transitions

 

180 degree rule – This states that everything happens in the half circle in front of the camera , which marks the centre line this stops the actors look as if they are looking in different direction from shot to shot for no apparent reason. This rule is only broken when the progress of action is clear. This ensures the same space is describes in every shot and the characters positions are not reversed.

It keeps the direction the same when following a character. The camera must stay on one side of the imaginary line bisecting the characters.

Shot/reverse shot – one shot looks down one end of the central line between two characters the next shot is from the other end, this is commonly used with dialogue. This is often referred to as ‘over the shoulder’ shot. This is also effective with showing facial expressions.

Match- on action – a character begins to move in one shot, we see continuation of this movement in next shot. This can also help to create the illusion of the lapse of time e.g. we see a shot of a car leaving then cut to a shot of it ‘arriving’ at its destination.