Preliminary Exercise

For the preliminary task, we were practising our skills which are needed for our main practical assignment. The task is to film and edit a character opening a door, crossing the room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. For this task we had to demonstrate Match on action, Shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

Match on action requires a character to be in the same position in one shot and to be in the same position in the next if the scene is going to flow on from each other. Otherwise it is a fault in the film because for example someones arm might be reached out on the table in one shot and in the next it may be on their lap.

Shot/reverse shot is used for dialogue so when one character is speaking the camera will be focused on them and when the next person is speaking the camera would move and focus on the other person so whoever is speaking, the camera is on them and changes for when the next person speaks.

The 180 degree rule is when you have to film from one side of the action. All of the camera angles andshots have to be taken from this one side throughout the task.