Continuity Task

Match on Action

This is a technique where we see an action or motion but it is shown in two different views - the action is connected by two different shots put together. The action or motion in which you are connecting should continue uninterrupted by starting at one shot and ending on the second.

(In our own preliminary filming task there is an example of the match on action technique in the part where there is a man walking through the door and into the room - we film him from behind as he walks from the corridor and approaches the door and then we switch to him walking into the room through the door).

Shot Reverse Shot

(Or Shot Countershot) is often used when there is dialogue between two people or used to give the audience an actors perspective. In the case of a dialogue the sequence would begin with a charactor, most probably the one who speaks first, looking at the second charactor and then the shot switches to the second charactor, usually when it is this charactor's turn to talk or react, looking at the first charactor. As the characters are filmed facing in opposite directions, the audience would presumes that the charactors are looking at each other; where in reality they are not. (We have done this in our preliminary film task where there is a conversation between two charactors is taking place).

180 Degree Rule

The diagram below demonstrates how the axis between two characters and the 180 degree arc influence where the cameras could be located (green). When cutting from the green arc to the red arc the characters should switch places in the film.

This is a guildline in which two or more of the charactors or objects in the shot should always have the same left/ right relationship to each other. To prevent confusion for the audience it is necessary to make sure that the camera doesn’t pass over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects - if it does than it is known as 'crossing the line'. The shot from the opposite side is known as a 'reverse angle'. (We made sure that we kept to this rule throughout the filming of our preliminary filming task).

These techniques of continuity filming can help portray the film in a more interesting way and gives the audience different perspectives. Also, it shows the level of skill of the film-maker since organisation and dexterity is needed for these techniques to actually work.