180 degree rule

What is the 180 degree rule?
- One of the most basic continuity rules is the 180 Degree Rule. The 180 Degree Rule states that two characters in a scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If you don't follow the 180 Degree Rule, or break it interntionally, it disrupts the scene disorients the audience.




180 degree axis line

- Requires both cameras to be on the same side of the axis

Camera 1 and Camera 2 should be both facing the centre of the 180degree line to be able to see both sides from a different perspective but not being able to see the camera from both sides.

In more detail two different people being filmed from the exact side of the 180 degree line. During the first close up you must position the subject a little to the left of the screen, in the next close up place the subject a little to the right of the screen. 



The camera angles both need to reflect exact of each other and should be symmetrical in terms of the two axis.

Person B should be positioned slightly over to the right of frame for his/ her close-up
Person A should be positioned slightly over to the left of frame for his/ her close-up

The camera mustn't cross the 180 degree axis line otherwise it will give you a wrong message that there is more than two people presented.




References:

https://vimeo.com/blog/post/180-degree-rule-explained 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTNUq-stj6M 

Storytelling

What is Storytelling?

- Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, sound and/or images.

Stories have been shared by human beings for tens of thousands of years as a means of recording and representing the world and for the purpose of:
- Entertainment
- Education
- Cultural preservation
- Instilling moral values
- Sharing creativity

There are crucial elements of stories and storytelling which include;
- Plot (Cause & Effect process in which develops/ ordering of events)
- Characters
- Narrative (All the means to communicate between the story world and chronologically)
- POV [Point of view] 

The term storytelling is used in a narrow sense to refer specifically to oral storytelling and in a looser sense to refer to narrative technique in other media. 

Visual Storytelling

What is it?

- The phrase visual storytelling applies to film and a host of other media. Sometimes it carries with it a prescriptive edge: in a pictorial medium, you should tell your stories visually - rather than, for example, through lengthy dialogue. Show, don't tell, in other words.

As a concept visual storytelling refers to the way that producers of moving image products convey the meaning of action and events through images without recourse to the written or spoken word.
This is principally achieved through two techniques:
- The choice of shots
- The way those shots are edited together

Visual storytelling is seldom purely visual. In film, it needs concepts and music and noises and much of the time a modicum of dialogue to work most fully. But given the power of the image, a director who invest in purely visual passages first and then considers how his/ her images might be reinforced by other inputs, gains huge dividends in the long run. 

Video on In-camera Editing

In-camera Editing

What is In-camera Editing?

[In-camera editing] This is a video editing technique which happens inside the camera.

Instead of waiting until the post-production stage to organise footage, the cinematographer shoots each unit of narrative sequentially, filming shots in a very precise way, so that the ‘edit’ develops as filming progresses.

The film is therefore already complete by the end of production.

In-Camera Editing:

Planning shots so that they can be filmed in the precise order they will be presented in requires a great deal of fore-thought.

Some of this time is reclaimed, since no additional editing time is needed to cut out or re-order scenes later on.

In an in-camera edit, when the very last scene is filmed, the production is finished.

If footage has been recorded digitally, the film can be played straight from the camera.

Following the action

   [Following the action] is a directing technique which captures all the movements a character makes when he or she moves from place to place.

-   - There will normally be more than one camera shooting the action in the various locations.

-   - This provides the editor with a vast range of footage which allows them to make selections from when the entire sequence is being put together.

Following the action;

- At the editing stage, the editor will switch between camera angels depending on what the subject is doing and what coverage the director and editor decide best advances the narrative.

- This effect of varying distances and angles, as opposed to sticking to one shot all the way through, brings shape, texture and depth to the scene.

- The editor uses action matches to preserve continuity, making cuts invisible, and the audience gets a multi-faceted perspective on events which engages them in the action.

Within the film AVENGERS 2, this short clip shows a very good example towards following the action. Due to this showing each individual shots clearly following where the action is happening. This allows the audience to keep interested within the film. There are a wide range of utilised shots used in this sequence. The use of following the action is to allow the audience to stay on track while moving through the many shots in which the director has chosen to input within the film. Following the action could be seen as being similar to where if you are playing video games, the camera is always looking at where the action is happening.

Evaluation on In-camera Editing

Evaluation;

Within the production of my In-camera Editing video, I felt it reminded me of all the skills I had already known and learnt from previous years studying Media. In my video I prove I know and understand what an in-camera editing video should look like and how to make one. I also show basic camera skills. I have used different angle shots and have also improved the length of timing in which is an essential rules in-camera editing.

Shot Variation

Shot Variation;

What is shot variation?

Shot variation is a technique used in film-making to achieve the most effective coverage of an entire sequence of action. Shots used include wide shot(WS), extreme long shot(ELS), long shot(LS), medium close shot(MCS), close-shot(CS), close-up(CU) and extreme close-up(ECU).

Shot variation is used a lot in action films when a fast paces scene is being shot. In addition to a high number of cuts in a short space of film time the variation of shots and dynamism also help to fasten the pace of the overall scene.

Wide shots:- A wide shot is generally used to set the tone of the scene as well as introducing the location.
- This enables the audience to understand the overall concept of the scene. 
- Long shots are used to present a new location. 

Medium shots:
- Medium shots are commonly used to show the dynamics of two or three person interaction;
Closer coverage is used for:
- Intensity
- Intimacy
- Detail

Different shots & angles;

Medium Shot:

Bird's eye view:

Wide/ Long Shot:













High Angle:












Low Angle:












Over-the-shoulder shot:

Shot Variation Example^