Video Prelim Task

Now that I have chosen the brief that I feel I will be most successful with, I will complete a preliminary task to develop my skills and help me to understand the brief further.

Firstly, I need to research some technical terms relating to film-making:

• 180 degree rule: This rule is used mainly when we have 2 points of reference, i.e. two people, speaking to focus on, switching backwards and forwards between them both. An invisible line links the two together, and a 180 degree arc is round one side of the two characters. This means that the camera can be positioned anywhere along this arc, and the shot will make sense. 

• Shot reverse action: This follows the 180 degree rule, where the camera switches between looking at one character and another using (usually a straight cut), as a result creating the impression that you're the third person in the room, looking between the characters.

• Match on action: This is where a certain clip or scene is started in one shot, then finished in the next. For instance, somebody jumping over a river. The first shot could show the strike off of the jump from the side, then it may be finished with them landing on the other side, the camera facing them. It allows a scene to move faster, and allows a viewer to take in more of the surroundings.

• Continuity editing: Clear editing that allows a narrative to flow smoothly. This usually incorporates all of the above features.