Preliminary Excercise

For the preliminary exercise we were told to film a simple clip of a character opening a door, crossing the room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, then to exchange a couple of lines of dialogue. This task is to mainly focus on practicing camera work and using the editing software. For this task we also had to make sure we stuck to the rules of match on action and the 180 degree rule. It must also include shot/ reverse shot.

• The 180 degree rule is the idea of staying on one side of the action, so that the viewer doesn't get confused with which side they are on of the characters. This is helpful in clearly showing where the characters are placed in the room, so that the filming looks natural and the viewer isn't confused by the filming, therefore not focusing on dialogue.
• Match on action is the idea of keeping all the props, costumes and actions the same. For example, when the camera changes angle, the props must not move from one place to another between shots, same as the characters, they must not either. As similarly to the 180 degree rule, this will confuse the audience meaning that they will not focus on the actions/ dialogue and will be instead distracted by the fact that there isn't match on action. 
• Another aspect which must be used in our film is shot/ reverse shot. This is used when characters are making conversation. The camera angle will change depending on who is speaking. This is affective as it shows expressions/ reactions to dialogue, so the viewer can clearly see how the characters feel.