Rules of Filming

Continuity: It makes the edits invisible and makes sure they flow so the audience do not think they are watching a TV show but instead get involved in the story. This creates realism so the action appears real rather than constructed.

The 180 rule: This is the basic guideline regarding the on-screen three dimensional relationship between a character and another character or object in a scene. The line is called an axis which keeps the character connected by keep the camera on the same side for the whole scene. If the camera passes over the axis it’s called jumping the line. This technique is used to ensure that the same distance used in each shot.

Match on Action: This is when the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. It adds variety and dynamism to the scene as it conveys the movements that take place on the screen.  This gives the sense of continuity of the scene; the editors distract the viewers by creating a visual bridge so the audience don’t notice the cut.

The 30 degree rule: It’s a basic film editing guideline that states the camera should move at least 30 degrees between shots of the same subject occurring in succession. If this rule isn't followed a jump cut occurs and there is a risk that the audience starts focusing on the filming technique instead of the story that is being narrated.

Shot reverse shot: Where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. This is usually used when the character are having a conversation.

Rule of Thirds: The rule of thirds refers to the way a frame is divided into thirds. This creates reference points for good framing.