The prliminary task

The Preliminary task: Principles of continuity.

Your next task in your practical production work is the preliminary task. This piece of work, unlike your advert, will be submitted to the examiner for assessment.

The Task.

The preliminary task requires you to produce a piece of film in which a character opens a door, walks across a room and sits down in a chair opposite another character and exchanges two sentences of conversation. It should last between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

There are three continuity principles to demonstrate in this piece of film:

Match on action

Shot reverse shot

180 degree rule.

The Principles.

Match on action: this is when you cut from one shot to another view that matches the action and pace of the first shot. This creates an impression of continuity even though the shots may have been filmed at different times. If a character begins an action in the first shot and completes it in the next, a visual bridge is created which acts to disguise the cut from one to the other.

Shot reverse shot: this is when the first shot shows one particular view then the next shot shows exactly the opposite view to the previous shot (obviously). This is often seen in conversations. Shot one is of the first character speaking. Shot two is of the other character replying ie the reverse view in the conversation. Another common example is when shot one is a view of a character looking at something and shot two is a view of what that character is seeing.

180 degree rule: When filming two characters in a conversation the camera positions must all be to one side of a 180 dividing line across the two characters.

Character A character B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------180

camera camera camera

If you do not observe this rule it appears that the characters are not looking at each other and continuity is broken.



2.10.09

In today’s lesson you will learn about the three principles, decide who you will work with (pairs) and then start planning your storyboard, shooting list, actors props etc

Your home learning for next lesson (Wednesday 7.10.09) is to complete this planning process so I can approve your plans and you can get started.

Good luck!.

Ms Muir.