Preliminary Task Evaluation - Tawanda

         As a class we were given a Preliminary task, the task we received was to create a short video. This short video had to display our filming and continuity editing skills. Within the short film we had to display the three key aspects of filming. Match on action, shot-reverse-shot and the 180-degree rule. These are all aspects that make successful and smooth continuity editing. Continuity editing is created in a chronological way to achieve a sense of realism. The purpose of continuity editing is to smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process and to establish a logical coherence between shots. To add, within our short video we had to also include conversation consisting of two or more lines, a character passing through a door, finally a shot of a character walking and, lastly, a shot of the character siting down.

Our preliminary task did in fact contain all three set actions, which were:

• Exchanging two sentences of conversation (while sitting down on a chair opposite another character
• Walking across a room
• Opening a door
• Sitting down

The techniques and examples

Match-on-action
Match on action (or cutting on action) is an editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. This technique, rather cunningly, distracts the audience of the rather evident cut, by masking the cut and instead makes look continuous (hence continuity editing). This technique adds a sense verisimilitude due to its continuity and seamlessness. 

Theory example:                                                                    Practical example

At one minute and sixteen second the main actor Aidan is entering the door and appears on the other side finishing of the action of opening the door. This allows the video to flow, while not being intruded by the “un-continuity” of the unedited footage from prior to the end of post-production. This technique allows us to connect two different views of the same action at the same moment in the movement. This is done by editing the footage carefully together. 

Shot-Reverse-Shot

Shot reverse shot is a continuity editing technique used in conversations or simply characters looking at each other or objects. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. This style of editing consists of cuts to each person’s face while the face of the person who is being confronted is no seen through the use of the ‘over the shoulder shot’.

Theory example:                                                                    Practical example

In the theory example shows a third camera being used however we only managed to use two shots but still meet the requirements of the shot its self. In the practical example there is an example of Aidan and Vianca completing their two lines of dialogue within this shot. Shot reverses shot used effectively during the dialogue.

180 Degree Rule

180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. The rule states that the camera/cameras should remain the same side of an imaginary line. The rule is introduced during an establishing shot of the characters. If the camera crosses the line at any point, it will create a confusing and uncomforted feeling for the audience because it makes it look like the people are switching positions in the screen, which is unrealistic.

Theory example:                                                                    Practical example

In this example we can see Vianca and Holly communicating and the rule is not broken and follows the guidelines on the diagram above. This means the audience is not confused by the shot as it follows the 180 Degree Rule. Thus as a result, this creates seamless continuity within the editing.