Have you ever finished a video project only to find that your edit is just off?
The cards don't flow together.
The edit is disorienting.
Chances are, you may have broken one of the oldest rules in production.
The 180-degree rule.
The 180-degree rule refers to an imaginary
straight line, you draw between two subjects in a scene.
Basically, you want to keep all of your camera setups
on the same side of that line.
Otherwise, you've crossed the line.
In this video, we're going to show you examples
of how to follow the 180-degree rule.
How to break it.
And how to bend it.
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"There you go."
By following the 180-degree rule,
you establish orientation and screen direction.
This is a scene from "Heat."
"I do what I do best.
I take scores. You do what you do best.
Trying to stop guys like me."
The 180-degree line runs across the table,
through Pacino to De Niro.
Look at their eyes.
Pacino looks camera right,
De Niro looks camera left.
You do this, so that the viewer can attain a sense of orientation during the scene.
It looks like they're looking at each other.
"That`s an interesting point."
But what happens when you have more than two people in the scene,
how would you follow 180-degree rule?
It helps to think of it like a stage play.
Just keep your camera in the seats
and you'll be okay.
"Wow"
But what happens, if you break the line.
If following the rule achieves tranquility,
breaking the rule achieves chaos.
In this scene, from "25th hour",
Ed Norton's character is surprised by a DEA inspection.
"We`ve got a warrant to search your apartment."
This situation is chaotic
and Spike Lee visualizes it by breaking the 180-degree rule.
See how Ed Norton is looking camera left,
and the detective is also looking camera left.
Here is a scene from "Paper Moon."
The line is established, as the waitress walks away.
When we cut to our first scene,
Tatum O'Neal looks camera left,
Ryan O'Neal looks camera right.
"I get you some relish."
When Ryan O'Neal reaches across the table,
we cut across the line.
We are now on the other side of the line.
In doing so, the director gradually changes the tone and power relationship.
"I want my money. You took my $200.
-Will you quiet down here.
-I want my 200$. -Hold on.
You understand how to follow the rule,
you know how to break the rule.
Now, let's show you how to bend it.
So how do you bend the 180-degree rule.
One way to do this is through a neutral shot.
This is when you cut away to a shot
that will reset the line.
Here, you can see Goebbels eye line is headed from left to right.
When we switch behind Shosanna,
this is a shot directly on top of the line.
His eye line has switched right to left.
Another clever way to bend at the rule
is with camera movement.
In this scene from "Heat"
De Niro's been caught off guard by an attractive woman.
"What you were eating?"
Is she an undercover cop?
Maybe FBI,
or even an assassin.
"Lady, why are you interested in what I eat or what I do?"
But once he's convinced, she's a book store employee,
we see that transformation play out visually,
"I don't mean to be rude. I didn't recognize you."
The camera crosses the line.
"My name is Neil."
We have moved from the backs of our characters to the front.
Away from danger and suspicion, to a place of openness.
Keep in mind.
The 180-degree rule is like any other rule in the world.
It's there to protect you
but breaking it safely, can give you some unique results.
Now, you understand the 180-degree rule,
how to follow it, how to break it,
and everything in between.
Use StudioBinder shot list features
to plan your line breaks more deliberately.
Storyboarding helps to visualize the line breaks too.
We've covered breaking the line.
In our next video,
we cover breaking the fourth wall.
"Oh, hello"
The do's and the don'ts.
If you like this video, let us know.
Subscribe and click the bell for a steady digest
of filmmaking techniques to keep you inspired.
And until next time, remember,
you have to know the rules before you can break them.
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