filming tenchniques
shooting for continuity
match on action
The 'match on action' technique is continuation of an action when an angle changes to give the illusion that is is the same action, causing the video to flow smoothly from one angle to another. Whenever something happens on screen, if the angle or shot changes then the movement must stay the same to ensure that the film looks like one continuous piece. It could be an action as simple as opening a door, but it must look as though the actor is doing the same action in even when the angle has moved.
Match on action can be seen in the music video for Sia's 'Chandelier' The video features a young girl dancing around a flat. Using match on action is important in this video as a dance routine must flow smoothly in order for it to look good and to communicate the full potential of the dancer. Cutting parts of the dance out would ruin the fluidity of the dancer's talent, causing to video to look more unprofessional and jittery.
180 degree rule
The '180 degree rule' refers to an invisible line that is drawn either between or around the actors on screen. Despite the line being imaginary, you must not cross it. If the line is crossed it causes the characters to look like they have moved, breaking any continuity in the video. The angle can change, but the camera should stay on the right side of the line to ensure that the video runs smoothly. By following the 180 degree rule it provides the audience with a sense of perspective. If the camera were to cross the line, the perspective would be ruined, as the characters will look like they are in a different place. Following the rule gives the audience a sense of stability.
Beyonce breaks this rule in her music video to 'Ego' to disorientate the audience and show her flawlessness from every angle.
shot/reverse shot
The shot reverse shot is used to show interaction of conversation between two people. The two characters are often sat or stood opposite eachother. The cameras will shot a shot of one character, and then reversed of the other character. This is done in film to create continuity, and it allows the audience to follow the interaction between the characters easily.
creativity shots
super-imposed shots using different speed
This technique is used to make a person look disorientated by their surroundings, to create an illusion of them being isolated, or to show the passing of time. It is done by taking one shot and speeding it up, in most cases until it's blurry and disorientating. Then from the same angle you take a second video which is left at normal speed. By overlaying these, it creates the illusion that everything is moving extremely fast around the subject or object that is in normal time. This can be seen in Ed Sheeran's 'The A-Team.'
overlays
Often in film the video's can be overlayed to create the illusion of time passing. By taking several shots from the same angle with the subject moving around, you can stagger them across your timeline and give the impression that the subject has been there a long time.