Research Log

I skimmed and scanned three secondary sources to find out more about continuity and the 180 degree rule, the concept that reversing the direction an object is moving/ reversing the fourth wall will cause confusion to the viewer, and make a cinematic harder to follow.  I also found out about continuity rules such as eyeline match and shot reverse shot or reverse shot.

I annotated these articles and found out about the 180 degree rule, and how not to break it. In sports coverage, confusing the audience is avoided by telling the audience that the camera shot is at a different angle through audio or video. This is only an option in video that does not require full immersion like a movie. The 180 rule sometimes has to be broken, so the best option is to use a shot taken on the line itself, to give the audience an idea of the environment around them, or using a pan to explain exactly how the shot is changing. I learned about the eyeline match rule, the idea that if a closeup of somebodies face is on screen, if it is followed by another close up the eyeline must line up with each other to keep the audience’s eyes in the same place – it is less confusing for the audience that way.

The purpose of my research is to learn more about filming techniques and how to avoid disorientating or confusing the audience. This is in contrast to MTV style or post-classical video editing, with the intention of having action filled fast paced shot changes where the audience does not fully understand everything that is happening. The 180 degree and other continuity rules are important for my future video making.

Secondary Source	Relevance to my project
DV Film-making by Ian Anderson	This source had a couple of pages explaining the 180-degree rule, and why it should be followed.
Mediacollege.com/wideo/editing/transition/reverse-cut.html	More on the 180 degree rule with an explanation of what to do if crossing the line and breaking the rule can’t be avoided.
Learnaboutfilm.com/film-language/sequence/180-degree	This website goes into detail with examples on many continuity rules, like the eyeline match rule, and shot reverse shot.
Film 110 http://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610182/Continuity%C2%A0Editing	Goes into different continuity rules that should be followed, low detail, but tells you exactly why rules should be followed better than any other website
Mastering Film http://masteringfilm.com/dynamic-and-continuity-editing-2/	Sheds light on a different kind of editing from continuity – dynamic. It tells us when to use either and the advantages of either.
http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/editing.html	The best part about this source is not only does it contain loads of information, it gives us a clear example of each of them.
Continuity errors Blogspot http://loufromthebloc.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/continuity-editing.html	This blog points out the common errors that can be made.