Key Technical Terminology

180 degree rule

In film making, the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen relationship between a character and another character. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene. The first character will always be to the right of the second character, who is then always left of the first character.

cut on action

Cutting on action or matching on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another. Although the two shots may have actually been shot hours apart from each other, cutting on action gives the impression of continuous time when watching the edited film.


eye-line match

An eye-line match is a film editing technique associated with the continuity editing. It is based on the idea that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing. The eye-line match begins with a character looking at something off-screen, followed by a cut to the object or person at which he is looking.


continuity editing

Continuity editing is the main style of film editing and video editing in the production process of filmmaking of narrative films and television programs. The purpose of continuity editing is to smooth over the natural break of the editing process and to establish a consistency between shots.