Explanation of 180 degree rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic yet vital guidline used in film-making, concerning a character and another or chharacter and an object in a scene. There is an imaginary line called the axix (as shown in the diagram), and by keeping the camera on only one side of the line in every shot in the scene, the first character will always be on the right side of the frame and the second will always be on the left side of the frame. This is often the case when when two people are exchanging dialogue. If the camera was to cross the line at any time during the scene then this would be called crossing the line or jumping the line.This rule helps the audiencce visually connect with the film and if broken this can not only cause confusion but also reduce the quality of the shot and scene.

I have carried out some research into finding an example of the 180 degree rule. The images below displays a common situation where it would be used. Image 1 displays a two shot, usually used to establish the scene and make the audience aware of the characters and settings in the scene. Image 2 shows an 'over the shoulder' shot, commonly used to show one character talking to another, allowing the audience to see their emotions and reactions, this technique conforms the 180 degree rule, as shown in the image the camera does not cross the imaginary line. Image three shows another example of an 'over the shoulder shot' however the camera is focused on the other character, however still follows the guidelines of the 180 degree rule.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3