180 Degree Rule
The 180 Degree Rule is a cinematic rule which says that if a scene has been filmed from one side, it should not be filmed from the opposite side. The cameras must remain on one side of an imaginary line bisecting two characters however you can put the camera at any angle you want on one given side of the axis.
In some cases however, the camera may cut the axis if the transition is shown on the screen.
This rule is so important to be adhered to because if it is broken, the viewer notices the break in continuity and so the illusion of reality as a perspective is disrupted as the characters places on the screen have flipped. In turn, this will make the viewer stop and think, therefore drawing their attention away from the film. It can also cause confusion if characters look similar, or a time jump could have happened. It also becomes a problem in action movies for example, as when a character is running in one direction and the rule is broken, they then appear to be running in the opposite direction.
Although it may be okay to break the 180 Degree Rule if there is little to no confusion about which character is talking to who, particularly in scenes such as two people sitting side by side talking in a moving car. Here you could cut from looking toward the windshield to looking toward the backseat, breaking the rule, and there would be no confusion as to who is talking to who.
In some cases however, the camera may cut the axis if the transition is shown on the screen.
This rule is so important to be adhered to because if it is broken, the viewer notices the break in continuity and so the illusion of reality as a perspective is disrupted as the characters places on the screen have flipped. In turn, this will make the viewer stop and think, therefore drawing their attention away from the film. It can also cause confusion if characters look similar, or a time jump could have happened. It also becomes a problem in action movies for example, as when a character is running in one direction and the rule is broken, they then appear to be running in the opposite direction.
Although it may be okay to break the 180 Degree Rule if there is little to no confusion about which character is talking to who, particularly in scenes such as two people sitting side by side talking in a moving car. Here you could cut from looking toward the windshield to looking toward the backseat, breaking the rule, and there would be no confusion as to who is talking to who.
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