Preliminary Task - Review

The preliminary task was to film and edit a continuity scene consisting of 10 shots. The scene needed to contain a character who opens a door, enters and crosses the room and then holds a short conversation with another character.

The shots and techniques we used were:

• point of view
• shot reverse shot
• match on action
• reaction shot
• two shot
• 180 degree rule
• tracking shot
• medium close up
• pan
• zoom (out)

The scene theme was horror. At the beginning the first Character (C1) can be seen running down a dark corridor, quickly opening a door and going inside, the shot cuts to seeing C1 enter the room from inside; this technique is match on action. To add to the suspense the room is dark; lights out and blinds closed. The 3rd shot is a point of view shot from under a table, panning to watch the feet of C1 walk across the room, it then cuts to a medium close up of Character 2 (C2). The camera zooms out from the close up on C2 so that the audience can see C1 behind her, the shot becoming a two shot. The two chracters then have a short conversation, using shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule to create continuity and make the scene flow. After the last line of dialogue a thump is heard and the shot then rapidly pans to a point of view shot looking at another pair of feet entering the room from the door, before cutting to a reaction shot of C1 and C2 screaming.