Every shot in a movie has a point of focus that a viewer’s eye will automatically follow around the screen. It is important to keep this in mind because it will help your team create smooth cuts from shot to shot. The illustration shows a sequence of three shots. The point of focus in shot one begins at position 1 (upper screen left) and moves within the frame to position 2 (screen right). Notice how shot two begins with its point of focus framed in the same position (screen right) as the last point of focus in shot one. This is called “Match Cutting”. It is very difficult to achieve, but worth the effort. This guide line is tricky like an irregular verb. There are often times when it is appropriate to “ping pong” the viewer’s eyes back and forth from shot to shot. This is called jump cutting and is mostly used for dialogue.
Many advanced activities require players to take turns with the camera. Match Cutting is hard but a lot of fun. It is helpful to a player’s team mates if the framing of the point of focus is stated before passing the camera to the next player.
Showing the Story | Brevity | Continuity | Axis | Framing
Cross Cutting | Match Cutting | Cutting Tight or Wide
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