180 Degree Rule

• The 180 degree rule means that the camera must stay on one side of the invisable line that runs between the two characters, the line is called the line of action.

BREAKING THE RULE

• The camera must stay on one side of the line as if not it may look like the characters are either talking away from eachother, talking to themselves, or the characters will of swiched places on the screen. This confuses the audience. For example this shot is filmed with the camera at different sides of the line of action:

• The 180 degree rule however can be broken when the camera takes it's audience with it as it crosses over the line:

Here the camera is moving to the right and taking it's audience with it as it travels over the line of action.