There are 4-5 different names for the 180˚ Rule depending on when it was taught. The rule was first acknowledged in the early 1920s. The film attributed with its origin is the 1925 film The Battleship Potemkin.

The below diagram illustrates the rule. The dotted line is an imaginary line that represents the action line or the camera line. The camera is aloud to be set up anywhere on one side of the line, giving it 180˚ of understandable angles that can be shot. The red camera broke the rule by crossing the line, which will create an image that may not be readily understood and can confuse the audience.

By viewing the shots each camera position captures will help bring visual clarity to the rule. The below picture is the establishing shot captured by the “2 Shot Both” camera. The image helps the audience to understand that the officer in the purple outfit is on screen left, looking right. The audience also understands that when the purple officer is looking screen right, he is looking at the red officer. And, if he is looking screen left, he is looking away from the red officer.

The next picture is the “CU Purple” camera that captures the close-up of the purple officer. Because he is looking screen right, the audience knows he’s still looking at the red officer even though he is not on screen. It is a simple illusion that our mind fills in to create continuity of story and understanding.

The next picture is the “CU Red” camera that captures the close-up of the red officer. Because he is looking screen left, the audience knows he’s still looking at the purple officer even though he is not on screen. By cutting back and forth between the two close-ups, the audience has the illusion that they are talking face to face.

The next picture is the “Red” camera that captures a close-up of the purple officer from across the action line. While the purple officer is still looking at the red officer, the audience thinks he turned around and is looking away from the red officer because of the direction he is facing, which is not the same as the establishing two shot.

This flipping of the image is unsettling to the audience and creates significant confusion. This pulls the audience out of the story until they can reorient themselves to the virtual surroundings they are witnessing.

Now that you understand the rule and why you can’t break the action line, there is a way to cheat the camera placement so you can move all away around the full 360˚ circle. This can be accomplished by rotating the action line.

Rotating the axis is a difficult skill that requires a few extra rules for understanding. First, whenever you change shots, the next camera has to be placed at a minimum angle of 30˚ difference to the previous angle. If this is not done, then the shot will appear to be a jump cut, which can be disorienting to the audience.

The second rule is that you can’t move from the “CU Red” camera to the “Red” camera because it would be visually jolting for the audience. You can, however, make the movements incremental between 30˚ and 90˚ at a time. This means that you can move from the “CU Purple” camera to the “Red” camera without jolting the audience. But, once you’ve arrived at the “Red” camera, you can’t go back to the “CU Red” without moving back incrementally as you rotate the axis back.

In other words, once you’ve moved from the “CU Purple” camera to the “Red” camera, the action line is now perpendicular to its starting point. This gives you a new 180˚ rule that allows you to use any of the camera setups from the right side of the diagram instead of the cameras across the bottom of the diagram.

Copyright © 2013 by CJ Powers

It’s been said all too often that if a film is going to die it will be in Act 2. Of course, the reason it is stated so often is because it’s true. There are several reasons for this prophetic Act 2 nightmare:

• Writers that lose focus stray from the spine of the story or distort the throughline during the longest act.
• Writers sometimes stick in favorite scenes that don’t fit the story.
• Writers get into creating dialog instead of action.
• Writers lose track of the stories pace and slow down the story, or speed it up so fast that the audience can’t learn about the characters.

The only way to avoid these issues is to write in keeping with the story’s momentum. Every scene participates in the momentum of the story by setting up the main character’s goal, which leads to his action, which forces a reaction or a complication, which drives the audience to have to see the next scene.

This cause and effect, or action and reaction pattern, moves the story to the next scene in an interesting way that draws the audience deeper into the story. These complications can be in the form of:

• Barriers that must be overcome or skirted.
• Delayed pay-offs of the action points.
• Reversals that change the direction of the story.

The reversal is typically used at one of the turning points or at the midpoint in film.

There are several test questions you can ask yourself as you evaluate each scene for its potential addition or subtraction to the story’s momentum.

1. Does the story gain momentum through action or does dialog force it to advance?
2. What types of complications are in the story and where are they located?
3. Are the complications organic to earlier dramatic elements in the story?
4. Are scene sequences used to set up the complications?
5. Is the scene aligned with the throughline?

The key is that all actions in a story must be connected to the throughline and to the action that precedes it and follows it. It would be prudent for writers to also remember that dialog can take away from momentum and should therefore be used sparingly.

Copyright © 2013 by CJ Powers

Photo © Denis Aglichev – Fotolia.com

I recently watched a trailer for a new independent film that seemed to be a mini story in its own right. The clips were so well put together and the ending so clear that I was completely satisfied and didn’t need to see the film. That same day I saw another trailer that gave me just enough information to be curious, which drove my need to see more. Curiosity festered within me until I had to see the film.

Trailers must create that sense of desire and curiosity to draw an audience. By raising a question in the audience’s mind, the filmmaker forces the audience to seek out the answer and purchase a ticket. Unfortunately, filmmakers struggle with knowing what part of the film should be promoted and what part withheld for for the film’s theatrical release.

This delicate balance can be achieved using a few rules:

USE SET PIECES FROM FIRST HALF OF MOVIE – Set pieces are scenes that are designed to have an obvious imposing effect on the audience and many times end up in trailers. They are also the scenes that stand out and say this film is unique and special. When done correctly, the scenes are easily remembered and generate a good deal of marketing buzz.

A strong set piece withstands the test of time. Many remember the light saber battle between Darth and Obi-wan Kenobi. Another iconic set piece was the scene where Indiana Jones runs away from the giant boulder. I’ll never forget the DeLorean racing across the wet mall parking lot and seeing it vanish into a pair of fire trails in Back to the Future.

Set pieces distinguish a film and drive the buzz that skyrockets a title to success. It becomes the story’s leverage to entice audiences to shell out money for tickets. It also tells the press that the film is new and fresh, making it newsworthy and promotable.

USE ACT ONE HERO AND PROBLEM SET UP – The hero has to be likeable or his situation relatable to the audience. By introducing him in a humorous way, or by establishing some form of crisis that people can relate to, will all help build a desire in the audience to find out how the hero will deal with his dilemma.

Establishing the hero’s flaw or problem is also prudent, but only using enough of it to establish the question of how it will be solved. “Why” answers satisfy and “what” answers generate conversation, which leads to ticket sales.

NEVER USE ANYTHING FROM ACT THREE – By act 3, the audience knows exactly where the story is headed, but don’t know how they will arrive at the climax. If something is used from act 3, it’ll be too easy for the audience to determine the film’s outcome before they see the movie. Act 3 elements are sacred and are considered off limits in the promotion of a film.

DON’T USE THE THEME – The theme is typically associated with some form of moral or social lesson. It’s a part of the story that should never be revealed during promotions because once a person understands the lesson there is no longer a need to see the film. Many times the lesson might seem forced unless it’s properly woven into the full story, which a trailer can’t do.

RAISE THE UNIVERSAL QUESTION – Every film raises a question in the audience’s mind that needs to be fulfilled or completed. The trailer also needs to raise the question, but in a way that causes the audience to wonder how the hero is going to accomplish it. This drives the audience’s desire to see the film and find out how the hero succeeds.

The above rules will keep the filmmaker safe from giving out important information that needs to be saved for the film.  It also positions the filmmaker’s mindset to focus on the action he wants the audience to take – purchasing a ticket so he or she can watch the film and  answer the question haunting his or her mind.

Copyright © 2013 By CJ Powers