the three rules of continuity

The first rule of continuity i analyzed was the shot-reverse shot. This is used at the beginning of this scene, when the Joker the room. The camera is behind the joker, and then begins to track. After this the camera changes view to in front of the joker at at a medium close up with slow zoom as he walks towards the table.

The second rule of continuity is the 180 degree rule. This is used, in this particular scene, when the joker is winding up the other lead character by taunting him with his words. the 180 degree rule is applied to this by having the camera film the joker talking from the right side of the other lead character, and then the camera films the other lead character talking from 180 degrees opposite.

The third and final rule of continuity is match on action. In this particular scene there is not a good example of this however, in one case, the joker stands up and the camera cuts from a quick handheld tilt to a close up of the jokers chest armed with grenades.

Definition of the three rules of continuity:
Shot reverse shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

The 180° rule is a basic film editing guideline that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.


Match on action is when either an action commenced in shot A is completed in shot B, or an action in shot A is mirrored by an action in shot B.