The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters or objects in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. The rule is most commonly used for scenes where two people are talking to each other (a dialogue scene) and along with the 180 degree another form of camera work is, the shot - reverse – shot, where the camera is focusing on the person talking/doing an action and then the camera changes its focus on the other character/s. This enables the viewer to understand what is happening more clearly and therefore getting to know and understand the film/TV programme. Also, during this, the cameramen will still have to use the 180 degree rule during a one on one conversation. The 180 degree rule is an essential element for a style of film editing called “Continuity editing”. The rule is not always obeyed. Sometimes a filmmaker will purposely break the line of action in order to create a disorientation effect on the viewer. Another example of the 180 degree rule is in The Lord of the Ring, The Two Towers, where Gollum has a conversation with his other personality whereby we are assuming he has multiple personality disorder. Because the filmmakers use the 180 degree rule, and have the "good" Gollum looking left as he speaks while the "evil" Gollum looking right, the audience perceives Gollum as two different characters talking to each other.

Another aspect of the 180 degree axis is that the closer to the axis the camera is, the more the viewer's point of view resembles the characters, and therefore the audience feels with the character. Crossing the 180 degree axis/line can be very confusing since the directions established for the viewer is changed. An example of this would be like watching a football game with the player with the ball going to the right and all of a sudden we cut to him running to the left. It would make the viewer wonder if he was running the wrong way or not and this is one reason why crossing the 180 degree line can be fatal in making a programme/film.