30-degree rule: Difference between revisions
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The rule is a special case of a more general dictum that states that the cut will be jarring if the two shots being cut are so similar that there appears to be a lack of motivation for the cut. In his book'' In The Blink of an Eye'', editor [[Walter Murch]] states: |
The rule is a special case of a more general dictum that states that the cut will be jarring if the two shots being cut are so similar that there appears to be a lack of motivation for the cut. In his book'' In The Blink of an Eye'', editor [[Walter Murch]] states: |
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"[We] have difficulty accepting the kind of displacements that are neither subtle nor total: Cutting from a full-figure master shot, for instance, to a slightly tighter shot that frames the actors from the ankles up. The new shot in this case is different enough to signal that something has changed, but not different enough to make us re-evaluate its context." <ref>{{cite book|last1=Murch|first1=Walter|title=In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing|date=2001|publisher=Silman-James Press|isbn=1879505622|pages=146|edition=2nd}}</ref> |
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The [[axial cut]] is a striking violation of this rule to obtain a certain effect.{{huh?|date=March 2016}} |
The [[axial cut]] is a striking violation of this rule to obtain a certain effect.{{huh?|date=March 2016}} |
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Revision as of 14:38, 1 November 2017
 | This article has an unclear citation style. (March 2016) |
The 30-degree rule is a basic film editing guideline that states the camera should move at least 30 degrees between shots of the same subject occurring in succession. If this rule is not followed, a jump cut occurs and there is a risk that the audience starts focusing on the filming technique instead of the story that is being narrated.[1]
The 30 degree change of perspective makes the shots different enough to avoid a jump cut. Too much movement around the subject may violate the 180-degree rule. Following this rule may soften the effect of changing shot distance, such as changing from a medium shot to a close-up or extreme close-up.
The 30 degree rule has its origin from the beginning of the 20th century. The legendary French filmmaker George Méliès, producer of silent black-and-white film, inspired succeeding filmmakers to heed this rule of angle when cutting between similar or nearly identical clips. When Mèliés himself made his famous A Trip to the Moon (1902) he tried to edit together film clips of the same framing and with the same angle, after changing the scene between the shots, to make it look like there was no cut at all. It was the world's first attempt to make special effects.[1]
As Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White suggest in The Film Experience, "The rule aims to emphasize the motivation for the cut by giving a substantially different view of the action. The transition between two shots less than 30 degrees apart might be perceived as unnecessary or discontinuous--in short, visible." [2]
The rule is a special case of a more general dictum that states that the cut will be jarring if the two shots being cut are so similar that there appears to be a lack of motivation for the cut. In his book In The Blink of an Eye, editor Walter Murch states: "[We] have difficulty accepting the kind of displacements that are neither subtle nor total: Cutting from a full-figure master shot, for instance, to a slightly tighter shot that frames the actors from the ankles up. The new shot in this case is different enough to signal that something has changed, but not different enough to make us re-evaluate its context." [3]
The axial cut is a striking violation of this rule to obtain a certain effect.[clarification needed]
See also
- film editing
- jump cut
- Continuity editing
- 180-degree rule
- George Méliès
- A Trip to the Moon
- Walter Murch
- axial cut
References
- ^ a b http://www.hollywoodlexicon.com/thirtydegree.html
- ^ Corrigan, White, Timothy, Patricia (2013). The Film Experience (3rd ed.). Bedford/St. Martin's. ISBN 0312681704.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Murch, Walter (2001). In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing (2nd ed.). Silman-James Press. p. 146. ISBN 1879505622.
External links
- "The 30-degree rule", an article explaining the 30-degree rule in depth (showcasing examples and counterexamples from various films).
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