Hey kids! If you’re a filmmaker, animator, or storyboard artist and you don’t know what screen direction is, you might want to read this.
For the record, there are always exceptions to the rule in filmmaking, which is why I pointed out 3 examples here.
I’ve also found that comic books tend to NOT take screen direction as seriously as film does, but I’m still on the fence if this is wise or not. My favorite comics pay close attention to screen direction so as to not confuse the reader.
Good luck!
I’m not the biggest fan of using the 180 in action sequences (primarily because I do my best to establish geography through a variety of ways, particularly in the build-up to the set-piece or transitions between locations), but it’s very helpful in dialogue sequences and some of the foundational work.
The key is figuring out how to become good enough at visualization beat-by-beat, shot-by-shot, that you actually don’t require it. Filmmaking I think has a much easier time of this if you’re working with one of those master director/DP teams.
But, this is a better explanation of the rule than I’ve seen around.
That said – be very careful with multiple person dialogue scenes. I’ve worked with directors who have no fucking clue how to use the line in scenes of 3 or more characters and the result was terrible. o_o
As an AD, I often find myself asking the director & DP if they know they’re breaking the line and if they’re ok with a shot that’s broken the line. Sometimes, in the mad dash to cover a scene, they forget the 180 rule and realize when they’re setting the eyelines that it’s not a good matching shot unless they get more cutaways. I’ve seen this waste time. Never ask in a condescending tone; it’s not your movie. But always check in to make sure they are aware of the screen direction change before they spend time setting up for a shot the editor is immediately going to throw out. Or make sure they have proper cutaways scheduled for the screen direction change to work.
Although… I really hate people that “live by” the 180 degree rule. Like seriously? Ugh.
The 180-degree rule is a huge issue in film teaching, mostly because it’s so poorly taught. It took me (a filmmaker) a minute just to orient myself as to what was going on in those storyboards (which are crystal clear compared to some descriptions I’ve seen). It’s often overwhelming for people new to making films/comics/whatever.
I teach the 180-degree rule using sitcoms, where the 180-degree line is simply the separation between the stage and the audience. The camera can move anywhere on the stage (behind the 180-degree line) but it can’t cross that line because it would reveal the audience. I ask students to imagine the living room in Full House or Boy Meets World and describe it. Then I ask them to describe what the OTHER wall looks like. Etc. etc.
When it comes to more complicated action, you basically imagine that as the camera moves, the “audience” moves, too. It’s like the audience is sitting in a trailer being dragged by the camera — it tracks left and in, so does the “audience.” That’s already a bit more complicated. Also complicated is that postclassical editing techniques haven’t abided by strict 180 rules (especially in action sequences, but in lots of dialogue sequences, too) for a long time. If you want to learn the “strict” rules, just start with sitcoms and slowly expand the repertoire. I see film teachers try to start with Hitchcock and after the first or second shifting of the 180 line about half of the students are completely lost.