{"id":70000,"date":"2016-02-04T09:18:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T15:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=70000"},"modified":"2016-02-04T10:47:27","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T16:47:27","slug":"cinematic-shot-reverse-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/cinematic-shot-reverse-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Compose a Cinematic Shot Reverse Shot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dialogue-heavy moments of character interaction can quickly bog down a film’s pacing. Energize those situations\u00a0with a cinematic shot reverse shot.<\/h2>\n

Top Image via Paramount Pictures<\/em><\/p>\n

Early in history of cinema, filmmakers learned that standard two shots<\/strong>\u00a0of character interaction could get boring pretty quickly. Many realized\u00a0that they could push a film’s pacing along by\u00a0changing shots intermittently<\/strong> during these moments, leading to the creation of the classic\u00a0shot reverse shot<\/strong>\u00a0technique.<\/p>\n

What Is a Shot Reverse Shot?<\/h3>\n

A\u00a0shot reverse shot<\/a> is a framing technique used for continuity editing<\/strong>\u00a0in film or video production. This type of framing, when edited together, gives the audience a sense of continuous action<\/strong>, making it seem as though the scene they’re watching is happening linearly\u00a0in real time.\u00a0As stated above, this technique became a staple of classic Hollywood. But how do you set it up?<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

When setting up for a shot reverse shot<\/strong>, you’ll want to use a minimum of two cameras. The cameras will rest on one side of the 180-degree line<\/a>, with\u00a0each camera focusing on one specific actor. There are several ways to frame this action, with the basic method being an\u00a0over-the-shoulder shot<\/a>\u00a0(like the one above from Casablanca<\/a>)<\/em> to establish the presence of the characters.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Moving forward, you can cut to another over-the-shoulder shot for the reaction<\/strong>, or you can frame your second actor tighter. The choice is up to you, obviously. Either way, by capturing the same performance with at least two cameras, the editor has options when cutting\u00a0the scene together <\/strong>and it’s more\u00a0visually pleasing to the audience.<\/p>\n

Now that we know the basics of the technique, let’s look at some examples of well-crafted cinematic shot reverse shots<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

1.\u00a0Using Motivated Lighting in Framing<\/h3>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

This opening scene from The Godfather<\/em><\/a>\u00a0showcases an incredible shot reverse shot<\/strong>. What makes this particular scene so amazing is the choice of introductory framing, as well as the lighting. Director Francis Ford Coppola<\/a> and cinematographer Gordon Willis<\/a> begin the scene in complete darkness. We hear a voice and then the undertaker is revealed, shrouded by darkness. As he continues to speak, the frame slowly zooms back to an\u00a0over-the-shoulder shot<\/strong>\u00a0that reveals Don Corleone.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

The undertaker approaches Corleone and whispers in his\u00a0ear. The two characters nearly cover the frame in complete darkness, which alludes to the nature of the discussion. We move to a more traditional setup as the scene progresses, but this introduction is a great example of how to use a shot reverse shot\u00a0<\/strong>to establish the mood and tone<\/strong> of both a scene and an entire film.<\/p>\n