180 degree rule

 The 180 degree rule is a simple guideline that says two characters in a scene must always have the same left/right relationship as eachother.

Imagine a circle which is 360 degrees, cut the circle into half making it a 180 degree semi circle, this will be your action work base. This technique can be used when viewing people conversating, you should always keep the camera within the 180 degree of the circle .


How ever the 180 degree rule can be broken, as proven int the film Dark Knight however this is only performed in rare occasions and by experienced directors only, such as Christopher Nolan. Personally i believe Christopher Nolan simply played with the irony in the scene that The Joker had intentions of braking rules .

These images show how the 180 degree rule is broken, the camera switches sides and crosses the 180 degree boundaries.