Kennedy, M. “Temple Of The Seven Golden Camels: The 180 Rule And When To Break It”. Sevencamels.blogspot.com.au. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Mark Kennedy’s article carefully explains how one is able to break the 180 degree rule, and in doing so, utilise it to further an audience’s experience and understanding of a film or sequence. He explains the 180 degree rule in great depth, before justifying how one is able to then break these rules, drawing from the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.

Kennedy stresses that understanding the principles, or guidelines, of film laws is key to then be able to break them the ‘proper’ way. That is; to break them in a way that doesn’t result in a confused audience.
Kennedy’s explanation of the ‘line of action’ is comprehensive and easily understood. His use of diagrams and still shots enable the reader to visually understand what is being said. His example of the 180 degree rule being broken is also examined with great depth, and the reasons behind it’s success stem from the fact that the audience is not confused by the changes in camera angle, character positioning and line of action, even though the rule is broken.

This article is extremely helpful as it breaks down one of the most fundamental rules in filming. The article speaks about shot structure, the ‘line of action’, character positioning and camera angles, and highlights how normally, these elements should not be changed from shot to shot, so not to confuse the audience. However, Kennedy demonstrates how in some instances, there is the possibility that these elements can change between cuts, but they must be executed correctly so that the sequence does not confuse the audience.

One thought on “Kennedy, M. “Temple Of The Seven Golden Camels: The 180 Rule And When To Break It”. Sevencamels.blogspot.com.au. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

  1. Aside from the sick title, this was Ed’s reference, not mine, and as such I used it as a pointer in the right direction, rather than give it weight in my PB3.

    However after watching this I was a little confused as to why a filmmaker would want to confuse an audience. I don’t think the breaking of the 180 degree rule should confuse anyone, as that would be counterproductive. I think the 180 degree rule should be broken to create a new meaning, to bring a little spice into the relationship between cuts and shots. Anyhow, this source details how to break it and how not to break it. Pretty simple stuff.

    Seeing as I had a mini- revelation while watching, I’m going to say it was a helpful source; not necessarily in its content, but in what it led me towards. After all, isn’t that what research is all about?

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