Corporate Video: Working with a Videographer See full series list
EPISODE:
The 180-Degree Rule for Video Interviews
If you're using two cameras for a video interview, there's one fundamental rule of camera placement that will make or break how your footage cuts together — and it's surprisingly easy to get wrong.
In this episode of Working with a Videographer, Eric Wylie explains the 180-degree rule: what it is, why it matters, and what happens to your footage when it's not followed.
In this short episode, you'll learn:
- What the 180-degree rule is and where it comes from
- How to apply it when placing two cameras for an interview
- What goes wrong on screen when the rule is broken
- Why getting this right is essential before you ever hit record
This video series is designed to assist corporate communicators and business owners understand the video production process, the many ways video can support business processes and revenue, and how to select and work with a videographer.
In this series, video production veteran Eric Wylie of Wylie.Video shares his expertise after years as a corporate communications professional and freelance corporate videographer, editor, and voiceover artist.
TRANSCRIPT:
When you're recording an interview with two cameras, be sure to follow the 180-degree rule.
The person being interviewed is looking at the interviewer. Draw a line between those two people — and then keep your cameras on the same side of that line.
That way, the cuts make sense.
If you cross to the other side of that line, and you look between the cameras, then it looks like one person is looking in two different directions.
So the 180-degree rule says: draw the line between the two people speaking, and keep your cameras on the same side of the line.
If you're working with two cameras, there's one more mistake you'll want to avoid — and it has nothing to do with where you place them. Check out that video right here.