Crossing the Line
Avoiding ‘crossing the line’ is one of the conventions of single-camera shooting which comes under the umbrella of continuity. The ‘line’ is an imaginary one, drawn between the noses of two people as they look at each other. Providing the camera does not cross that line, shots that cut directly onto each other will match.
John and Jane are sitting opposite each other. John is on the left of frame and Jane on the right. These positions have been established in the first shot that was taken. Any other shot cutting directly onto or into that shot must feature John on the left and Jane on the right of frame, otherwise it would appear, when the shots are edited together, that the two people have changed places – in other words, they ...
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