CROSSING THE IMAGINARY LINE

To add variety, the director will often change screen direction of action, which
affects continuity of movement and eye line. This is calledcrossing the imaginary
line and must be carefully planned by the director during production to insure a
smooth flow in action.
When a mistake is made and not caught in production, the editor is stuck with the
problem. As discussed earlier in the course, there are several ways to cross the
imaginary line. Here is a recap of the techniques used in editing when reshooting
is not an option. The second shot below is a mismatch:

Solution #1 - Neutral Shot - A neutral shot is a head-on or tail-on shot. When

used between two shots of different direction, it can mask the change.

Neutral Shot
Neutral shots may contain entrances and exits, but they should occur at the top
or bottom frame to keep the shot neutral. If the exit or entrance must favor one
side of the frame, it should be toward the new direction of travel.

Neutral Exit Shot

Solution #2 - Insert or Cutaway - Inserts and cutaways work like a neutral shot
in that they mask the a directional mismatch between two shots. Cutaways can
detract from the flow of action and should only be used they are directly relevant
to the scene.

Insert
In the following clip, the imaginary line is crossed several times, yet the flow of
action remains clear because of the above techniques:
Solution #3 - Break continuity - In some cases, the editor can cross the
imaginary line simply because it works aesthetically. Breaks in continuity usually
go unnoticed in scenes with action or high drama.
TRECEREA LINIEI IMAGINARE-AXEI DE ACTIUNE
Pentru a aduga soi, regizorul se va schimba de multe ori direcia ecranului de
aciune, care afecteaz continuitatea liniei de circulaie i a ochilor. Acest lucru
este calledcrossing linia imaginar i trebuie s fie planificat cu atenie de ctre
director n timpul produciei pentru a asigura un flux lin n aciune.
Atunci cnd se face o greeal i nu a prins n producie, editorul este blocat cu
problema. Aa cum sa discutat mai devreme n cursul, exist mai multe
modaliti de a traversa linia imaginar. Aici este o recapitulare a tehnicilor
utilizate n editarea atunci cnd reshooting nu este o opiune. A doua fotografie
de mai jos este o nepotrivire:

Soluie # 1 - Shot neutru - O lovitur neutr este un cap sau coad la mpucat.
Atunci cnd este utilizat ntre dou fotografii de diferite de direcie, aceasta poate
masca schimbarea.

Shot neutru
fotografii neutre pot conine intrri i ieiri, dar acestea trebuie s aib loc n
cadrul sus sau de jos pentru a pstra mpucat neutru. n cazul n care ieirea
sau intrarea trebuie s favorizeze o parte a cadrului, ar trebui s fie spre noua
direcie de deplasare.

Neutral Exit Shot

Soluie # 2 - Inserare sau Cutaway - inserturile i cutaways funcioneaz ca o
lovitur neutr care poate masca o nepotrivire direcional ntre dou cadre
succesive.
Cutaways poate afecta fluxul de aciune i ar trebui s fie utilizate numai acestea
sunt relevante n mod direct la faa locului.
Insert

n urmtorul clip, linia imaginar este traversat de mai multe ori, dar fluxul de
aciune rmne clar din cauza tehnicilor de mai sus:
Soluie # 3 - Break continuitate - n unele cazuri, editorul poate traversa linia
imaginar, pur i simplu pentru c funcioneaz punct de vedere estetic.
ntreruperi n continuitate, de obicei, trec neobservate n scenele cu aciune sau
dram ridicat.