The Rebel Alliance: Preliminary Example

The Rebel Alliance

Match-on-action shots have been used effectively in this short film, as seen below when the character slides the briefcase across the table.

The 180 degree rule is made good use of in the conversation sequence, as seen below...

...and this moment also serves as a good example of a shot-reverse-shot, when the camera is back on the other character.

All three shot types are used effectively, however I noticed one instance of the 180 degree rule being broken, and a minor continuity error.

The 180 degree rule is broken where the character with the glasses reaches down to pick the briefcase up off the floor. In doing this, he is on the left of the screen facing right, and for the conversation sequences he has been on the right facing left. This is shown below:

Reaching for the briefcase, the character is on the left, facing the right

When bringing the briefcase back up to the table and talking, the character is on the right facing left.

The minor continuity error is that the briefcase is open in one shot, and is closed in another when neither of the characters actually close it, as seen below: 

Here, the briefcase is open

Two shots later, in the next shot in which the briefcase is actually visible, it is closed. Neither of the characters close it, so this is a continuity error.

The fact that the viewer doesn't know for sure what's in the case helps build a certain enigma and sense of mystery around it, making it the main point of interest. This uncertainty is a classic convention of thriller films.

The costume choices make it instantly obvious what roles these two characters might have in their line of work, even when the dialogue reveals practically nothing about them. One character is dressed in shabby clothes and looks relatively scruffy and unkempt giving the impression of him being thuggish and brutish, suggesting that he is at least a rank below the other character. This other character is dressed sharply in a suit complete with fedora, connoting importance, power and wealth, perhaps the leader of an organised gang. These are two stereotypical characters of the crime/thriller genre.

The pace of editing is quite slow on the whole, which subtly helps to build tension and a sense of mystery, along with the points about the briefcase that I mentioned earlier. This is a useful technique as it reflects the tension in the room, as the 'thuggish' character must be feeling a certain amount of pressure as he knows that he does not have enough money to please the 'boss'.