We started off this week’s discussion with eyelines, particularly in a shot-reverse-shot situation where the actors do not occupy the screen at the same time. If eyelines is incorrect, the suspension of disbelief is broken. The need for matching eyelines is for the audience to perceive that the characters are looking at each other. To match eyelines I can follow the 180-degree rule, but this assumes that both actors are in the same physical space to each other. If, for example, only one of the actors is on set in a dialogue scene, how do we maintain eye lines? If it is known where the other actor’s eye would be, I could place a marker in that area with tape and instruct the actor to look there when talking. If it is not known (if this was the shot-reverse-shot with the first actor), I would note down the camera position in relation to the line and the angle at which it is placed. With the reference of the previous shot, I can deduct the angle needed for the reverse shot for matching eyelines.

When viewing films this week, I was looking for instances of eyeline mismatches and was unable to find any. For me, as soon as the scene demonstrated the spatial positioning of the characters and that they are speaking, I would not notice any eyeline mismatch.

From the notes this week, a clip from My Sex Life, or How I got into an argument piqued my interest. It was a scene where characters move inside an apartment in one take. The lighting setup for this shot was intriguing. Previously, I have experiences in lighting for a single position, actors could move around in a zone where the lighting works best. For this scene, as well as the scene in Carlos, was what Robin described as a modern style of lighting. Meaning that the exposure priority as not always on the face of the person talking. Indeed, there were moments of talking where the actors would be shrouded in darkness before they reach a predetermined lighting setup and a dialogue exchange would talk place. It depends on the purpose that the shot was attempting to achieve. I believe the shot from My Sex Life, or How I got into an argument amongst other things, sought to establish the location and the atmosphere that these characters are at. Therefore, it can use moodier, low-key lighting to emphasise that. In the future, I will consider the purpose of the scene in the context of the film to determine what sort of lighting is appropriate.