Eyeline match

An eyeline match is a popular editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing. The eyeline match begins with a character looking at something off-screen, there will then be a cut to the object or person at which he is looking. For example, a man is looking off-screen to his left, and then the film cuts to a television that he is watching.^[1]

Alfred Hitchcock used this procedé throughout Rear Window because of the fact that the center location was used as a look-out by James Stewart in this classic movie. The whole film is based on the main character looking at something, followed by an eyeline match of what he's looking at.

References

^ Jeremy G Butler (2001), Television: Critical Methods and Applications, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805842098, http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0805842098&id=LwEmNHNyPOUC&pg=RA2-PA157&lpg=RA2-PA157&ots=f9hN-iVbaU&dq=%22Eyeline+match%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=n_V5dMNWmCCkb7-9-5bIb3a_G_k

v • d • e Continuity editing topics

Establishing shot • Shot reverse shot • 180 degree rule • Eyeline match • 30 degree rule • Cutting on action • Cutaway • Insert • Cross-cutting • Long take • Axial cut

Categories: Television terminology | Film editing

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