Crossing the Axis

[whatsatripod]

Alright I need some help here guys. I have a reporter friend who is having issues with some photogs about crossing the axis. I need a website or material to help her explain to the photog or togs in question on the concept of breaking the axis and screen direction in editing. Besides my american cinematographer book which is packed up right now for a move I can't think of anyplace off the top of my head.

[Eric J. Smith]

Check this out:

http://www.rondexter.com/

There's something on this site that you will learn...no matter how much you already know. Some of the ideas are a little primitive, but good fodder for thought.

At a quick glance, I saw some references to screen direction, but I'd be suprized if there's not a full section on screen direction and the axis never to be crossed.

You could also check out the books by Steven Katz:

"Film Directing: Shot by Shot"
"Film Directing: Cinematic Motion"

[<Unregistered User>]

The best explanation I ever got was to watch the nose direction. If you're shooting someone and their nose is facing screen left, and then you move and suddenly the nose is facing screen right, you have crossed the axis.

works for objects too. If I'm shooting, say, a car, and the car is facing right, and then I go to the other side of the car and shoot, the car is now facing left, which means I have crossed my axis.

Thinking about it this way has let me forget about setting a specific line and then trying to remember 20 minutes later where the darn line is. It's now just second nature to keep the nose facing the correct direction.

[Chicago Dog]

Originally posted by Eric J. Smith:
Check this out:

http://www.rondexter.com/ Wow -- that site is pretty extensive.
:)

[DrumNoir]

That is a great link.. thank you for sharing.

You can also show them an example of how odd it comes off in an editing booth. Show them how not crossing the axis flows better.

[ January 19, 2005, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: DrumNoir ]

[MilVid19+]

What an outstanding site. I wish I'd known about it when I was instructing in the early 90's.

As for the screen direction issue I have a lesson plan that I used when I taught that I'd be happy to share.

[phojorisin]

you could also tell them that super-tight shots and cutaways can get you out of a lot of jams when it comes to jump cuts and crossing the axis

[Terry E. Toller]

Would it help to just put it this way:

Between the reporter and subject, draw an imaginary line. When you move to shoot cutaways or reversals, stay on one side of that line. Don't shoot from the right side and then the left side. If you do, you will have people looking in two directions...

[freedom]

Shoot an example with them. That way they will witness it on site and in the edit.

[<Axis-Foxis>]

O'Reilly factor breaks the axis all the time.
Did anybody notice?
Is that done to annoy the liberals?

[s. curelo]

so the reporter needs help in finding a way to explain to the photographers how not to cross the axis. sounds like a great photog staff, if the reporters know more about shooting than the photogs. crossing the axis is pretty rookie stuff. it's a mistake that if you make it once and someone points it out to you, you have to be a complete moron to ever make the same mistake again. i think the imaginable line example is the simplest and probably the best. just don't cross the line and you will be fine. i don't understand why this concept is so hard to follow.

let's say you are doing an interview. you are on the right side of the reporter, if you need a cut shot you simply move back (or zoom out depending on where you originally set up) and stay on the right side of the reporter. same goes if you want that intense reporter listening cutshot, move behind the person being interviewed, but stay on the same side. crossing the axis is just that, it's crossing, so "crossing" sides would be wrong. pick a side and stay there.

i've seen it where photog will be on the right side for interview and then you see a cutshot later in the package and photog has picked up camera and tripod and set up on left side of the reporter. i've also seen same photog use soundbites where person being interviewed is shown looking right in one shoot and then looking left in another. interviewee was in the same spot, same chair the whole time, genius photog just felt it would be "creative", or "look cool" to rotate around this guy for the interview. reporter didn't seem to notice either. that would be wrong. pick a spot and stay there.

[scott abing]

with your NLE just horizontally flip your video.

why shoot it right when you can just fix it in post... &lt;/sarcasm&gt;

[ January 20, 2005, 12:11 AM: Message edited by: scott abing ]

[Darrell Barton]

I've watched people try to teach the "axis line" for years. Some folks get it....some don't. I was one who didn't. For those who don't..try this.
There is no axis..there is no line. There's only noses. All Gods children got noses. Cars got noses...planes got noses...dogs got noses. If you want someone looking at another person...point the noses at each other. If you set up an interview...the reporters nose has to point at the subjects nose. If someone chases someone else...the noses go the same direction.

When I started in this business and someone explained the "axis" to me I did everything but draw chalk lines in meeting rooms and still screwed it up. Ernie Crisp saw me struggling and told me about noses. It works.

[ewink]

Okay, here's a question, since I always want to learn.

I am uber strict when it comes to the axis on interviews... If I don't have enough room to do a cut away without breaking the axis, I don't do a cut away.

However, someone mentioned the axis when refering to b-roll. How important is the axis when you're doing action shots? I tend to cross the axis a lot when say shooting a person working on something simply because I want better range of shots.

When I see the finished product edited together it looks well sequenced, and not bad.

So again, is the axis just for interviews/cut aways or should you shoot ALL your b-roll on one side of an object/person/event?

[freedom]

I cross the line all the time. You need to do it while nobody is looking...
You are shooting b-roll of somebody working on a machine. You shoot from his right side and from his left side. How do you cut the two shots together? By inserting a piece of the interview or some other cutaway or extreme c/u...while nobody is looking.
And yes, O'Reilly crosses the line, while everybody is looking. Maybe they are trying to distract the liberals.

Yesterday, I learned that the symbol of the Democratic party is actually a Jack-Ass. I always figured there was some other reason for using a donkey. but A. Jackson was known as a Jackass so they named the party after him.

[MOShooter]

Originally posted by scott abing:
with your NLE just horizontally flip your video.

why shoot it right when you can just fix it in post... &lt;/sarcasm&gt; I saw them do this last night on Alias. One of the subplots had to do with a picture of a woman holding a baby. In one of the shots near the end of the show the picture is handed to another character, and in the cutaway the baby's position has flipped. When I saw it, it just didn't feel right, but they showed it one more time before the show ended.

Also, the Batchelor does this all the time in their previews of upcoming shows, usually when promoting the final couple of shows.

[Icarus112277]

If you have photogs who don't understand the concept then I think it is whoever is doing your hiring who needs some help.

[BluesDaddy]

The Axis??!! I thought Ike, Mac, Monty and the gang took care of that years ago! :D

[Tippster]

You need two objects of interest interacting to have an axis, B-roll included. 2 people talking, subject & computer, Protesters & cops, boy & dog...etc.

Unless you're showing someone moving through space.... then the movement needs to be followed. You cannot have someone walk or drive out the right of the frame and then have them walk in from the same side in the next shot. It "looks wrong." Their path is the axis... don't cross it.

Hard to explain theoretically, easy to show "hands on."

[ January 21, 2005, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Tippster ]