Camera shoots past one actor's shoulder to frame the other facing camera — standard dialogue coverage. Establishes spatial relationship and intimacy.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot / OTS
You position your camera behind or next to a character, framing them at the shoulder and looking over them at the person opposite them — this is the working situation for an Over-the-Shoulder shot. It's not the most elegant shot, but one of the most reliable. It works because it immediately creates a spatial hierarchy: we are virtually sitting next to the person in the foreground and observing how they turn towards the other. This creates closeness to the camera side, while the person in the background appears slightly vulnerable — which is perfect for dialogues, interrogations, and confrontations.
In practice: You position the near shoulder at about two-thirds of the frame, keeping the back of the head in focus. The focus puller needs to be careful here — if you get close enough (under 1.5 meters), you'll quickly be on the critical focus plane between the shoulder and the eye of the person behind the camera. Use a medium focal length (50–85 mm on a 35mm sensor), otherwise the geometry of the face of the person behind will be too distorted. Too wide will look cheap; too long and you'll lose the spatial connection.
The big advantage: You don't need much space and can quickly cut between sides. The reverse OTS shot automatically looks credible if you respect the axis system. This is also the tricky part — if you break the axis, the logic immediately falls apart. Some DoPs work with slightly offset positions (30 degrees difference instead of exactly 180) to appear less formal. For long dialogues, a pure OTS series can become monotonous; therefore, professionals insert one or two close-ups or wide shots to create rhythm.
Classically, you see OTS in interrogation scenes, dinner conversations, or where power dynamics are important. It's never wrong, but also not always the most interesting solution. Some scenes thrive on more chaotic angles or on shots that are less clear-linear. The art lies in knowing when you need it and when it's just wasting your time.