Cutting between two opposing angles — typically two speakers looking at each other. Builds visual rhythm and pulls the viewer into the conversation. Hollywood standard.
Shot-Reverse Shot
You're filming a dialogue scene: camera on actor A, he speaks — then you cut to actor B, who replies. Back to A. This is the shot-reverse shot technique, and it's not just a cutaway. It's a narrative strategy that draws the viewer into the space between the characters and suggests to them that they are standing there themselves.
The mechanics are clear: two opposing camera positions, usually with slightly offset axes (not exactly 180 degrees, otherwise it looks stiff). While A is speaking, you see A in the frame and hear his voice; the cut to B reveals how B reacts — not just with lips, but with eyes, posture, the internal response. These moments between lines are gold. A good actor gives you more in the reverse shot than in the shot itself: the silence, the uncertainty, the attraction. On set, you have to shoot both takes with equal intensity — actor A must still have full energy during the second shoot (for the reverse shot), even though the camera isn't on his face. This is often a greater challenge than camera choreography.
Rhythmically, the technique works because it legitimizes cuts. Every cut is an unconscious piece of information: whoever is speaking is shown. Whoever is listening is shown. The viewer accepts this as natural conversation grammar. That's why slow cuts don't feel tiring here — they feel attentive. Fast cuts feel nervous, tense. You control tension through cutting rhythm, not through music or camera movement.
Practically: always shoot both sides separately and completely. Not two seconds of reverse shot and then switch. A complete pass for actor A, then one for B. The editing suite will thank you, and you'll avoid continuity chaos. Use focus and bokeh asymmetrically — the speaking character can be sharper in focus, the listener softer. This supports visual hierarchy. And avoid the trap of the perfect 180-degree reverse shot in the classic sitcom style if your scene requires psychological complexity — a slightly skewed angle (over-the-shoulder variant) creates spatial tension and asymmetry that is more interesting.