Shot/Reverse Shot Explained: How to Film Shot/Reverse Shots

The shot/reverse shot is a film technique that involves two characters in the same scene who are filmed separately using different camera angles. In a typical shot/reverse shot (also known as a shot/countershot), one camera setup involves a medium shot or close-up shot of a character interacting with someone else offscreen. The action then cuts to a reverse angle where we see the offscreen character interacting with the first character—only this time the first character is the one offscreen.

Many filmmakers toggle back and forth between these two shots throughout their filmmaking, particularly when shooting dialogue scenes. They effectively replace a classic two-shot angle with a pair of one-shot angles. The director and cinematographer can show both characters' faces head-on without any camera movement.

When paired with fluid film editing, a shot/reverse shot sequence conveys continuity. The sequence creates the illusion of two characters occupying the same space even though they are filmed separately using different camera setups.

In this sense, the shot/reverse shot sequence evokes the Kuleshov effect, in which a filmmaker provides more information by toggling between an initial shot (sometimes called a master shot) and various other images. With each cutaway to new images, the first shot takes on new meaning. The shot/reverse shot technique is more narrowly defined, however, since the two shots represent continuous action in a single scene, often to portray a conversation happening in real-time.

The shot/reverse shot sequence appears in untold numbers of motion pictures. To create a shot/reverse shot in your own film, follow a few basic steps.

1. 1. Establish your first shot. This will be one shot of a character who is interacting with someone offscreen.
2. 2. Create a reverse angle for your second shot. Set up a second shot that shows the character who was offscreen in your first shot. Follow a 180-degree rule when staging this shot. The camera should effectively rotate 180 degrees around an axis point to set up that second shot.
3. 3. Conduct an eyeline match. When you film a shot/reverse shot sequence at eye level, both character's eyelines must appear in the same part of the frame. However, if your first shot is a high-angle shot, you must counter it with a low-angle shot, or vice versa. In all cases, the audience must perceive an eyeline match in order to feel a sense of continuity.
4. 4. Embellish your shots. The shot/reverse shot sequence can take on different forms. For instance, you can use an over-the-shoulder shot (OTS) to frame one shot with part of the other character's body in the frame. You can also vary your shot size; wide angles and close-ups both work with the shot/reverse shot technique. Take care, however, to match shot sizes if your goal is continuity. If your first shot is filmed as a close-up, your second shot should also be a close-up. If you pair two shots with different frame widths, you may disturb the sense of continuity.

Become a better filmmaker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Ron Howard, Ken Burns, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Shonda Rhimes, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and more.