What changes
The first shot establishes a look; the next shot resolves that look by showing its apparent object.
EYELINE-MATCH · foundation
Eyeline match
An eyeline match cuts from a character looking off screen to the person or object the character is understood to be seeing.
On-set method
- Record a clear off-screen look.
- Record the person or object associated with that look.
- Place the two shots together and check that the relationship reads clearly.
Useful for
- Reveal what a character is looking at
- Connect on-screen and off-screen space through a look
Common mistakes
- Showing a second shot that does not read as the object of the look
- Changing the established screen direction so the spatial connection becomes confusing
05
Practice
Record one character looking off screen and cut to three possible objects; compare which pairing reads clearly.
06
Compare
A POV shot assigns the view to a character’s position; an eyeline match is the cut that connects a look to what is seen.
FAQ
What two shots form an eyeline match?
A shot of a character looking off camera and a shot of whatever the character is looking at.
Supporting sources
- Columbia University Film Language Glossary, “Eye-Line Match”
- Pitzer College, “Language of Film: Key Terms”
- Humanities LibreTexts, Tokyo in Film, §4.3.4 “Continuity Editing”
- Columbia University Film Language Glossary, “180-Degree Rule”
- Columbia University Film Language Glossary, “Point of View”
Further discovery
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