Shot-reverse-shot

Watch as an animation →

In plain words

Alternates between two people facing each other to build a conversation or a confrontation.

When to use it

A conversation between a salesperson and a customer, a scene where a character and a person connect.

Example videos

Joel & Ethan Coen - Shot | Reverse Shot — Explainer: See how the Coen brothers alternate shots of two people facing each other.

Editing Transitions Every Filmmaker Should Know — Explainer: See the basic form of shot-reverse-shot in a dialogue scene.

ALL Types of Cuts in AI Filmmaking | Full Showcase and Tutorial — AI: See an example of a conversation made by alternating two AI characters.

In AI video, like this

Generate each character separately, but use the background plate facing the opposite way and match the direction of the light (if the window is behind A, light falls on B's face). Make the dialogue with TTS and run it as an L-cut over the other person's face.

One-click prompt

Three-shot dialogue: Shot 1, over-the-shoulder, a tall detective on the left of the frame speaks; Shot 2, reverse over-the-shoulder, a nervous clerk on the right of the frame answers; Shot 3, back to the first angle for the detective's reaction. Same window light direction in all shots, subtle expressions, 3 seconds each.

See it in real films and ads

Every Frame a Painting — Joel & Ethan Coen: Shot | Reverse Shot

AI-made examples

See the example videos below

Recommended for scenes like these

Romance: First Meeting Drama: Breakup Noir: Interrogation in the Shadows Centered Symmetry The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — Forced Perspective at Bag End The Good, the Bad and the Ugly — Three-Way Cemetery Standoff Memories of Murder — Ending Stare into the Camera

Techniques that pair well

Frame Within a Frame Two Shot Reaction shot Film Grain / Halation Close-Up (CU)

← 30-degree rule Contrast cut →