The difference between an over-the-shoulder lens and a front-reverse lens

Over-the-shoulder shots and front-reverse shots have their own special narrative and expression methods in film shooting.

The over-the-shoulder shot, also known as OTS (Over the Shoulder), provides the positional relationship between the viewer and the thing being observed. This kind of lens mainly shows conversations or interactive scenes, allowing the audience to see the reactions of both parties in the conversation at the same time. For example, in an over-the-shoulder two-person shot, the camera provides a special omniscient perspective, and the audience can see the reactions of both parties talking at the same time.

A front-reverse shot, that is, when two people face each other, the camera switches between the characters. The general framing is "over the shoulder", that is, over the shoulder of the person who is facing away from the camera to shoot the speaking opponent. From the front, switch to insert several close-ups without shoulders and back as a supplement to the combination of front and back. The image of the internal reflection shot is closer to the character's subjective perspective, and its degree of subjectivity is more related to the angle between the actor's line of sight and the camera's line of sight. When the included angle is almost zero, it can be regarded as a subjective shot of the character.

In general, the main difference between over-the-shoulder shots and front-reverse shots lies in their narrative and presentation methods. Over-the-shoulder shots emphasize the space of the scene and the audience’s sense of participation, while front-reverse shots The camera emphasizes the character's subjective perspective and emotional expression.