In film, what does 'Crossing the line' mean.?

Question

I kind of know what it means, but it doesnt make sense. If you can explain it better, please do:)

THanks a mill

Answer 1

You've gone to far turn around and go back.  

Answer 2

It's basically knowing what your boundaries are in making a film - say you were making a horror film and there were certain boundaries you probably shouldn't cross, and then they cross the boundary by putting in a scene that causes a public outroar of controversy - they obviously crossed a line but it wasn't necessarily successful - they crossed the line but it just didn't work out.

Answer 3

It means knowing your boundaries and then crossing them.

Answer 4

Think about filming a football game.  You have one team running left to right, the other right to left.  If you suddenly cut to a camera on the other side of the field, the team that had been going left to right would now appear to be running in the other direction.  It would look like they were going backwards toward their own goal, and it would be confusing.  That's what is called crossing the line.  The line is the centre of the action (in this case down the centre of the football field) and if the camera goes over it, on screen things appear to be flipped and it disorients the audience.

You can get away with it if the audience sees the camera cross the line (eg if the view were to pan from one side of a football game to another), but a sudden jump of viewpoint is disorienting.  

Answer 5

" You have crossed the line "

you have gone too far.