AS MEDIA BLOG:
MAKDA MICHAEL
MATCH ON ACTION - IN MORE DETAIL
Match on action is when you film someone doing one thing then add on another scene where the character continues the action from the previous scene. This shows continuity within a character's actions.
As you can see from this scene, the camera is in a mid shot on the man. So we as the viewers, expect him to be yelling to someone else opposite him. The next scene (below) it's continued, as he's yelling to the guy in the white shirt.
The bit where I got up from the chair and walked towards the door (shown in preliminary task tab) to open it is match on action as they were both different scenes at first. Then when I joined the scenes together my actions showed continuity making it flow nicely.
Here, I've used the same example from the previous rule but in this case, my actions have matched as I was asking a question. Zara responded which implies continuity therefore supporting match on action.
Another example
Match on action... what is it?
Here, we have an extended clip from the matrix and their use of match on action. The bit that shows this rule the most is from 0:20 to 0:26.