user2604: Suppose you have person A in one room, placing a phone call to person B in another room. How would you show the resulting phone conversation?
I can think of two ways: One is to split the screen, so person A is shown on the left side, and person B on the right side.
The other way, is to have alternating "full shots" switching back and forth between persons A and B.
What are these video techniques called? Are there other techniques that I've overlooked?

user5546: I like to think of alternate ways to do things, so here are a few.

One variation of the split screen is a picture-in-picture layout, where Caller B is in a small (often rectangular) box overlaid on the main shot of Caller A.  
Another variation of the split screen is a "cloudy" picture-in-picture, where Caller B appears as a cloud-shaped image with fuzzy edges overlaid on the main shot of Caller A, usually floating above Caller A's head. This is sometimes used to make it look as though Person A is thinking of Person B, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it as a phone call too.
If the call occurs in present day, a video call on a computer screen can show Caller A and Caller B in a variety of layouts.  It could even include Callers C, D, E, etc.
Some scenes only show Caller A, and Caller B is heard without being seen.
In the movie The Player, there is a creepy scene in which Tim Robbins calls a woman he's attracted to / stalking.  He's on his cell phone, outside of her house, at night. She can't see him but he is looking in through her windows while they talk. So there are some 2-shots that show both of them on the phone simultaneously. (It's briefly included in the trailer at 1:10.)


2604: <p>Suppose you have person A in one room, placing a phone call to person B in another room. How would you show the resulting phone conversation?</p>

<p>I can think of two ways: One is to split the screen, so person A is shown on the left side, and person B on the right side.</p>

<p>The other way, is to have alternating "full shots" switching back and forth between persons A and B.</p>

<p>What are these video techniques called? Are there other techniques that I've overlooked?</p>
 5546: <p>I like to think of alternate ways to do things, so here are a few.</p>

<ol>
<li>One variation of the split screen is a picture-in-picture layout, where Caller B is in a small (often rectangular) box overlaid on the main shot of Caller A.  </li>
<li>Another variation of the split screen is a "cloudy" picture-in-picture, where Caller B appears as a cloud-shaped image with fuzzy edges overlaid on the main shot of Caller A, usually floating above Caller A's head. This is sometimes used to make it look as though Person A is thinking of Person B, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it as a phone call too.</li>
<li>If the call occurs in present day, a video call on a computer screen can show Caller A and Caller B in a variety of layouts.  It could even include Callers C, D, E, etc.</li>
<li>Some scenes only show Caller A, and Caller B is heard without being seen.</li>
<li>In the movie The Player, there is a creepy scene in which Tim Robbins calls a woman he's attracted to / stalking.  He's on his cell phone, outside of her house, at night. She can't see him but he is looking in through her windows while they talk. So there are some 2-shots that show both of them on the phone simultaneously. (It's briefly included in <a href="http://youtu.be/JdnKpF9fq78?t=1m10s" rel="nofollow">the trailer</a> at 1:10.)</li>
</ol>
