Continuity Editing Techniques in Film

Continuity Editing

• Tries to preserve the fluidity of an event without literally showing all of it.

• Keeps the action logical and continuous, an edited sequence of this sort

cannot have confusing breaks.

• Movements are carried out in the same screen direction.

• Time and space is fragmented as smoothly as possible.

Establishing Shot

At the beginning of a scene to establish spatial context (coverage).

Match Cutting

A technique where a cut is made to match the action from one shot to another.

Eye-line Match

1st shot: shows the character looking off screen at something 2nd shot: shows the object or character being looked at from the 1st character's POV

180 Degree Rule/Axis of action

Characters must inhabit their determined side of the screen to maintain the same background

The purpose of 180 Degree Rule/Axis of action

allows to maintain the same background, creating a continuity aid for the spectator

What happens when you break 180 Degree Rule?

confuse the audience and question the reality of what they are seeing.

Shot / Reverse Shot

aka over- the-shoulder shot because the shoulder of one character is often within the frame.

The second shot is literally the reverse of the first, at the opposite end of the axis of action.

30 Degree Rule

Between shots, the camera position must change by at least 30 degrees to avoid a jump cut.

What is the purpose of 30 Degree Rule?

viewer will accept that they are viewing the scene from a new POV

Jump cut

Shots becomes very obvious, making the scene appear to jump, making the editing process obvious > invisible.

Re-establishing Shot

a return to a long shot of the overall space, re-orients the viewer to the scene.

What's before a re-establishing shot?

A progressive scene with close ups and shot/reverse shot

Match on Action

The action is consistent even if the middle part has been cut out.

Techniques to make shots “invisible”

• match cutting (match on action)

• eye-line match

• 180 degree rule

• shot/reverse shot