film terms

Continuity Editing

A style of editing developed in Hollywood in the 1910s, used to transmit narrative information smoothly and clearly over a series of shots. Its goal is to make cuts nearly invisible so the audience is not distracted, making the viewing experience effortless. Each shot is meant to have a continuous relationship with the next.

Shot-Reverse-Shot

A series of two or more shots edited together that alternate characters, typically in a conversation. One character looks left, and the other looks right, creating the illusion that they are looking at each other.

Over-the-Shoulder Shot

A shot commonly used in shot-reverse-shot editing, where the camera is positioned over one character's shoulder to capture the other character, creating spatial relationships in the conversation.

Eyeline Match

A technique where one shot shows a character looking off in a certain direction, followed by a shot that shows what they are looking at, establishing spatial continuity and helping the audience understand the character's focus.

POV (Point of View) Shot

A subjective shot that replicates a character's optical point of view, often preceded or followed by a shot of the character looking, immersing the audience in the character's perspective.

180-Degree Rule

A rule stating that the camera must stay on one side of the imaginary axis of action (the line between two characters) to maintain consistent spatial relations. Violating this rule can confuse the audience by reversing left and right spatial orientation.

Establishing Shot

A wide shot that shows the broad view of where the action will take place or establishes spatial relationships among the characters. It is often used at the beginning of a scene to set up the location or space.

Two-Shot

A shot that features two characters together in the frame, commonly used to establish their relationship or interaction within a scene.

Match on Action

A cut between two different views of the same action that makes the movement appear continuous. This technique ensures smooth transitions between shots and maintains the flow of the action.

Insert

A close-up shot that focuses on a particular detail, such as an object or a specific action, to draw attention to it.

Cut

The most common form of transition in continuity editing, where one shot is directly followed by another. It is the simplest way to move from one shot to the next.

Fade

A type of transition where the image gradually fades to black (fade-out) or from black to an image (fade-in), often used to signify a long passage of time.

Dissolve

A transition where one image gradually blends into another. It typically indicates a shorter time lapse than a fade and is used to suggest a minor temporal ellipsis.

Temporal Ellipsis

The technique of skipping over time to move the narrative forward without showing every moment. Fades and dissolves are used to suggest different lengths of time have passed.

Flashback

A narrative technique where a dissolve or other transition is used to shift to an earlier time in the story. It’s often signified by a character reflecting or visual and audio cues like music or setting changes.

Montage Sequence

A series of shots that summarize a sequence of events over time. Dissolves often connect these shots, and the exact passage of time between events is not as important as the overall progression.

Graphic Match

A type of cut or dissolve where a dominant shape, color, or line in one shot is visually matched by a similar shape, color, or line in the next shot, creating a smooth visual transition.

Jump Cut

A cut that jumps forward in time abruptly, often skipping over large portions of time or action, and can be jarring for the viewer.

Fade Out/In with Visual Cues

A specialized use of fade transitions where external cues (such as music or imagery) are paired with the fade to convey emotional or psychological states, as seen in Three Colors

Motif

A recurring visual or thematic element, such as the use of circular imagery in Mad Max