Task 7 - Understanding Continuity Editing

Continuity Editing

Continuity editing is where you film a shot that helps maintain a sense of realistic chronology and creates a feeling that time is moving forward. You would expect to see this type of editing in movies; mainly action, however it is spread across all genres of movies, TV programmes, possibly adverts. Although continuity editing is seen as time moving forward that doesn't mean to say that you can't include flash backs or flash forward, as long as the scene will retain the realistic element.

Continuity editing techniques

Match on Action - the match on action technique links two shots together. i.e we would see a character start in one shot and then in another shot within a different angle we would see the character finishing the same action they started in the first one. Film makers would use them because it ensures that the action portrays a natural movement although it had been performed twice. If the film maker didn't use them the action won't look realistic and would lack continuity. This is shown in the images below. You would see this technique in almost any movie/television show. If you we're focusing strictly on the UK, you can see it in soap operas like Eastenders a lot. Directors use it because they save money on the facilities because they all have ready-made sets for the actors so the match on action makes it look as if the characters are actually going in and out of the real world when in reality they're moving from one set to a different set.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Eye-line Match - this technique links two shots together which allows the audience to experience an event in the characters perspective, i.e we see a character looking at something/someone off screen and then we get a shot of what they would be looking at. A film maker may use them to give the audience the realist perspective of the film, the make the audience feel as if they are a part of the characters life. If a film maker failed to use this technique this would lead to the movie lacking continuity and it wouldn't give the audience the most natural experience that they could have. You will see this technique mostly in movies, any genre but the editors use it to concentrate on both the object that the character is looking at and the expression on the characters face.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Shot, Reverse Shot - this technique, much like the 2 prior also links two shots together. The first shot would reveal one of the characters and then in the second shot reveals the second character which allows the audience to use their own initiative to acknowledge that both characters are interacting with one another. Film makers use this technique to help maintain a sense of realism because in real life situations, when you are having a conversation with someone it does switch from one person to the other one and if the film maker failed to use this technique it would also lack continuity. This technique is featured in any conversation on TV, let that be in a soap opera, an advert, a movie. Anything with two characters, using paralinguistic or not. Editors use it because they like to concentrate on both characters facial expressions while they're communicating to then interpret the other characters reaction.
_________________________________________________________________________________

The 180 Degree Rule - this technique is more of a guideline rather than a technique, it states that two characters or other elements within the same shot should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other and if the camera passes the 180 degree line the two subjects will cross the line and switch positions. A film maker would this technique to prevent confusion from the audience, because if one character moved position in one shot the audience may think that the film maker wasn't aware of what he was doing, thus leading to possible negative reviews due to non-professionalism. That would also be what would go wrong if the film maker did not use this guideline. The 180 degree rule is usually found in movies because so the character don't seem as if they're on opposite sides, otherwise it can confuse the audience. Live TV show's are also an example for instance, 'i'm a celebrity..' Ant is always on the left and Dec is always on the right; also not to confuse the audience.