AS1: Task 7: Continuity Editing

Continuity Editing

Continuity Editing:

 Continuity editing is what had became known as the popular 'classical Hollywood' style of editing.

This is developed by early European and American directors, in particular D.W. Griffith in his films such as The Birth of a Nation.

The classical style ensures temporal (time) and spatial (space) continuity as a way of advancing narrative, using such techniques as the 180 degree rule, Match on Action, and Shot, Reverse Shot.

Continuity Editing us important because it helps retain a sense of realistic chronology and generates the feeling that time is moving forward.

This doesn't mean that you can;t use a flashbacks or flash forwards, as long as the narrative will still be seen to be processing forward in an expected or realistic way.

Key Continuity Techniques:

Eye-line match

this technique links two shots together. This is where we see a character looking at something off screen and then we cut a shot of what they are looking at.  This will then allow the audience to experience an event in the film just as the character is experiencing it.

This is what an eye-line match look like:

 This is an example of an eye-line match because it shows what the character is looking at and it shows a link between two images. The position of the camera is important especially when creating an eye-line match like the example shown above.

To create a perfect eye-line match, you are to make sure that the position of the camera is correct because it will then create a link between your two images. If your camera was positioned in the wrong way , for example of the guy above (Ben-Hur) if the guy was looking at the right and the camera was positioned at the left side of the woman, it won't create a link. Therefore, the position of the camera is important when creating an eye-line match.

Match on Action

This technique links two shots together. This is where we see a character start an action in one shot, the camera then cuts to a different angle and we see the character finish the action in the second shot. This technique ensures that the action seems like one natural and realistic movement even when the actor may have really performed it twice.

This is an example of a Match on action:

 This is an example of a Match on action because it shows a person going in/out of a room and it shows the point where the person holds out the door and the other image shows the time where she had came through the door. 

Shot, Reverse

Shot, Reverse is a technique links to two shots together. The first shot reveals one character and then the second shot reveals the second character. This allows the audience to connect the two characters and realise that they are interacting with each other. 

This is an example of a Shot, Reverse Shot:

 This is an example of a shot, reverse shot because it shows a scene about two person talking to each other with a close shot. The first images shown above, the man is in shoulder line with the lady he is talking too and to reverse it, the second images then shows the man who is also in shoulder line with the lady. 

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline that stares that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line.

This what a 180 degree rule look like:

In the 180 degree rule when filming the camera should always stay on one side of the infirmary line. If you cross the line characters will appear to swap positions on the screen.

Its is important to not break the 180 degree rule because if the the 180 degree rule wasn't obeyed then the person who first appeared at the right side will then appear in the left if the camera go over the 180 degree rule.

This is what it looks like when we go over 180 degree rule:

 The guy at the right hand side of the image above is not positioned at the left hand side of the images. 

 Using all of this technique is really important when making a film because all of this techniques eye-line match, match on action and 180 degree rule will make your film look continuos, seem real and perfect. Without any use of one of these techniques this make can make your film go wrong. If you didn't use an eye-line match, when person A was talking to person B, it will look like as if person A wasn't looking at person B even though they were talking to each other.

If a film maker forgot to use match-on action, for example person C is coming out of the door, it will look like as if person C went the wrong side because of no match on action use.