Why is continuity editing important

If there are a group of characters, like in a dinner scene , it is important to be precise with the eye lines so that the audience will understand who each character is looking at.

If you have taken a class on editing or cinematography , one of the first rules you will learn about is the degree rule. The degree rule is meant to orient the audience and help them understand where characters are in relation to each other and their environment.

To do this, you filmmakers create an imaginary line between two subjects in a scene. Then they keep every camera setup on the same side of this line, within the same degrees. As shown in the video, the degree rule is important when cutting between characters in the same space. But what happens when you want to cut to the same character from a different angle in the same space? This is where the degree rule comes into play. Sometimes filmmakers cut from one shot of a character to a different shot of the same character either to change the shot angle or cut to different shot sizes.

To avoid jarring discontinuity editing or a jump cut the two different shots must be taken from at least degrees apart. This rule is explained in the video tutorial below. The degree rule is incredibly important when shooting with multiple cameras which many cinematographers often do.

It is an important rule that allows filmmakers to change the perspective of the camera while maintaining the consistency and logic of the scene. Some filmmakers purposely break the degree rule and use a jump cut and discontinuity editing. Editing to match the action of characters is one of if not the most basic tool to continuity editing.

What is a match on action cut? It is a staple to what some editors refer to as invisible editing. In this action scene from Mad Max: Fury Road , pay attention to every cut and notice how many cut on the action of a character to make the scene smooth in consistent shot to shot.

This will maintain the continuity of motion between two takes, otherwise known as invisible editing. Cutting on action is just one example of a match cut — some match cut techniques are designed to maintain continuity while others are meant to disrupt that flow. To better understand this technique, check out the video tutorial below. Cutting on action is important. Looking for small actions to cut on like a character standing up or picking up an object will help when cutting to continuity.

Eye trace, on the other hand, is more of a storytelling editing technique to keep in mind when cutting to continuity. Eye trace is a technique and part of Walter Murch's Rule of Six that allows an editor and director to direct the audience's eyes and attention toward a specific detail on screen through a cut.

For example, if the first shot has a subject in the bottom left of the screen, the next shot may have an important plot detail in the same position to ensure the audience will see it.

The eye trace is an editing technique that will immediately elevate the level of your editing. It will help you be a more effective editor and storyteller in the long run. How important is continuity editing?

The goal of continuity editing is to keep the illusion of time and space in the film intact. If it is broken, it can be distracting to an audience, removing them further from the film. Yet, continuity errors can be found in many major pictures. Is this due to negligence of editors and filmmakers?

Or rather a decision? This video by This Guy Edits that analyzes the importance of continuity editing in film. As you can see, some of the most prestigious editors prioritize other elements, such as performance, over continuity. A spatial relation specifies where an object is located in space in relation to a reference object.

In cinema and television, it is how the editor cuts a scene to tell you what's going on. These can be establishing shots where we then cut into the location, as well as shot-reverse-shots that let viewers know where each character is located within the scene.

Continuity is a general term that applies to lots of basic techniques. We should examine all of them to understand what makes up this kind of editing and what makes it so formative. A match cut is a cut from one shot to another, often used as a transition, where the composition of the two shots are matched by the action or subject and subject matter.

There are many different types of match cuts, from the graphic match to match on action. Perhaps one of t he most famous ones is the graphic match cut from A Space Odyssey in which the bone turns into a space ship, but m atch on action cuts, which are simply two shots cut together to depict one continuous action, is perhaps the most ubiquitous. An example would be someone reaching for a doorknob in one shot, and in the next shot, the door opens.

Again, this editing technique helps orient the viewer by informing them where each character is located. To do this, an editor will transition between shots of one character, who is usually shown looking at an off-screen character, and shots of the off-screen character now on screen looking back at them. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

This was a feature of the "Classical Hollywood Style" of continuity editing, which deemphasizes transitions between shots such that the spectator perceives one continuous action that develops linearly, chronologically, and logically.

When you block a scene, you often have actors interacting with the set. If you want to show them picking something up and looking at it, whether it's a phone or a newspaper, you need to cut from their face to an insert shot of the thing they're interacting with.

This is where the eyeline match comes into play. An editor will edit together a shot of an actor looking in a certain direction and a shot of an object from a perspective that matches their eyeline. If they aren't looking at the object This has a few useful functions, from compressing time to increasing tension to revealing a meaningful juxtaposition that highlights the themes of the narrative.

Maybe the best example of cross-cutting comes from The Godfather during the baptism scene. We cut from the baby's baptism to Michael's nefarious deeds. This not only spits in the face of the holiness of the baptism but also shows the audience his descent into evil because the editing allows those two moments to exist within the same space and time. If Continuity Editing's contribution to filmmaking is more or less practical, then Soviet Montage's contribution is emotional and psychological. I mean The purpose of continuity editing is to smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process and to establish a logical coherence between shots.

What are the different types of continuity? Quick Overview Jump Discontinuities: both one-sided limits exist, but have different values. Infinite Discontinuities: both one-sided limits are infinite. Endpoint Discontinuities: only one of the one-sided limits exists. Mixed: at least one of the one-sided limits does not exist.

What is the difference between montage and continuity editing? Continuity editing is the dominant style of video and film editing. A montage sequence is usually used to suggest the length or passage of time. When continuity editing techniques are used what happens?

A continuity editing rule for positioning the camera in order to maintain consistent screen direction. What exactly is cinematography? How is continuity editing used in Tsotsi? Laura Fanning. During this scene from the film 'Tsotsi' it shows many of the continuity editing techniques. These include match on action, shot reverse shot, cutting on glance and an establishing shot.

What do you mean by montage? By definition, a montage is "a single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs.