Continuity Editing

CONTINUITY EDITING

Continuity editing is a way of breaking down a scene into a series of shots. The way shots are edited must permit the viewer to piece them together like a puzzle, and the techniques of continuity editing enable the viewer to create a continuous picture from the shots presented on screen. The key techniques of continuity Editing are: observing the 180-degree rule, the eyeline match, point-of-view cutting, the match on action cut, directional continuity, the establishing shot, parallel/cross-cutting, transitions and rhythm.

The 180-degree rule attempts to imitate, on screen, the space of Renaissance painting and proscenium space of the theater of the 19th-century. A film needs to remain consistent with the same axis of 180 degrees to retain continuity.

The eyeline match is another film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that an audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

The POV cutting is a variant of the eyeline match. The first shot shows a person looking at an object, usually offscreen. The second shot shows the object of the person's gaze, from their point of view.

The match on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. The continuity of the same action across the shot creates coherence.

Directional continuity refers to the technique where if a person exits through the right of a screen, he should enter through the left.

The establishing shot is used to make transitions smooth, used at the beginning of stories of beginning of a new scene within the narrative. A re-establishing shot may be used after many scenes shot in the same location to help the audience keep up. It helps set the tone and pacing of a scene as well.

Parallel cutting or cross-cutting is the technique of alternating two or more scenes that often happen simultaneously but in different locations. If the scenes are simultaneous, they occasionally culminate in a single place, where the relevant parties confront each other. Alternatively, the cut could be used in the same location but occurring at different times (in history).

Jump cuts is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly if at all. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time or gives a disorienting feel to the scene.

Transitions are traditionally used to be as seamless and possible, but they can be more creative. For example, the dissolve can be used as a straightforward editing device to link any two scenes, or in more creative ways, as a use for a hallucinatory effect.

We edit because it gives directors complete control over events and actors. It also gives the viewer optimal access to the unfolding events and helps to prolong the suspense. It allows viewers to be more involved in action rather than focus on character psychology or the actor's performance; and eliminates unnecessary time and space.

In terms of how we treat time, the length of a shot is usually determined by the complexity of the images onscreen. Long shots that are saturated with information than close-ups may need more time. Scenes should only last as long as the audience is required to watch in order to gather sufficient information.

When we edit, here are some questions we ask: How much cutting is there and why? Are the shots highly fragmented or relatively lengthy? What is the point of the cutting in each scene? To clarify? To lyricize? To create suspense? Is the editing manipulative? What is the rhythm of the editing? Does the personality of the filmmakers come through? Or is the editing purely functional? Is the editing a major language system in the film or does it play a minor role?