Continuity editing is a style of editing that requires the director or maker of a film to try and make it as realistic as possible and much like the audience's reality as possible. This means the film is trying to recreate what the world around us is and try to make is easier on the audience to comprehend and understand the action happening on the screen. Within this style of editing there are many terms or ways of implementing the style. These affects can be used independently of each other to create desired effects.
Some styles of continuity editing are:
- Establishing shot
- Point of View Shot (POV Shot)
- Over the Shoulder shot
- Flashback shot
- Reaction shot
- Reverse shot
- Eyeline match
- Match on action
- Axis of action
- 180 shot
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| Above are some screen-shot examples from a continuity edited film. Out of the list above they display 'Match On Action', '180 Shot and Reverse Shot' and 'Eyeline Match'. |
One of the most important parts of continuity editing is that no drastic changes are made to the characters or setting in between the different shots in the film. For example, a change in clothes, an obvious change in lighting (such as if a film is shot over more than one day, ensuring that the weather isn't more or less bright than the previous shots filmed), random mise-en-scene in any shots that may not have been there previously and unwanted dialogue, speech or discussion that can be heard in certain shots. This is important in order for the film to meet it's purpose of being as close to reality as it can be.
Above is a really good clip on YouTube that I found of some people giving examples of many of the listed types of continuity editing. They used a film example of a 'Shoot down' in order to do this. This video was extremely helpful when understanding the concept and idea of continuity editing before making and directing my continuity film piece. Not only did I use it personally but as a group we found it extremely helpful.
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