Continuity Editing

What is Continuity Editing?Continuity editing is the process most films go through, it’s intention is to give the audience the impression that the entire film is taking place in a single shot. If done well, then the film will look “seamless” and will give the feeling of the film having a “flow”. Also when the Continuity editing is done well the film will feel like another version of reality to the audience.

Inception is an example of good Continuity editing because the film has a natural flow and feels like it is all taking place at once.

Why is it used?It is used to give the feeling that the film was created all at once, if done well then the film will flow well and the audience will find the film more pleasant to watch and they will also pay more attention to the events of the film.

Shaun of the Dead is another example of good continuity editing because the film tells the story very well and keeps the audience interested.

What happens when Continuity is broken?Sometimes in films the Continuity is broken. This means that one of the rules isn’t followed and it changes the way the scene looks and feels. An example of this is the bathroom scene in “The Shining”. The start of the scene Jack is on the left of the frame. But in the next shot Jack is on the right of the scene. Meaning this scene has broken the 180 degree rule. This is done for a number of reasons in film, but in the example this is done to show Jack’s descent into madness as it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable. Because it doesn’t look right.