Why Are Establishing Shots Particularly Important for Continuity Editing

After reading the headline, a question may arise in your mind, what is continuity?

Continuity means maintaining the subject and objects in the same manner when we change the shot while making a film. Lets say in the film a child is eating a sandwich but when we change the shot, the sandwich is now half eaten already. This makes a jerk in the film and it breaks the connect, the fake reality with the audience. Its a less conspicuous job though, because if done perfectly, no one will ever notice.

What can be the Continuity errors?

Continuity errors are subtle, such as:

• Changes in the level of drink in a character's glass.
• Length of a cigarette.
• More noticeable, such as sudden drastic changes in appearance of a character.

Such errors in continuity can ruin the illusion of realism and affect suspension of disbelief.

There are 4 types of errors:

1. Visual errors- If something in the film visually changes when shot is changed. Items within the scene changes like clothes colors differ in shots.
2. Editing errors- If a same activity repeats even when the shot is changed. Like actor drinks coffee and completely drank it but you can still see coffee in the cup.
3. Plot errors- It means a flaw in the plot or story. Like if an actor says that he is the only child but later a sibling is shown.
4. Homeric nod- If a character dies in the story but we show him again in another scene.

Types of Continuity:

• Continuity of Information- The information you are showing in the scene should be the same when we take another shot to maintain continuity.
• Continuity of Action- If you make an action and in next shot the action is not completed. Like I am raising my hand in one shot then in another my hand goes down.
• Continuity of Look- When a character is looking left in 1st shot and in 2nd shot the character looking right.
• Continuity of Movement- If 2 characters start at different places and move in the same screen direction, they're bound for the same destination. Its evident to be true.
• Conventional Continuity- If a person is standing to my left and in another shot it changes position of camera and it changes a lot.

The Continuity system

• Aim of the continuity system is to ensure that no edit calls attention to itself or strikes the viewer as spatially confusing, inconsistent or awkward.

Continuity Editing

The purpose of continuity editing is to:

• Smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process.
• To establish a logical coherence between shots.

  Logical coherence is achieved by cutting to continuity, which emphasizes smooth transition of time and space.

Discontinuous Editing

Discontinuous editing describes the deliberate or accidental violation of rules of continuity when editing films. Known as montage editing, it employs a series of rapid and non-matching cuts, that create uneven and unpredictable rhythms.

Temporal & Spatial Continuity

Continuity in cinema is about making sure that people and things don't jump around in time. It is often of two types:

1. Temporal continuity - This continuity considers the time of the shot. Suppose you take a shot in day and when you take another shot its night.
2. Space (Spatial continuity) - This continuity considers the space you are shooting. To get away with this you have to shot the film in a way so that people can relate the place you are shooting. Suppose I am shooting in a coffee house and to show that I need a wide establishing shot to establish the place, 180 degree rule, the eyeline match and match on action.

Pictorial Continuity

Pictorial continuity is the indispensable framework of every soundly constructed motion picture.

1. The Long shot
2. The Medium shot
3. The Close-up shot

Previously like few decades back the continuity importance was less but now its very important and their is a separate job to maintain continuity. Its a very integral or crucial thing to maintain otherwise it creates a jerk in viewers eyes and they loose the connection with the film while watching it. As a film maker you have to make a film like its really happening and to maintain that you need to understand the continuity importance and how to deal with it.

Dealing with errors

When continuity mistakes have been made, explanations are often proposed by either writers or fans to smooth over discrepancies. Fans sometimes make up explanations for such errors known as fanwanking.

Maintaining Continuity

The person in charge of continuity on a film set is the script supervisor, who must:

• Maintain a record of scenes shot and how they may have deviated from the original script.
• Creates a continuity report and works with an assistant to make sure continuity is maintained.

Hope you liked my article on "Importance of Continuity in film-making". Do come again to read my next article.

Thanks, pb

hallwittre.blogspot.com

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