Offline Editing | Continuity in Editing

Shooting for Editing

All the shots made during the shooting process can be considered as visual material. Shooting for editing means that the DP must get sufficient visual material coverage for the editing process with consistent and continuous visuals between shots.

“Continuity is a logical consistency of the story, dialog, and picture so that it presents the appearance of reality.”[1]

1.1 Visualization of how continuity works
source: author's personal documentation


Continuity Editing Concept

Continuity Editing is an editing principle or style that aims to create narrative continuity and keep it consistent throughout the film. The story logic, dialogue, and visual are set to represent the appearance of reality. Therefore, the visual material must contain visuals that are consistent and continuous. In this case, the DP, director, and editor must work together to ensure that continuity is achieved.

Basic Principles of Continuity Editing[2]

  • Screen Direction: direction of an object’s movement on screen.
  • 180 Degree Rule: half circle established on one side of the shooting set once the camera first records and dictate from where on the film set the camera may be placed to not cause a reversal in the established screen direction.
  • 30 Degree Rule: the camera should be moved around the 180 degree arc at least 30 degrees from one shot to the next to create enough variation on the angle-on-action.
  • Matching Shot: same shot type and angle on a coverage shot (eg. 45 degrees, MCU)
  • Eyeline Match: imaginary line which connects the character’s eye and the object or subject it sees, whether on-screen or off-screen. This can also be achieved by using a ducted c-stand.
2.1,2,3 - The 180 and 30 degree rule and screen direction
source: filmdraft.com, jukolart.us, photographytraining.tpub.com

Axis of Action: a 180 degrees area in the form of a semicircle which is the basis for all camera points placement and actor movement, ensuring the actor's point of view is always consistent and building spatial dimensions in a scene.

3.1 Matching shot
source: wikipedia

Common Editing Structure / Pattern

  • Establishing  (LS/MLS/XLS)
  • Breakdown (MS/MCU/CU/BCU/XCU)
  • Re-establishing (LS/MLS/XLS)
4.1,2,3,4 - Establishing, breakdown, and re-establishing shots in Jojo Rabbit (2019)
source: youtube.com

“The 180 system prides itself on delineating space clearly. The viewer should always know where the character in relation to another and to the setting. More important, the viewer always knows where he or she is with respect to the story action.”[3]

Crossing Axis of Action/Breaking the Rule:

The axis of action can be ignored if the following elements are given attention to.

  • Neutral/establish shot: by setting another neutral shot to establish the new perspective before crossing the axis of action.
  • Camera movement: by moving the camera from the starting position to the opposite position so that the audience can grasp the subject’s position during the change.

4.1 Axis of Action
source: author's personal documentation

[1] Brown, Blain. Cinematography: Theory and Practice 3rd Edition, page 78.

[2] Editorial Thinking on Cinematography

[3] Bordwell, David, et al. Film Art: An Introduction 11th Edition, page 233.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Offline Editing | Editing Department

Image
In a large-scale production, editor doesn’t work alone. Just like any other department, they have a team which consists of: 1 st Assistant editor 2 nd Assistant editor On-set editor (who deals with assembly card) They can also have a post-production supervisor who is the head of all process that happens during post-production and is responsible of getting everything done in time. To guarantee the film stays on schedule, a post-production supervisor will have to deal with the following people: Supervising sound editor Editor Music composer Online editor VFX Supervisor Editing is indirectly introduced at the same time as matte painting. We might be more familiar with the term “rotoscoping”. In older times, the negative side is filled with part of the picture that is underexposed (transparent). Some techniques used in early moving picture that contributes to current editing techniques are as mentioned below: George Melies , A Trip to the Moon : theatrical, fade in - fade out, single sho
Read more

Maternal Superego in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)

Image
   Who doesn't know Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Psycho? Released back in 1960, Psycho has proven to be one of the most famous film from the 60's. As though many of his films, Hitchcock's Psycho was heavily influenced by a theory called the psychoanalysis. But hold on, what is psychoanalysis exactly?         Essentially, psychoanalysis is, among many things; a theory, a therapy, an instrument of research, and a profession. It's complex understanding of the psyche was a breakthrough in intellectual, medical, and sociological studies. First introduced by the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and later developed by Jacques Lacan, the study can be considered as part of psychology that according to Freud. is about memories, thoughts, feelings, phantasies, intentions, wishes, ideals, beliefs, psychological conflict, and all that stuff inside a person's mind.          It is also called a depth psychology due to it's assumption of an unconscious part of the mind.
Read more

Offline Editing | Film Editing Dimension

Image
In film editing, separate shots are stitched together to tell a story. Those combined shots create harmonious relations that can build the audience's understanding of the story. The relation between those shots can be categorized as graphical, rhythmical, spatial, and temporal.   Graphical relation The graphical relationship between visual elements in consecutive shots based on the similarity or contrast of form, composition, shot type, color, movement, or lighting. To create a graphical relation, there are some methods or tools that can be used. One of them is match cut, which can be utilized to show time change or contrast. (eg. morning – night, crowded – quiet). It can also unite two shots with the same composition. (eg. shots with one point perspective). Putting together two contrasting shots with a match cut can also create juxtaposition, which is the placement of two or more things side by side, often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. (eg. sho
Read more