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Continuity is always a problem with discontinuous shooting. In which
hand was the actor holding her prop in the last take? Are the candles
burned down more in the first shot of the scene than they are in the
last shot of the scene? Did the lead actor have a great tan when the
production began shooting but lost it over the next six weeks, so that
from scene to scene the shade of his skin changes?
The production assistants monitor every take on
every shooting day to insure that continuity problems like these do
not occur. But actors, in particular, need to make sure that decisions
they make in 'real life' (like sunning on a beach over Spring break,
or cutting six inches off their hair length in the middle of the shoot)
don't create insurmountable continuity problems.
I've summarized below the main continuity problems.
Everyone involved in the production is responsible for staying alert
to continuity problems while The Body Museum is shooting and
when the edited footage is being viewed.
Some of these continuity problems can be observed on set
very easily (such as Physical and Action continuity). Some of these
continuity pitfalls need to be monitored carefully by director and camera
operator in choosing shot sizes, lighting, etc. (such as Environmental
continuity). Some can occur in the edit (such as the accidental duplication
of action under event continuity.
Carefully storyboarded and well-communicated shooting
plans, and alert directors, actors and crew can avoid most continuity
problems. It's not fair to leave the task of creating a smooth, visually
coherent narrative to the editors, who can only create, in the end,
from the material they are given.
Summary of Continuity Alerts
| Technical continuity |
The quality of intercut shots of the same action
should match: similar color, brightness, contrast, light direction,
shot height, perspective |
| Environmental continuity |
The location should appear consistent from different
viewpoints |
| Spatial continuity |
The audience can lose its sense of direction if
performers flip from one side of the screen to the other. Space
and distance can change with different lens angles |
| Physical and Action continuity |
The appearance of people and the scene should not
change noticeably between successive shots (costume, set dressing,
props, etc.) |
| Performance continuity |
If a sequence is repeated to provide different shots
sizes, angles and viewpoints (for later editing) performers should
have similar expressions and make similar gestures in each version.
If this doesn't happen, the editors' work becomes a nightmare |
| Time continuity |
Indications of time passing during a scene should
be coherent. Watch how food, clocks, candles, etc. change |
| Event Continuity |
Avoid accidental jumps in time or place, when parts
of continuous action are missing. Avoid accidentally duplicating
action (the Homicide technique of fragmenting and duplicating
action increases tension and reveals synaptic time, as does the
occasional use of split screen duplication of action). Watch,
too, that a performer does not suddenly relocate after a reaction
or cutaway shot. |
| Relationship continuity |
Watch for mismatches in shot size that jump-cut
the performer(s) too dramatically around the screen. Intermediate
shots help to move from a wide shot to an close up, for example.
Again, this variation on the jump-cut technique can work, if used
effectively, to indicate changes in psychological or emotional
perception or reaction |
Print version of table
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