Continuity is very important as viewers often notice minute details which can impact their opinion of a scene dramatically. Films need to make sense and be realistic, e.g. it would be stupid to break the 180 degree rule as it would pointlessly confuse the audience. Directors need to make a shooting schedule as weather can change easily and hair is hard to keep the same. For example, a director should film all outdoor scenes in one day as the weather can change.
Rules for continuity editing
Shot order: You should help your audience make sense of your film by moving them smoothly across a physical space using a shot order, e.g. mid shot to close up and not long shot to extreme close up.
180 degree rule: You must not cross the 'line of vision' between two characters as it can easily confuse the viewer. For example, one actor might be walking from left to right on one side of an invisible line, and then the camera crosses the 'line of vision' and the other actor appears to also be walking from left to right so instead of walking towards each other, they seem to be moving in the same direction.
30 degree rule: You should not change the camera angle by less than 30 degrees, as there could appear to be a visible jump in the footage.
Eyeline match: You need to ensure that the characters gaze in the same direction during footage, so if one character is taller than the other the shorter one should be looking upwards and the taller one looking down.
Match on action: The action should link and be smooth so it shouldn't appear to be repeated.
Shot/reverse/shot: When cutting back and forth between wo people in a conversation you should do the following:
- Begin with a Master Shot showing both characters
- Film it again with the camera in close up on one character
- Film it again with the camera in close up to the other character
- Film individual big close ups when you need to show strong emotion
- Other shots can also be included if you need them, e.g. mid shots.
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