Continuity Editing

Question 1

Editing

Answer 1

in filmmaking, the task of selecting and joining camera takes

in the finished film, the set of techniques that governs the relations among shots

Question 2

Cut

Answer 2

in filmmaking, the joining of two strips of film together with a slice

in the finished film, an instantaneous change from one framing to another

Question 3

Fade-Out

Answer 3

a shot that gradually disappears as the screen darkens

occasionally, fade-outs brighten to pure white or to a color

Question 4

Fade-In

Answer 4

a dark screen that gradually brightens as a shot appears

Question 5

Dissolve

Answer 5

a transition between two shots during which the first image gradually disappears while the second image gradually appears

for a moment, the two images blend in superimposition

Question 6

Wipe

Answer 6

a transition between shots in which a line passes across the screen, eliminating one shot as it goes and replacing it with the next one

Question 7

Graphic Match

Answer 7

two successive shots joined so as to create a strong similarity of compositional elements (e.g., color and shape)

Question 8

Constructive Editing

Answer 8

editing that suggests a scene’s space by providing only portions of it, without an establishing shot

Question 9

Flashforward

Answer 9

an alternation of story order in which the plot presentation moves forward to future events and then returns to the present

Question 10

Elliptical Editing

Answer 10

shot transitions that omit parts on an event, causing an ellipsis in plot duration

Question 11

Overlapping Editing

Answer 11

cuts that repeat part or all of an action, thus expanding its viewing time and plot duration

Question 12

Continuity Editing

Answer 12

a system of cutting to maintain continuous and clear narrative action

continuity editing relies on matching screen direction, position, and temporal relations from shot to shot

Question 13

Axis of Action

Answer 13

in the continuity editing system, the imaginary line that passes through the main actors or the principal movement

the axis of action defines the spatial relations of all the elements of the scene as being to the right or left

the camera is not supposed to cross the axis at a cut and thus reverse those spatial relations

the axis of action is also called the 180 degree line

Question 14

180 Degree System

Answer 14

the continuity approach to editing dictates that the camera should stay on one side of the action to ensure consistent left-right spatial relations between elements from shot to shot

the 180 degree line is the same as the axis of action

Question 15

Screen Direction

Answer 15

the right-left relationships in a scene, set up in an establishing shot and determined by the position of characters and objects in the frame, by the directions of movement, and by the character’s eyelines

continuity editing will attempt to keep screen direction consistent between shots

Question 16

Establishing Shot

Answer 16

a shot, usually involving a distant framing, that shows the spatial relations among the important figures, objects, and setting in a scene

Question 17

Shot/Reverse Shot

Answer 17

two or more shots edited together that alternate characters, typically in a conversation situation

in continuity editing, characters in one framing usually look left; in the other frame, right

over-the-shoulder framings are common in shot/reverse shot editing

Question 18

Eyeline Match

Answer 18

a cut obeying the axis of action principle, in which the first shots shows a person looking off in one direction and the second shows a nearby space containing what he or she sees

if the person looks left, the following shot should imply that the looker is offscreen right

Question 19

Reestablishing Shot

Answer 19

a return to a view of an entire space after a series of closer shots following the establishing shot

Question 20

Match-On-Action

Answer 20

a continuity cut that splices two different views of the same action together at the same action together at the same moment in the movement, making it seem to continue uninterrupted

Question 21

Cheat Cut

Answer 21

in the continuity editing system, a cut that presents continuous time from shot to shot but that mismatches the positions of figures or objects

Question 22

Crosscutting

Answer 22

editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneously

Question 23

Montage Sequence

Answer 23

a segment of film that summarizes a topic or compresses a passage of time into brief symbolic or typical images

frequently, dissolves, fades, superimposition, and wipes are used to link the images in a montage sequence

Question 24

What is editing?

Answer 24

the set of techniques that governs the relations between shots

Question 25

What is a shot (in relation to editing)?

Answer 25

one interrupted static or mobile image

Question 26

What is a cut?

Answer 26

an instantaneous transition from one shot to another

Question 27

What is a fade-out?

Answer 27

gradual darkening to black

Question 28

What is a fade-in?

Answer 28

gradual lightening from black

Question 29

What is a dissolve?

Answer 29

the superimposition of the end of one shot with the beginning of another

Question 30

What is a wipe?

Answer 30

a boundary line moving across the screen

Question 31

What are the four formal relations between shots?

Answer 31

graphic relations
rhythmic relations
spatial relations
temporal relations

Question 32

What is the non-binary approach to formal relations between shots?

Answer 32

shot transitions can exhibit any combination of these relations

Question 33

What are graphic relations between shots?

Answer 33

the pictorial resemblances and differences between shots

Question 34

What are rhythmic relations between shots?

Answer 34

the changes in shot duration

Question 35

What are spatial relations between shots?

Answer 35

the changes in the depiction of space in the shots

Question 36

What are temporal relations between shots?

Answer 36

the changes in the depiction of time in the shots

Question 37

What is continuity editing?

Answer 37

dominant mode of editing in mainstream fiction film or television

main functions of continuity editing is the smooth flow of shot transitions and to maintain the spatial and temporal coherence of a scene or sequence

consists of set of rules that are used by editors when constructing scenes and sequences

Question 38

What are the rules of continuity editing?

Answer 38

the 180 degree system
axis of action
screen direction
the eyeline match
shot/reverse shot
match on action
analytical editing

Question 39

What is the axis of action or 180 degree line?

Answer 39

an imaginary line that passes through the main actors

Question 40

What is the 180 degree system?

Answer 40

the stipulation that the camera should stay on one side of the axis of action to preserve consistent spatial relations

Question 41

What is screen direction?

Answer 41

the right-left relationships in a scene, often set up by an establishing shot, and maintained by eyeline matches

the preservation of right or left movement by adhering to the 180 degree rule

Question 42

What is eyeline match?

Answer 42

the principle in which the first shot shows someone looking in one direction with the next shot revealing what the character sees

if a character in the first shot is looking left, then the character in the second shot should looking right

Question 43

What is shot/reverse shot?

Answer 43

two or more shots edited together that alternate between characters, usually in a dialogue situation

Question 44

What is match on action?

Answer 44

a cut that occurs while a character is in the midst of an action, where the subsequent shot reveals the completion of that action, while appearing continuous

Question 45

What is analytical editing?

Answer 45

the breaking down of the space of a scene into progressively smaller camera distances to control viewer attention upon what is narratively salient

often commences with an establishing shot to establish setting