Lecture I-7: Editing II: Time, Space, and Editing--Continuity Editing and Its
Alternatives
Lecture Structure
1) Dimensions of Film Editing [continued]
c) Spatial Relations
d) Temporal Relations
2) Continuity Editing: the creation of a smooth flow
a) Spatial Continuity
b) Temporal Continuity
3) Alternatives to Continuity Editing
Dimensions of Film Editing [continued]
c) Spatial Relations
--editing can create relationships among spaces that don’t really exist
--through crosscutting, editing can forge a relationship between two (or more)
separated spaces
d) Temporal Relations
--editing can jumble temporal order via flashbacks or flashforwards
--in terms of duration, editing can compress time (through elliptical editing) or
extend time (through overlapping editing)
Continuity Editing
--to ensure editing does not disrupt the smooth progression of images, a
system of editing principles has been devised to produce continuity
--continuity editing works to minimise any breaks in time and space
which might disturb the narrative flow
--mise-en-scene elements and cinematographic properties can also be
controlled to aid in ensuring continuity, but editing is paramount
2
a) Spatial Continuity
--in continuity editing, retention of the 180 degree rule is essential to
ensuring the viewer’s easy comprehension of spatial relations
--one observes this rule by filming all action on one side of an
imaginary axis which bisects the shooting space
--filmmakers build on the 180 degree rule by employing numerous
other procedures:
1) establishing shots
2) shot/reverse shot
3) eyeline match // glance-object cut
4) match on action
--continuity editing is explicitly designed to disguise its own
operations
b) Temporal Continuity
--in continuity editing, manipulation of temporal order and duration
tends to be limited, and clearly conveyed as such
Alternatives to Continuity Editing
--how might filmmakers deliberately flout continuity principles?
--one technique associated with an opposition to continuity editing is
the jump cut, which involves (arbitrarily) excising a portion of time
and space between shots so as to emphasise the cut
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