Continuity Editing Portfolio

Parallel Editing

Is the edit of continuously alternating two or more scenes that often take place together but in different locations. It is used to create tension as it shows multiple points of views and can create dramatic irony when the characters in the production are unaware of an even/plot unfolding beneath they’re eyes. This technique gained notice from Edwin S. Porter in the film, The Great Train Robbery (1903). Porter only introduced the concept of parallel editing; allowing future directors to build on the technique. D.W Griffith developed the technique to develop suspense, he did this in the film, The Lonedale Operator (1911). 

Cross Cutting 

Is similar to parallel editing, however, this technique allows the director to cut between different sets of action that can occur simultaneously or at different times. It is largely used to build suspense. and establish continuity.  The purpose of using both edits is that it creates motivation for the production as the cuts allow the audience to believe something intense, dramatic or highly interesting will take place. Moreover, it has a storytelling effects as the two unique scenes engage the audience as they wonder what will eventually happen in the production.
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Shot/Reverse Shot

A mainstream film technique where one character is shown looking at another character, and the other character is shown looking back at the first character. As the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the audience will assume that the characters are looking at each other.
Shot/ Reverse shot establish continuity as it shows a conservation between two or more people to make it more realistic. D.W Griffith discovered Shot/ Reverse shot and other techniques through Continuity. As Shot/ reverse shot is a form of Continuity, this mean it should not violate the 180 degree rule. 

Transitions

Transition cuts are used when we film a shot or a scene we use transitions to cut out and cut in different transitions such as cut in and cut out. The was in which these were gradually developed was from George Melies as in his films he used jump cuts and transitions to create a sense of atmosphere or the viewers. there are also shot dissolves for example in the film psycho which was directed by Hitchcock in the shower scene were we see the victim get ruthlessly murdered we see the plug hole and it uses a dissolve transition and cuts to her eye. this shows us she's dying as the plug hole shows darkness.  So the transition technique was used mainly by Alfred Hitchcock were he used two transition types in his film Psycho. 

Jump cuts

Jump cuts play a huge part in the editing we do today and it was discovered by accident George Melies was filming a bus but since he is only able to record 10 minuets of footage he had to just keep filming but his camera jammed and the bus was now a car as he fixed it. But as Melies was a live performer he used this to his advantage and then used the jump cut as some what of an allusion this made the audience very entertained as they have not yet seen film in this sort of manner from this point forward all over film pioneers used the jump cut for the sort of realistic events as we see in modern films today.

Motivated cut

Motivated cuts or also known as Motivated editing is when a scene in the film cuts to an another scene that was not in the frame at previous scenes of films but this is done quickly for the audience because they could think that the use of continuity editing has been broken. This is usually used in narrative terms in movies for example: flashbacks where this technique is used to create tension of what is going to happen next in the film but the pioneer that came up with this technique was again D.W Griffith as he was discovering other techniques which are associated with Continuity editing. Also the purpose of this technique is to show what happening in the next scene that was not in the frame in the previous scene of a movie.
In this music video it follows the drum like so it looks like it is running smooth and fits in well with the montage sequence.

Metric editing 

Metric editing also known as editing to the beat is a form of montage editing created by the soviets. It is a technique that often follows the beat in music videos or sets a pace for films.

Eye-match

An eye-line match is simply an editing technique which falls under continuity editing. It involves one shot of the character's gaze and the next shot has to be the object the character is looking at. This technique was discovered by D.W Griffiths who is the 'father' of continuity editing.

Point-of-view

Point of View shot - This is a technique where it will show the scene from the characters point of view, so you can see the events from their perspective, allowing the audience to feel involved in the film because they can see it as if they are there.

Seamless Editing:

Seamless editing or also known as invisible editing is when the cuts matches with the action. This means that there is no editing involved at all just cuts in between shots so it matches the action of what is happening in the film in a certain scene and continues to have the flow without breaking or ruining it but this certain technique was used by D.W Griffith.

180 Degree Rule:

180 degree rule is an technique that show the relationship between two characters in an film as well as keeping them on screen. This type of editing technique was used by D.W Griffith (one of the film pioneers) who used this through trial and error as he was discovering different techniques while making films in the 1900's.