Week 3: Continuity Editing & Camera Coverage
To Do By Class
- DUE: Framing Assignment (5%)
Tell a short 20–30 second story using 5 well-composed shots to create a visual narrative. This assignment focuses on framing and camera position—no dialogue and no camera movement. - Journal find a scene from Duel (many are online). Look closely at each shot's framing and movement - how does each shot relate to adjacent shots and to the scene as a whole. What is narrated visually?
Module Notes
Framing Assignments
Submit urls to both Slack and Canvas.
- Dalila Drugovic
- Joshua Prather
- Logan Keller
- Shawn
- Gissell Ortega
- Daniel Mitryanu
- Samantha Vicencio
- Charlie Cardona
Continuity Editing: Key Concepts
- Continuity System – spatial, temporal, and causal coherence
- 180° Rule – maintaining consistent screen direction
- 30° Rule – camera movement threshold between cuts
- Eyeline Match & Point-of-View
- Match on Action – cut hides the edit with continuous movement
- Cutaway & Insert shots for pacing / hiding jump cuts
- L‑Cut / J‑Cut for audio-led transitions
The Classical Hollywood Style: Silent 1895-1915 > Studio System 1915-1960s
- Individual characters are causal agents. Characters make things happen in story. Psychologically rooted
- Desire of main individual (protagonist) sets plot rolling > goal.
- Opposition to the goal > conflict
- Chain of cause and effect. We don’t see what is outside the chain of cause and effect. Plot will jump in time to show only the important links in chain. The deadline as defined time marker that motivates action.
- Objectivity. Omniscient pov. Unrestricted access to all events whether protagonist sees them or not.
- Closure. No loose ends.
Duel Scene Analysis
In-class Assignment: edit a 30-second trailer
Download Skyfall clip and import into a new Premiere Project.
Mini‑Assignment · Continuity Scene 5%
DUE Sept 19
Goal: Film and edit a 30–60s scene (10-20 cuts) that demonstrates basic continuity with each edit: POV shots, shot-reverse-shot, match-on-action, and spatial continuity to tell a coherent story. Be sure to vary camera position (close-up, medium shot,...) and framing (level, high, low...)
- Write a two‑sentence action (no dialogue needed) and plan coverage with establishing shots + at least 4 different angles/positions.
- Use a hand‑drawn diagram to map camera setups and storybard (sketch the frames) for each shot; include in submission to Canvas.
- Edit for seamless movement and screen direction; hide all cuts with match‑on‑action where possible.
- Add room tone and try to mix audio levels to –6dB peak. You may use sound, just no music or dialogue.
- Export 720p (or 1080p) H.264; upload to Vimeo/YouTube.
- Share link in Canvas and Slack channel
#continuity-scene.