Cine Continuity
CINE CONTINUITY
Between the scenes of a play, the curtain comes down to indicate a lapse of time, movement of the scene of action to another location, or both. Furthermore, the viewer has a program which explains the nature, time and location of the next scene.
In a motion picture there is no program and no curtain between sequences. The film is continuous, and the audience is moved abruptly in time and space. These rapid transitions seriously disrupt the continuity---the feeling of continuous action that the audience experiences.
Since we do not have the transitional means of the stageplay director, we must devise other ways of achieving continuity. With good shooting habits we can bridge distraction transitions between our film scenes and sequences much the same as does the play-director.
Continuity is merely a progressive revelation of related steps in an event that is taking place. Sometimes continuity is just as simple as the action might be. One scene of one picture logically leads to another. Effective use of continuity provides one with one of the most forceful factors in making of a picture story.
In making a motion picture, it is our job to tell the story as smoothly, swiftly and grippingly as possible. So let's get down to actual procedure involved in attaining good cine continuity!
TRICK SHOTS:
No other story-telling medium provides us with so great a creative power as our movie camera. Realism is important BUT any camera having a single frame release and a range of motor speeds can exploit FANTASY in IMAGINARY and MAGICAL sequences with which to awe your audience.
Reverse action can be great fun!
For only with a motion picture camera can one control time... SLOW IT DOWN or SPEED IT UP as in the time-lapse filming of a flower.
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JILL:
To see a cute teenager like this we'd normally take a look (LS); look a little closer (MS) and then center on her lovely young face (CU). Pre-shooting - planning of right kind of shots is receipt for movies that sparkle with interest. Sounds complicated? NO! Just put yourself in your audiences shoes (or seats). The camera eye is your audiences' eye. It is the only way they see the scene you are filming. Their eyes like yours, relish a change in viewpoint and especially a chance to see things closeup. Change your shooting angles often!
JILL IN PINK DRESS:
Notice this pretty lass had a blouse and skirt on when she put her coke bottle down - but jeepers look at her now in her pink party dress - remember even any change of clothes can ruin your film continuity! Even a haircut can make a difference.
Watch your angles. Never cover a pretty face like this when a compact. Try this for better effect. Backends of people aren't pretty, either.
CAR PULLING INTO STATION:
Here's a LS of a car pulling into a gas station -- MS as an attendant comes over to the car and produces a map. This time we CU from over-shoulder angle - for how else can we see it? Back to a re-establishing LS to complete this sequence.
LADDER:
Are we going to bore our audience by shooting a whole roll of film while JIM climbs all the way up the ladder? Or shall we start him off - stop filming and let our audience believe he jumped up to nearly the top in a fraction of a second? No, let's do it naturally. We'll watch him start up, then telephoto into a MS of his hands grasping the ladder - another CU of his feet going up - wide angle back again as he nears the top -- WHOOPS there's a cutaway shot of DAD up on the rooftop waiting for JIM, for added interest.
MATCHING ACTION IS A MUST THAT ADDS MORE TO REALISM THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE FACTOR IN MAKING YOUR [MOTION PICTURE] A GOOD ONE!
SWING:
And, what is more important than matching action in the case of a kiss?
MARY LYNN:
Unless due care is taken to keep every detail of a subject's position the same at the start of each new scene, smooth continuous flow of movement cannot exist. On an amateur scale, action is often matched by having subject HOLD or remember the pose while the camera starts grinding again. This is known as cutting in the camera. The professional method of matching however is that of reshooting part or all of previous scene action... actual matching point is later decided upon in the cutting room. By this system action can be matched at any point where it had been re-shot. Once you cut in the camera, you have no further choice.
It’s a good idea to let your subject walk out of your frame for “clean” exit! Likewise, let your subject walk into your scene for “clean” entrance.
Three little children running to meet Grandma– for interesting effect we shoot LS; then MS as they meet. CU as baby kisses her... in fact this was so good he did it twice! Do we want to shoot the four of them just walking down a WHOLE BLOCK? … SHUCKS NO! So we shoot a cutaway of Grandpa waiting for them at the other end.
COMPOSITION:
This cameraman isn’t taking a picture. He is feeling for one in his finder. When you sight through your finder… you are doing more than making sure your subject is merely going to be in the picture. YOU ARE DOING THE WORK OF AN ARTIST. At last our cameraman seems to be coming to something. Keeping foliage in foreground is a great aid to achieving good composition. Designers of stage sets have used this technique for ages.
COMPOSITION is pretty much a sense of feeling. You wouldn’t PUT A TREE OR A LAMPPOST in a dominant center for a picture, but a statue you might!
A kind of instinct tells you it is the thing you do. Feel for a picture in everything you see and strive to make your pictures portray what you feel personally.