Introduction
Editing is an important element in
creating a film. It supports a narrative of film by ensuring continuity. There
are four basic types of editing which are rhythmic editing, continuity editing,
match cuts, and jump cuts (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010). Continuity editing
is commonly used in films. It defines as creating images of continuous action
by combining the discontinuous visual information (Smith, 2006). In order to
achieve the effect of continuity, films manipulate space and time. In the short
film that is produced by the Totally Spies Production, entitled “Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Transsexuals (LGBT)”, the team applied the concepts of continuity
editing throughout the film. The report aims to describe how the short film
attached applied the principles of continuity.
Theory
Continuity is a theory that ensures the narrative of a story develops logically and naturally (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010). This is done by building up a scene without any weird displacements. Therefore, the mise-en-scene and cinematography of a film is strategised to ensure narrative continuity (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010). There are many principles to ensure continuous mise-en-scene such as constant tone of lighting as stated by Bordwell & Thompson (2010). As a supporting component, the principle to ensure continuity through cinematography is the180-degree system which is a method of creating narrative continuity by establishing axis of action and framing shots within the 180-degree area of a subject which ensures consistent relative positions, screen direction and eyelines (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010).It also highlights the screen direction as well as encompasses a series of shots such as reverse shot, eyeline match and match on action. In order to fully ensure continuity flows perfectly throughout the film, the relatively constant mise-en-scene and elements of 180-degree system were applied into the making of the film.
Synopsis
Although the film relays the massage of
the rejection towards lesbian relationships, it reflects the struggles of
everyone represented in LGBT. The film starts with a lesbian woman trying to come
out to her grandmother. However, she was contemplating the consequences and
decided to put it off. When her partner saw the sincerity of her grandmother,
her partner felt guilty and encouraged her to tell the truth. Finally, she
coughed up the courage and showed her grandmother both her and her partner’s same
engagement rings. Unfortunately, her grandmother disapproved of their
relationship.
Mise-En-Scene
The film paid attention to the details of
each scene by keeping the mise-en-scene relatively constant. This includes utilizing
the same exact settings and props, makeup and costumes, tone of lighting as
well as actors and their performances (visual 1.1).
180-Degree
System
180-degree system makes all the shots seem
normal when they are combined by keeping the camera on one side of axis of
action as stated by Bordwell & Thompson. The camera will then be positioned
within the semicircle without crossing over the imaginary center line (Bordwell
& Thompson, 2010). For example, when the lead and her grandmother were
sitting across each other, the camera had a medium shot of her trying to tell
the truth. Then, the shot changed to her grandmother being unaware of the
situation. By applying the concept of 180-degree system, it is evident that she
was trying to conversate with her grandmother. The 180-degree system ensures
that the actions of her grandmother were still being recorded while she was trying
to come clean without changing the relative position of actors. Through this method of application, it establishes
the connection and captures the communication failure between them both.
Screen
Direction
The first rule is the screen direction. It
can either be the point of view of an object or point of view of a character. It
is to show the audience the direction of which the character is looking towards.
For example, as the lead was looking to the left, the shot had more breathing
room on the left of her face as to follow the direction of her gaze (Continuity,
n.d.) (visual 2.1).
Reverse
Shot
After the axis of action is established
(visual 1.1), the first camera position will be at one end of the axis of
action to shoot one character then the step is repeated on the other end to
shoot the other character (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010). In the film, reverse
shots showed the lead looking off to her grandmother that is off screen, then
cut to a shot of her grandmother. It goes continuously back and forth between
the characters (visuals 1.2 and 1.3). Since their individual shots have
opposite screen directions, the viewers assume that potentially a communication
was going to be initiated.
Visual 1.1
Visual 1.2
Visual 1.3
Eye
line Match
Eye line match is a following shot that
establishes what the character is looking at without the object being in frame
and vice versa (Bordwell & Thompson, 2010). For example, an eye line match
begins with the lead looking at something off screen (visual 2.1), followed by
a shot of her partner (visual 2.2). When these shots are cut together, it
establishes that she was looking at her partner.
Visual 2.1
Visual 2.2
Match
On Action
Match on action defines as multiple cuts
to show the actions of the character as stated by Bordwell & Thompson
(2010). According to both authors, the
editor creates a visual bridge, which distracts viewers from noticing the discontinuation
of movement through the shots establishing the beginning and ending of an act. In
the film, the editor cut from a shot of the lead’s partner initiating an action
by taking the curry chicken (visual 3.1) to another shot that showed her partner’s
hand putting the chicken into her grandmother’s
bowl (visual 3.2). By matching both shots, it shows the continuation of movement.
Visual 3.1
Visual 3.2
Conclusion
To recapitulate the concept of continuity
editing, it is a detail-oriented method of ensuring the logical development of
narrative structure through constant mise-en-scene and consistent
cinematography. By utilizing the principles of 180-degree system such as appropriate
screen direction, reverse shot, eyeline match and match on action, we are able
to manipulate cinematography to highlight continuity. In the production of a
film, the mise-en-scene and cinematography must be priortised to create a smooth
and coherent narrative experience for the audience (Rosenberg, n.d.).
References
Bordwell, D. & Thompson, K. (2010).
Film Art An Introduction (9th ed.). USA:
McGraw-Hill,
pp 223-265
Continuity. (n.d.). Learn About Films.
Retrieved from http://learnaboutfilm.com/film-
language/sequence/
Rosenberg,J. (n.d.). Dynamic and Continuity
Editing. Retrieved from
Smith, T.
J. (2006). An attentional theory of continuity editing.
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