The continuity system of editing

The continuity system is a set of rules that have to be involved in the film industry to help avoid audiences from not getting confused between shots.

180 degree rule (+ axis of action)

The 180 degree rule is a line in editing between two characters or objects in a scene which must not be crossed. The camera must stay on one side of the line because if not it will look like the character has moved position or facing a different way.

Shot/reverse shot

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A shot/reverse shot is a technique where a character is looking at another character (who is usually
off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.


Establishing shot/re-establishing shot

An establishing shot establishes the context of a scene by showing all the objects and characters that are in the scene. A re-establishing shot is usually a long shot at the beginning of a scene to indicate where and sometimes when the remainder of a scene will take place.

Eye-line match cut (to P.O.V)

An eye-line match is basically when the audience is shown and can see what the character on screen is seeing. It begins with a character looking at something off screen followed by a cut of what they are looking back.

Match cut on action

Cutting on action or matching on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. A match cut is one method that directors use in editing to suggest a relationship between two different objects and to create a visual metaphor.