Preliminary Task - Observing the rules of Continuity

Observing the rules of Continuity in Film Production - Preliminary Task

"Fed-Wars"



This was a preliminary group task to shoot and edit a short piece to demonstrate continuity, through match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degrees rule.
Embedded is the piece we made, and is subject to some continuity errors. We were forced to shoot the footage on two separate days after a fire alarm went off and we did not have enough time to finish shooting all of the required footage. Fortunately the weather was not too dissimilar and the footage we needed to be shot outside was all managed on the same day. However, the main character in the balaclava is wearing a slightly different t-shirt at the end of the film. Also, when he originally entered the building, he was carrying the box underneath his left arm (1:00) so to correct this we inverted the shot during editing, without it appearing abnormal - then during the rest of the scene, it is held under his right arm, and there is continuity. We also observe continuity through use of match on action, with the masked character reaching for the door at 1:04 and then opening it from a different camera angle in the next shot. We also show match on action through cutting from one scene to the next, so the audience assumes what happens in-between and makes the scene flow, such as the last scene where the suited man knocks the masked man to the ground, then in the next shot it cuts to the suited man killing the masked man from a low angle perspective (to signify power and strength). Then at 1:33, we show continuity through a shot reverse shot, used in conversation, where there is an over the shoulder shot followed by another over the shoulder shot from the opposite characters point of view. We also acknowledge the 180 degree rule here. The 180 degree rule is where the camera is kept on the same side of the action in the scene to not confuse the audience, i.e. if this wasn't observed the characters would appear to face the same way, when they are not in the scene itself.