Continuity Editing,Match on Match Action

& 180 Degree Rule

By Jaskaran Bola & Liam Coleman

Continuity Editing: Continuity editing is the main style of editing used in post-

production when creating a narrative within a film or television programme. Continuity editing is used to create links between apparent unrelated shots to make a narrative that makes sense to the audience.

Continuity editing is achieved via several different forms of editing such as match on match action editing, eyeline match cuts (a character looking at something off-screen, then a cut to the object the character is looking at), matching image cuts (two different objects or spaces which graphically match and one object fades into the other), shot-reverse shot (two shots of one character looking at the other from changing perspectives, making the audience assume it is a conversation)

What is match on match editing?

A match cut, or a graphic match, is a editing cut between either two different objects, motions or poses by a character in which an edit between two shots is disguised by cutting on action. An example of this would a editing cut halfway through a character drinking something to a shot of the character finishing the drink

Match cuts are a key part of continuity editing. This is because continuity editing creates a link between two visually different shots to establish a actual coherence within the sequence. The match cut is distinct from eyeline match cuts and matching image cuts, as the two shots are always of the same particular motion or object, just at different stages of an action

A match cut is designed to ensure continuity and a relation between shots, as opposed to montage editing.

180 Degree Rule: In all types of filmmaking that includes conversation between

characters, the 180 Degree Rule is used as a basic guideline regarding the area of space between interaction with two characters

An line, referred to as the axis connects the two characters in the shot and the camera must be kept on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene. The first character will always be on the right of the frame for the second character, who is then always be on the left of the frame for the first character. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called jumping the line or crossing the line

The rule states that the area of space behind the two characters cannot be entered as this would reverse their positions on screen and confuse the viewer, and it could introduce new background details that have no relation the shot’s purpose and would confuse the audience