Our preliminary task was meant to be a short scene involving someone walking and opening a door then walking across the room and sitting down opposite another character and having a brief conversation. We had to show the rules of continuity editing in the short scene.

The point of the prelim task was that it gave us an insight of how to use the equipment and a chance to try and see how the rules of continuity editing work and what needs to be done to make sure they are done correctly.

In class before we started filming, we went through all the rules but I found it quite difficult to understand how they work but then when we went out and did it ourselves I understood how it was done and when it is appropriate to use each rule. For example shot reverse shot is used best in a conversation between two people.

Continuity editing helped me film my thriller film because when it came to the editing stage and we put everything in order the rules of continuity were not broken so it didn’t look out of place.

I think from the prelim task to my actual thriller film my work has majorly developed because during the prelim we were just experimenting and weren’t really sure of what we were doing but during the thriller film opening filming we had everything planned out in a lot of detail and we knew what to do and what not to do in terms of the continuity rules and if we did decide to break them intentionally what that would mean, but yeah overall I think my work has developed well.

As you can see in my earlier posts I have already uploaded my preliminary task video so you can compare my thriller to my prelim

Prelim Task

Continuity editing rules…

Match on action…

Used for stability in which one shot cuts to another shot revealing the action in the first shot. The action from inside the room for example needs to match the outside.

180 degree rule…

The camera should stay on the same side at all times when filming a conversation between two people unless broken to create effect.

Eyeline match…

The two people present in the scene should always be on the same side of the frame in each shot.

Shot reverse shot…

It should show a character looking at someone/something then showing what/who they are looking at then back to the characters reaction.