Continuity editing uses established rules to maintain a clear and coherent narrative flow between shot sequences. The key rules are crosscutting, establishing shots, shot/reverse shot, the 180-degree rule, the 30-degree rule, match on action, eyeline match, and re-establishing shots. Following these rules provides structural benefits like a seamless narrative, smooth shot transitions, and easy viewer comprehension.

1. Definition: Continuity Editing is
essentially a system of cutting
which is used to maintain
continuous and clear narrative
action by following certain
rules, these are included on the
right hand side of the slide.
The Rules:
The Benefits:
• The narrative has structure.
• The shot sequences flow
seamlessly into each other
• It’s easy to watch the film!
•Crosscutting
•Establishing shot
•Shot/ reverse shot
•180º rule
•30º rule
•Match on Action
•Eyeline Match
•Re-establishing shot

2. An Establishing Shot is basically a Long Shot
(LS) or Extreme Long Shot (ELS), usually with
loose framing, that shows the spatial relations
between the important figures, objects and
setting in a scene.
This is an Establishing Shot which was
taken with my AS Media Group.
From Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960)

3. A Shot/Reverse Shot is when two shots are
edited together so that the shot alternates
between characters, typically used in a
conversation situation. Usually characters in one
frame look left, and in the following frame look
right.
Stills taken from work with my AS Media
Group

4. The angle between
any two consecutive
shots should not
exceed 180º, in order
to maintain spatial
relationships between
people and objects in
any given sequence
of shots.

5. 
This is a principle which underpins all TV and Film
production.

It’s important not to cross the ‘line of vision’ between
two characters.

Otherwise the viewer may not be able to make
sense of the scene.

6. The angle between any two
consecutive shots should not be less
than 30º, in order to maintain spatial
relationships between people and
objects in any given sequence of
shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nonxxwfedIY
Still taken from 30º Angle clip created with my AS Media Group

7. Definition: Editing that
alternates between shots
occurring simultaneously
in two or more different
location.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6GQkUxdDD-8
Match on Action
Stills taken from Cross Cutting
clip made with my AS Media
Group
Definition: A cut between two
shots that places two different
framings of the same action
next to each other, making it
seem to continue
uninterrupted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_dgutDMPIMU

8. An Eye Line Match is a
cut between two shots,
in which the first shot
shows a person looking
off in one direction, and
the second shot shows
either a space
containing what he or
she sees, or a person
looking back in exactly
the opposite direction.
Image created from two
images to imitate an
Eyeline Match.

9. A shot that returns to
a view of a space or
location after a series
of close-ups. Similar to
the Establishing Shot
on slide 2, except this
“re-establishes” the
location, as the name
suggests.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=paMomNyRUVE
Re-establishing shot taken from
group work with my AS Media Group

10. A shot that returns to
a view of a space or
location after a series
of close-ups. Similar to
the Establishing Shot
on slide 2, except this
“re-establishes” the
location, as the name
suggests.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=paMomNyRUVE
Re-establishing shot taken from
group work with my AS Media Group