Continuity

This is the a scene from 'The Italian Job', a conversation between Seth Green and Jason Statham. It is a good example of how continuity is important in a film, to create a seamless flow of narrative which suspends the disbelief of the audience. The scene opens with an establishing shot from the back seat of the car, which shows both characters and their positions. This type of shot is often used to start scenes, as it quickly establishes in the audiences mind who is in the scene, where they are, and what sort of action is occuring.

We cut to Seth Green looking through a camera. The shot directly after this is from the point of view of the camera. We can tell this by various bits of information on screen which tell the audience we are looking through a camera, things you would commonly see if you looked down the viewfinder of a camera. The fact that the two shots were placed in this order is a continuity effect in itself- it would not have made sense to the audience if the film had just cut to the camera's perspective immediately- we need to see Seth Green holding the camera first for it to make sense. The same technique is repeated again with Jason Statham's character, as we see him looking through binoculars, then from the POV of the binoculars, indicated by the circular black border around the frame.

Shot-reverse-shot has been used in this conversation to create a seamless flow for the audience. The characters converse in the car, and the camera simply cuts between the two, using eyeline matching and an over the shoulder type of shot to keep the scene seamless. Sound bridges have been used between the shots aswell, so the characters dialogue carries over into the next shot, creating a smooth and easy to understand conversation between the characters.

Eyeline matching is further used as Statham climbs out of the car and walks towards the girl. Seth Green's eyes follow Statham across the parking lot, even though we cannot see Statham in the shot. This creates continuity and believability as it seems like he really is watching him. It seems like simple stuff in a feature film but it is very important to keep the sense of realism alive!

The final sequence of the film is a parallel narattive. We cut between Green mimicking the conversation in the car, and the silent view of Statham talking to the girl. Sound bridges are used so Green's voice is overlayed onto the conversation we can see Statham having, and the cutting is sharp and precise between the mid shot of Green and the two shot of Statham and the girl. The editing is intended to make the scene seem as if it is in real time. Eyeline matching is further used when we see a POV shot from Green's perspective. Statham turns round and looks directly at the camera (or Green's eyes), which creates continuity as we believe both these characters are together in this parking lot. Green's eyeline also stays the same as he watches Statham with disbelief at his ability to pick up girls.

After analysing this very small scene, it is easy to see how important continuity is in film making. It is something which, if it works, is barely recognisable. However, if it doesn't, a film seems very very amatuer and highly unrealistic, as the success of most films relies on the fact that they can suspend the audience within the film's world, and convincingly depict a story.