Notes on Continuity Editing

Notes on Continuity Editing
Cuts
A quick transition between two scenes, advanced examples of which are shown below.

Cheat Cut: A cut that actually rearranges the set to make parts of the set seem disproportionate. Often used cuts impossible given the constructed set (i.e. cutting to film from behind a where a wall supposedly was)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7H83f9uxYc&feature=player_embedded

Crosscutting/Parallel Editing: Cutting between two or more separate lines of action usually occurring at the same time. Gives a sense that the two occurrences are connected in some way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wbjylCEJLw

Cut In/Cut Away: Cuts that zoom in nor zoom out into a portion of the same space instantaneously.


Dissolve: A transition where the first shot gradually disappears and the second shot gradually appears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJq1auJq_gc&feature=relmfu 1:26-1:28

Iris: A transition effect that can begin/end a scene, or be used to cancel out the rest of a shot and focus on one detail. Gradually blacks out the rest of the scene except for one circle of  focus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuYIq-J5l9I 0:08-0:11

Jump Cut: A cut where either the characters change against a constant background instantaneously or the background changes instantaneously against characters still in the same position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tDRBb0apDg&list=UUSAUGyc_xA8uYzaIVG6MESQ&index=2&feature=plcp 1:25-1:26

Establishing Shot/Reestablishing shot: Quick cuts between shots to either establish the set of a scene or to reestablish and emphasize details not shown prior in the scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I16_8l0yS-g

Shot-Reverse Shot: A type of cutting that quickly cuts between two characters at more or less the same distance, often when they are having a conversation or doing some act together (i.e. playing ping pong).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKdcYnlkhx8

Superimposition: Exposure of more than one shot at the same time, causing them both to appear simultaneously.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-1uU_QSIWw

Wipe: Transition that causes one scene to be quickly "wiped" (fade along a line), with the other scene appearing at the same time over that line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usXca7W_jvM
Matches
Techniques that join two shots by making a connection between them in some way.

Eye-line Match: Quick cuts between a shot of a person looking in some direction, and the object they are looking at, gradually zooming in on both the object of focus and the person's eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VPMEKCITvs

Graphic Match: Take advantage of the similarity between two objects by making quick cuts to show a connection between them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4rHeGqaDBk

Match on Action: A quick cut between two views of the same scene, making it appear uninterrupted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHh12_JHjTg

Duration
The decision to or not to edit has become important with not editing becoming an impossibility.

Long Take: Taking an abnormally long time to cut. Since these are difficult to set up to be exactly the same set for an extended period of time, they are often shot from the same angle for the whole scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJEEVtqXdK8

Overlapping Editing:Cuts that repeat the action, expanding on it each time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJEEVtqXdK8 0:48-0:55

Rhythm: Hard to encompass entirely, altering aspects of the music, lighting and various other aspects of the film can dramatically alter the mood.