Continuity Task

Today we were set the task of a first attempt at producing a video that displayed our understanding of continuity. To show this, we had to include certain conventions, which involved filming a match on action, abiding by the 180 degree rule, and utilising a reverse shot.

In terms of basic content, the instructions read as follows: Person A walks to a door, opens it, passes through, crosses room, sits down, talks to someone.

There was also the option to work to extension criteria, which suggested other peices of content: Person walks alone, footsteps, door bangs, mutterings, enigma, scream, implied fear, more than 3 locations, more than 2 people. The extension criteria for production techniques was also provided: Ambient lighting, extreme angles, reverse tracking, use of tilt.

For this peice, I worked in a group with Daniel Knights, James Wigger and Tom Palmer. Seeing as this was the first production task we had been given, we didn't strictly delegate specific roles, and instead discussed all aspects of the production with one another to get an idea of our individual strengths and weaknesses.

We decided to film in a specific outside area within the school grounds, because we wanted to utilise certain features within our video. The features we wanted to include were: a chain-link gate, a fence with vertical metal bars, a small area of trees, and a large metal container. Although our main aim was in showing our understanding of continuity, we also wanted to create a dark, serious tone with a concise narrative based on dry humor. We did this in order to get an idea for what we may want to achieve in our final film-noir production.

During filming, James operated the camera, Daniel acted as the main character, and I acted as the secondary character, whilst Tom helped implement continuity rules. I also had a list of the criteria we had been given and ensured that we fulfilled the basic requirements of the task and also included many of the extension items. There were certain factors we could not include because of our chosen environment, namely the sitting down section, but I believe we made up for this by using a similar technique to show our main character stopping to have a conversation with our secondary character.

Another problem caused by our chosen environment was that of pupils and teachers walking through our filming area. We combatted this by using our time wisely and politely asking large groups to use another route. On top of this, there is a small section of video in which a rain-drop on the lens distorts part of the frame. Luckily, it is hardly noticeable, but we will remember to keep the lens clean in future to maintain professionalism.


We edited our footage using Sony Vegas 8, as can be seen in the screenshots above. We did the majority of editing as a group; taking it in turns to deal with certain sections, but communicating consistently to ensure shots flowed. This allowed each of us to get a feel for the process of editing, and an understanding of what it entailed. Further editing was later done by James, who produced a revised version of the video (below) after we had all given feedback on the orginal.

Continuity Ideas: Analysis of Doorway Images

At some point prior to my main practical production, I will be performing a continuity task to show that I am aware of the principle and conventions of continuity. Here, I have collected five images of people using doors, and have explained the ways in which they may influence my continuity task.

1. As an incredibly low-angled shot, this would perhaps work in a film-noir in order to make a character look abnormal or insane. The odd perspective certainly warps the shape of the subject, and our mental interpretation of the character is warped as a result.

The issue with continuity is that the perspective of this shot is at such a low angle that the audience may become confused. If there was to be a relatively normal shot of the man heading towards the door, followed by a cut to this shot, the audience would be momentarily disorientated. This is precisely what should be avoided with continuity, and so the preceding shot should also use a low angle, probably focuing on the subject's feet.

Unfortunately, the environment is too 'office-like' and the exposure is too high, so the shot doesn't really fit with the gritty film-noir stylings. Also, the composition contains too much of the man's shoe, which could easily have been placed to the side of the camera to show more of the subject. Overall, the shot would not work for basic continuity in a film-noir production, because it demands too much of the camera position and actually looks more comical than gritty, due to the awkward composition.

2. Unlike the previous image, this shot focuses upon the bottom of the doorwar, and we cannot yet see the person behind it.

The high-contrast in lighting between each room implies that there is something different or peculiar about the dark room.

I think that this would work in terms of continuity if it followed a mid-shot of the person walking towards the door on the other side. From this very frame, as the door opens to let light into the room, the camera could tilt gradually up to reveal a sharp sillhouette of the character. Although this would work well for a film-noir with the single adjustment of colder lighting, the type of camera we are allowed would probably not cope with the ambitious high contrast.

3. Although this may seem like an unusual image to analyse for this purpose, I have noticed that an increasing amount of TV shows and movies have used either actual security cameras or at least simulated the effects of these on a shot. These work because they link the consecutive shots together as well as making the audience aware of the secuirty camera's presence.

The low-contrast colours and bordering time-stamp show us this is security footage.

This could follow a shot of the subject walking down a street towards the door, and could cut to a tracking shot of the subject inside the building once she has left the frame. Equally, this shot could be used for a split second in between shots either side of the door, or could follow a close-up of the security camera itself, much like an eye-line match.

4. Although the colour palette is way too warm for a film-noir, the composition would work well for a match-on-action, as the hand on the door jamb would link a shot from within the other room.

With colder lighting and a subject that looked more dishevelled, the shot could work well for a film-noir, as it would distance the character from their surroundings, and create a surreal and unnerving undertone.

5. Out of this small collection, this image is easily the most suited to the style of film-noir, as the absence of colour, scruffy subject, and dowdy environment work to evoke an atmosphere of pessimism and hopelessness.

Seeing as the shot clearly shows the subject leaving some place resembling to a pub, the preceding shot would simply have to show the character finishing his pint at the bar, or something similar. Because the shot is composed of a lot of connotative architecutre, the audience need not see a linking shot edited to match-on-action, they can simply tell that the character is leaving the establishment from this shot alone.