continuity
The maintenance of continuous and consistent detail and narrative flow across different shots and scenes in a film.
Refers to the visual and logical consistency of elements like clothing, hair, lighting, and prop placement between cuts.
Word relationships
- consistency: Consistency is a general term, while continuity is the specific film-industry term for visual and narrative alignment across cuts.
- discontinuity: A deliberate or accidental lack of consistency or logical connection between shots.
Commonly confused with
- editing: Editing is the physical cutting of film, while continuity is the logical consistency that the editing must preserve.
Word family
- continuous (adjective): Without interruption; unbroken.
- continuously (adverb): In an unbroken or consistent manner.
Collocations
- continuity error
- continuity supervisor
- maintain continuity
Example sentences
- "In a glaring continuity error, the main character's glass is suddenly full of water just seconds after he drank the last drop." A film critic pointing out an error in a blockbuster movie.
Memory hook
Think of 'continue'—you want the visual details to 'continue' smoothly from one shot to the next without jarring changes. Continuity: Keeping the details continuous.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'continuation', which is the act of carrying on an activity; continuity is the state of being consistent.
Fun facts
- The 'Script Supervisor' (historically called the 'Continuity Girl') takes thousands of photos on set to ensure that hair, makeup, and props match perfectly between takes.
Related words
Explore more words
unbroken, seamless, coherent, successive, Connectivity, duration
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