Key Concepts & Definitions

• Film Editing:

• Continuity Editing:

• The Six Rules of Continuity:

Core Editing Techniques & Rules

• Establishing Shots:

• The Cut:

• The Kuleshov Effect:

• Pacing:

• Shot/Reverse/Shot (SRS):

• The 180-Degree Rule:

• Montage:

Editing Transitions

• Fades (Fade In / Fade Out): Images gradually transition to or from a solid color (usually black) to signal the beginning or end of a scene or time period.

• Wipe: One shot is physically pushed or “wiped” off the screen by the next, signifying a connection alongside a change of time or place.

• Dissolve: Overlapping shots where the first image gradually fades out as the second fades in, frequently used to show the passage of time or link thematic ideas.

• Graphic Match (Match Cut): A transition cut between two different shots that are graphically matched by their composition, action, or subject matter.

• Eyeline Match: Ensuring a character’s gaze in one shot aligns with the spatial placement of the person or object they are looking at in the next shot to preserve spatial continuity.

Case Study: Lord of the Rings Prologue Analysis

The resource includes an analytical task evaluating the first 90 seconds of The Fellowship of the Ring (1999):