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Film & Television vocabulary · On Set: The Shoot

Continuity

Meaning in film & television, with examples

/ˌkɒntɪˈnjuːəti/nounCommon term

In film & television, continuity means: Keeping details consistent from shot to shot, such as costumes, props, hair, positions and actions, so that the edited scene looks like one continuous moment.

In Turkish: devamlılık, süreklilik

How it is used

The script supervisor (once called continuity girl in the UK) takes continuity notes and photos. A continuity error, such as a glass that is full in one shot and empty in the next, is a classic thing viewers spot and share online.

Example sentences

  1. Watch the continuity: in the last take he held the phone in his left hand.

  2. Fans found three continuity errors in the wedding scene.

Common collocations

  • continuity error
  • continuity notes
  • continuity photos
  • break continuity
  • takeOne attempt at filming a shot. If something goes wrong or the director wants a different version, the crew does another take.
  • sceneA part of a film or TV episode that happens in one place and at one time, usually made up of several shots.
  • assistant directorA crew member who organises the shooting schedule and runs the set day to day so that the director can focus on the creative work.
  • clapperboardA small board with a hinged stick, held in front of the camera at the start of a take to show the scene and take number and to make a clap for syncing sound and picture.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: On Set: The Shoot

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