3 Examples of Continuity Editing

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- The Black Knight

In this scene, continuity editing is used both to make the fight scene more exciting as well as to allow for certain special effects to be used. In this scene, King Arthur and the Black Knight face of against each other in a ferocious battle of swordsmanship. The director opted for quick cuts during the fight sequence, but with such fluidity that the swords seem to move in one continuous thrust between shots. The other reason for the use of continuity editing here is to allow for certain low-budget special effects as the Black Knight gets his limbs cut off. Reaction shots, specifically those to the character of Patsy hiding behind the tree, allows for fake limbs to replace real ones during the cutaway and for the whole thing to flow smoothly so we as an audience believe that the character is being maimed on camera.

2. Lord of the Rings- Gandalf vs. Balrog

This is another example of a fight scene in which continuity editing is highly successful. Here, Gandalf is taking on the Balrog, and the shots are so seamlessly put together that it flows as one moment. The pacing is quick and a little disorienting as the angles change, but the movements of Gandalf and the grotesque Balrog are always on point and fluid. Also, at the very beginning of this scene, when the characters are running along the path and bridge, the use of continutiy editing allows for the removal of large tedious chunks of the action while keeping the actual motion fluid.

3. Flight of the Conchords

This is a much simpler example of continuity editing, used primarily as a way to shift focus within a conversation between three people. The pacing is slower, and the angles are simplier, primarily only close up and medium shots. In this situation, the action is facile and the language is more important, so the reduction of changes in focus allows the words to take center stage and be the primary focus for the audience. Unlike the other two scenes, where the action was fast-paced and needed to be heightened by the shots, this scene benifits from the simplicity of continuity editing to ease the audience's attention from one character to another.