Continuity 101

Yes, this book is from 1965, and yes, it’s still entirely valid (which is why it’s never gone out of print).^[1]

Continuity is the second C – and to quote directly from the introduction to the relevant chapter:

"It is the continuous aspect of a motion picture; it is Continuity that decides success or failure of the production."[2]

Mr. Mascelli’s italics. And a paragraph further on:

"A picture with faulty continuity is unacceptable, because it distracts rather than attracts."

Indeed.

And since you’re wondering, the other four Cs are Camera Angles, Cutting, Close-Ups and Composition.

1. And yes, the author was the cinematographer on 1964’s The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. Filmed in Terrorama no less. But he was in good company – his camera crew were Vilmos Zsigmond and László Kovács. [↩︎]
2. I know he's talking about Continuity the concept rather than Continuity the person - i.e. me - but all the same Joseph V. Mascelli is close to my heart for this. [↩︎]