Through the use of continuity editing, the action seems to flow smoothly and clearly from shot to shot. Continuity editing maintains the illusion of the continuity of time, space, action, and completeness, even though the shots have typically been filmed in a completely different order.
The cuts between shots do not interrupt the scene, but instead create the illusion of ongoing action. The viewer is never distracted by awkward jumps between shots or by any confusion about the spatial and temporal layout of the scene.
Some of the continuity editing conventions used to achieve this include:
- The 180° system
- The 30° rule system
- Establishing shots
- Cutting on action
- Shot/reverse shot
- Eyeline matches
