Continuity Supervisor, 4th Edition

Book description

The Continuity Supervisor is a practical guide to the basics of continuity, designed to be of use both to the newcomer and those more experienced. Formerly titled 'The Continuity Handbook: a guide for single-camera shooting, this new edition covers the latest technological changes which affect the Continuity Supervisor.


Avril Rowlands worked at the BBC for any years as a PA. She has been involved in specialised training for the television industry and major film and television colleges. Her highly acclaimed residential courses attract students from major television companies worldwide. She is also a writer and independent television producer.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgement
  8. Introduction
  9. Out of Sequence Shooting: 1
    1. Story
    2. Scenes in story order
  10. Out of Sequence Shooting: 2
    1. Shooting in story order
    2. Shooting plan
    3. Number of days
    4. Position of locations
    5. Location availability
    6. Actor’s availability
  11. Shots in Scenes Out of Order
    1. To save time
  12. The Work of Continuity
    1. Back to the original story
  13. Setting Up: General
    1. Scripted or unscripted
  14. The Production Team: 1
    1. Involved in setting up
  15. The Production Team: 2
    1. Involved on set
  16. The Crew
    1. Camera crew
    2. Sound crew
    3. Design
    4. Costume and make-up
  17. The Script: 1
    1. Numbering
    2. Colour-coding
    3. Scenes
    4. Time
    5. New scene, new page
  18. The Script: 2
    1. Body of script
    2. Size of script
  19. Scene Breakdown
  20. Timing The Script
    1. Time chart
    2. Read-through
  21. Booking Facilities
  22. Artists and How to Book Them
    1. Artists
    2. Agents
    3. Auditions
    4. Names and addresses
    5. Scripts and schedules
    6. Hours of work
  23. Supporting Artists
    1. Definition of a supporting artist
    2. Definition of a walk-on
    3. Where to obtain supporting artists and walk-ons
    4. Don’t get carried away!
  24. Children and Animals: 1
    1. Where to find children
    2. Licences
  25. Children and Animals: 2
    1. Regulations
    2. Chaperones and tutors
    3. Animals
  26. Locations: 1
    1. How to find your location
  27. Locations: 2
  28. Accommodation
    1. Finding what is available
    2. Finding the hotels
    3. Making the booking
    4. Your own booking
  29. Travel
    1. Overseas shooting
    2. Travel in this country
    3. Car parking
  30. Food (or To Location Cater or Not . . .)
    1. Other types of catering
    2. Other meal breaks
    3. If you are far from civilisation
  31. Insurance
  32. Costume and Make-Up
    1. Costume
    2. Make-up
  33. Props and Design
    1. Action props
    2. Design
  34. Shooting Schedule: 1
    1. Cover page
    2. Cast list
    3. Travel
    4. Accommodation
    5. Location and contacts
  35. Shooting Schedule: 2
    1. A day to a page
    2. A week to a page
    3. Rendezvous
    4. Shooting order
    5. Rescheduling
  36. Shooting Schedule: 3
    1. Artists’ information pack
    2. Travel information
    3. Daily call sheets
  37. Documentary-Type Productions
    1. Research
    2. Learning about new things
  38. ‘Find Out All You Can About . . .’
    1. The subject
    2. Other bodies for research
  39. What to Take on Location
    1. Scripts, schedules, call sheets, artists’ information packs etc.
    2. Anything to do with the production
    3. Stationery and forms
    4. Miscellaneous
    5. Specifically for continuity
  40. . . .And Don’t Forget The Boots. . .
    1. Warm or tropical countries
    2. Cold countries
  41. Specialised Observation
    1. Accurate observation
    2. Training in observation
  42. Continuity: A Team Effort?
  43. Your Role within The Unit
    1. Avoid being sidetracked
    2. Continuity is your responsibility
  44. Making Mistakes
    1. What to do over a mistake
    2. Be positive
  45. Knowledge of The Script
    1. Marking up script
    2. A-Z
    3. Keep up to date
    4. Script interleaved with notes
  46. Coverage Planned
    1. Important junctions
    2. Circulated shot lists
    3. Shooting script
    4. Storyboard
  47. How to Keep Informed
    1. Look at the shot itself
    2. Stick by the director
    3. Master shot then cutaways
    4. Position of the zoom handle
    5. Keep close behind the camera
    6. Look through the viewfinder
    7. Always ask
  48. How to Describe Shots
  49. Other Terms Used
    1. Camera movements
    2. Abbreviations relating to action
    3. Abbreviations relating to sound
  50. Other Terms in General Use
    1. C/A (Cutaway)
    2. Under or over-cranking
    3. Process shots
  51. Know What to Observe: 1
    1. Close shots
    2. Mid shots
    3. Wide shots
    4. Very long shots
  52. Know What to Observe: 2
    1. Intimate situations
    2. A lot happening in a shot
  53. Priorities
    1. Largest moving object
    2. The main characters
    3. The person speaking
    4. Bright colours
    5. Shots travel in and up
  54. Props
    1. Dressing props
    2. Action props
    3. Resetting props
  55. Costume
    1. Advance planning
    2. Take a Polaroid
    3. Write it down
    4. Checking
  56. Continuity of Action
  57. Continuity of Action and Dialogue
  58. Drama Situations
  59. Crossing The Line
    1. Single shots
    2. Shots that cut directly onto each other
    3. Exceptions
  60. Screen Direction
    1. Changing direction
  61. Drawings and Diagrams
    1. Polaroid cameras
  62. Rehearsals and Actors
    1. Problems with actors
    2. The difficult actor
  63. The Complete Scene
  64. Fred and Mabel: Coverage Planned
  65. Wide Angle: Fred and Mabel: Scene 1
  66. Wide Angle: Fred and Mabel: Scene 2
  67. Remaining Coverage: Fred and Mabel: Scene 1
  68. Remaining Coverage: Fred and Mabel: Scene 2
  69. Fred and Mabel: Edited Sequence
  70. Direct and Indirect Continuity
    1. Direct continuity
    2. Indirect continuity
  71. Matching Continuity
    1. Checking
    2. If an actor gets it wrong
    3. If the director won’t listen
    4. Which ‘take’ do you match for continuity?
  72. Shooting on Videotape
    1. Scripted
    2. Timecode
    3. Unscripted
  73. Working on Documentary-Type Productions: 1
    1. You will always know something
    2. Continuity
    3. Shot description
    4. Names and addresses
    5. Locations
  74. Working on Documentary-Type Productions: 2
    1. Costume
    2. Basic continuity
    3. Interviews
    4. Public relations
  75. Writing It Down
    1. Scripted and unscripted
    2. How to organise the paperwork
    3. The system I use
  76. When You Make Notes
    1. Write what you can when you can
    2. Pens or pencils?
  77. Continuity Report Sheet: General
    1. Production details
    2. Episode/scene
    3. Slate/ident
  78. Continuity Report Sheet: Logging The Shots
    1. Consecutive number slating
    2. Scene number slating
    3. Slating according to director’s shooting script
    4. The take
    5. The pick-up shot
  79. Continuity Report Sheet: Technical
    1. Roll numbers
    2. Interior or exterior
    3. Sound details
    4. Shooting on film
    5. Shooting on videotape
  80. Continuity Report Sheet: Camera Information
  81. Continuity Report Sheet: Continuity
    1. Location
    2. Shot description
    3. Continuity notes
  82. Continuity Report Sheet: Details of Shooting
    1. E/B or T/Code
    2. Takes
    3. False starts
    4. Duration
  83. Writing on The Script
    1. Dialogue changes
  84. Other Paperwork
    1. Daily continuity log
    2. Daily progress report
  85. Timing on Location
    1. Timing a rehearsal
    2. Adding together the duration of the shots
  86. Information for The Editor
    1. Typed-up continuity report sheets
    2. Continuity cards
  87. Coverage/Tramline Scripts
  88. Shot Listing
    1. Location
    2. Slate number or ‘in’ and, if possible, ‘out’ point of timecode
    3. Shot description
    4. Sound
    5. Duration
    6. Interviews
  89. The Realities of It All
  90. Post Production
    1. Editing
    2. Principles of editing
  91. Editing The Picture: 1
    1. The film cutting room
    2. Videotape editing
    3. Non-linear editing
  92. Editing The Picture: 2
    1. Off-line editing
    2. PAs take note!
    3. On-line editing
  93. Editing The Picture: 3
    1. Non-linear on-line editing
    2. Linear on-line editing
  94. Editing The Sound
    1. What does a PA do?
  95. Working in Widescreen
  96. Copyright: 1
    1. Protection
    2. Simple copyright
    3. Multiple copyright
  97. Copyright: 2
    1. Photographs
    2. Artistic works
    3. Music
    4. Literary works
    5. Take care
  98. Post Production Script
    1. Use of the script
    2. What the script contains
    3. Library film
    4. Music
    5. Photographs
  99. Film and Videotape Formats: 1
    1. Film
    2. Videotape
    3. Analogue formats
  100. Film and Videotape Formats: 2
    1. Digital formats
    2. Analogue and digital
    3. Component and composite
  101. Film Running Times

Product information

  • Title: Continuity Supervisor, 4th Edition
  • Author(s): Avril Rowlands
  • Release date: July 2012
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136055058