Continuity (fiction)
Consistency of people, plot, objects, and places over time.
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Continuity in fiction refers to the consistency of the characteristics of people, plot, objects, and places as seen by the audience over time. It is relevant to many genres and forms of storytelling, especially long-running works, and is a particular concern in film and television production due to the difficulty of rectifying errors after filming ends. The challenge arises because scenes are rarely shot in the order they appear in the final film; the shooting schedule is dictated by factors such as location permit costs, weather, natural light, and cast or crew availability.
For instance, all scenes set in an expensive location like Times Square are typically filmed at once to reduce permit fees, even though they may be scattered throughout the story. Most productions employ a script supervisor whose job is to maintain continuity across the chaotic, non-linear schedule. This role is inconspicuous, as success means the audience never notices the effort. The supervisor gathers extensive paperwork, photographs, and documentation recording both in-scene details and technical production factors, such as camera positioning and equipment settings.
These records, sometimes compiled into a story bible, help ensure that related shots match despite being filmed months apart on different sets. Historically, Polaroid cameras were used for instant reference photos, but digital cameras have since replaced them. In comic books, continuity has also come to mean a set of contiguous events, often described as being set in the same universe.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Narrative consistency in fiction
- Related roles
- Script supervisor
- costume designer
- production designer
- prop master
- make-up artist
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Continuity is especially important in film and television because scenes are rarely shot in order; the shooting schedule is often dictated by location permits, weather, cast availability, and other logistics. Most productions employ a script supervisor whose job is to maintain continuity across the chaotic, non-linear production schedule. The script supervisor gathers paperwork, photographs, and other documentation, sometimes assembled into a story bible, recording both in-scene factors and technical details such as camera positioning and equipment settings. Film-based Polaroid cameras were once standard but have since been replaced by digital cameras.
Reader's Guide
Continuity errors range from subtle changes between shots—like the level of drink in a glass or the length of a cigarette—to more noticeable shifts such as drastic changes in a character's appearance. Productions aim to prevent such errors because they can affect the audience's suspension of disbelief.
Techniques to avoid errors include filming all shots for a particular scene together, taking instant photographs of actors and sets at the start and end of each day's shooting, and avoiding location shooting by filming on studio sets where weather and lighting can be controlled. Advanced CGI has helped alleviate some continuity challenges by allowing digital 'airbrushing' of errant details. In comic books, continuity has also come to mean a set of contiguous events, sometimes said to be 'set in the same universe.'
Did You Know?
- The script supervisor's job is inconspicuous because if done well, none may ever notice.
- A Homeric nod is a term for a continuity error originating in Homeric epic, coined by the Roman poet Horace.
- The practice of accelerating the age of a television character is popularly known as Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome (SORAS).
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Continuity (fiction) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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