Screen Acting Tips Continuity

So continuity, what is continuity?

Well, it is self-explanatory. On a professional set, a continuity person (script/continuity supervisor) is to watch the actions and listens to the actors’ words. They also do a great deal more, but I am going to address continuity with the actor in mind. The two main points to cover in my experience are:-

1. To make sure you, the actor is saying the right words in the right order every time. (Basically exactly what is written in the script)

2. To get the actions to correspond with the script or direction given.

Why?

I will try to give you a simple example to start with.

If we start with a wide shot in the editing suite and you are holding a cup in your right hand in which you are wearing a ring and a watch, and you put it down on the table in front of you, and let’s say we want to go in on a close-up on a different shot but in this shot, you’re using your left hand without the watch and the ring, which would be a mistake by the actor, this means we would have to use the long shot or close up all the way through which probably lessens the impact of the shot.

You are probably saying this would not happen to me now, but it happens to every actor in their career. That is an obvious example, but there are many…