Homework 6 (BLK)- Continuity Editing Principles

I have chosen to analyse a scene from one of my favourite films of all time, Roman Holiday (1953), starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. 



Establishing/Master Shot
The establishing shot of Joe Bradley's (Gregory Peck) home comes very early on in the clip. This is so that the audience immediately sense the setting, and using their shared knowledge of cultural codes, are able to work out that they are in a home. However, throughout the clip, the master shot is re-shown so that the audience can get a sense of the space and where the characters are, in relation to the room and to each other. A significant moment of this clip is when Bradley leans down to help Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) sit up, and this is shot from the master shot position in order to show the change in space between the characters.

Shot Reverse Shot
Throughout the clip, the two characters, Bradley and Princess Ann, are having a conversation, and in order to show their responses and expressions, the sequence has been edited so that the cuts between the characters are fast-paced. In this way, the audience is able to keep up with the pace of the conversation as this makes the transitions flow easily. Furthermore, the 180-degree rule has been followed, as the camera always remains to the right side of the bed and therefore does not create a reverse angle. This is effective as it allows the sequence to flow seamlessly as the audience are not confused by where the two characters are in relation to each other. 

Shot Order
An appropriate shot order has been used in this clip of Roman Holiday to avoid skipping through large depths, which would confuse and disorientate the audience. For example, we start with the wide shot of Bradley's room, and then move on to a few mid-shots of Princess Ann in the bed. This has been done in order to show her stance (covering herself protectively with the duvet) and also to show her character in relation to the character of Bradley. At 1.26, there is a further zoom in so that we have a close-up of Princess Ann, which clearly shows her surprised but flirtatious expression.