Continuity Editing

Continuity editing is import, it is used to help the viewer know whats going on and so it makes sense visually.
This technique has been around for over 100 years and is still important today. It is shown very throughout in V for Vendetta (a film version of a graphic novel by Alan Moore)

180 degree rule:

This scene from Ghostbusters where Egon Spengler explains about the energy in New York city and uses a twinkie as a metaphor.

This executes the 180 degree rule really well even when Peter Venkman comes down the stairs.









Here is the theory behind it.










Cross cutting:
Cross cutting is used to show two people in different places. It is used to build suspense and in fight scenes. Dragonball Z uses this a lot.

It is very good to show movement and to know exactly where the characters are. This prevents disorientation.








Psychical movement editing and setting changing:

This is used to show that an object/actor moves from place to place and so it makes sense visually.

In this scooby doo clip it is very poorly used with the same things on the wall which gives the effect that they're running round in circles. they pass mirror candle curtain in the same order over and over so it makes the viewer think that the background is moving not them.






This is an example of how it is used well. Notice how when toulio hits the ball it exits from the right side of the screen and appears in the left side. this is good continuity editing (This film is The Road To El Dorado)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_d6R4IvDuU