Never underestimate the importance of a good script supervisor. VERY VERY IMPORTANT in continuity shooting...if you want continuity that is.
The script supervisor keeps track of scenes and shots when you're shooting out of sequence. This is to make sure that you get every shot you need and don\'t have to go back and reshoot when you realized you missed something.
Keeps track of the following elements of continuity:
- Action: standing, sitting, moving, etc. Makes match cuts possible.
- Props: candles and cigarettes burning down and magically regenerating themselves
- Costumes/Makeup: Changes to a costume (blood, distressing), adding/removing pieces of clothing (the missing tie), correct day, hair growing out during a shoot, or the unexpected haircut!
- Lighting: Waiting for the sun (or a cloud) is a maddening and time-wasting tradition on film sets
- Eyeline: The 180-degree rule
- Screen direction: walking camera left, camera right.
- Sound: Consistent backgrounds within a scene help sell the illusion that we're in continuous time and space
- Historical: Keep SUV's out of Depression-era dramas, telephone poles out of historical epics, etc.
- Performance: emotional, vocal and physical consistency from take to take.
