It’s important to have a sense of when you can compress time and break continuity and when you should not.

TRANSITIONS BETWEEN SCENES

• Generally speaking, it is during short sequences between scenes that you can most easily compress time (omit small amounts of time by jumping ahead in time).
  
  For example: a student drives into the school parking lot. We see her get out of the car and walk towards the school building. It is NOT necessary to see every single step she takes between her car and the front door. The same for a student leaving a classroom and going to the cafeteria or library.
  
  
• It is between scenes that you can most easily jump in time and location.

CONTINUITY WITHIN A SCENE

Usually, keeping continuity within a scene is very important. When the subject changes activity or location, generally, this should be seen on camera. If a person is leaning against a wall in one shot and is seen walking down the hall in the next shot (within a scene) this can be confusing for the viewer.

For example: If a student is standing in the hall reading a sign that reads “Check you mailbox for free money” then runs to his house office to check his maibox, we need to see:

• The student standing in the hall
• (Maybe an insert of the sign)
• The student beginning to run
• The student arriving at his house office and/or mailbox

We need to see the student beginning to run (a change in activity). But the stuff between beginning to run and arriving at his house office is not necessary to see. Depending on the pacing and the momentum that you want to create, you decide what is most appropriate for your movie.

If a number of people are talking, and a main character moves from one end of the room to another, this should also be seen on camera. Usually, an establishing shot shows the viewer where all the characters are physically located in relation to each other and the room. Then close ups are used for conversation between characters. When a character changes location or activity, this should be shown in a medium or long shot, before returning to the close up shots.