Continuity Editing

Griffith's contributions to the realm of editing include several techniques like the cut-in, crosscutting, and overall creating a scene through continuity editing. Continuity is when an editor cuts between shots of different angles to maintain a sense of space and time in the scene.  It was first introduced by Griffith, who found that he could cut from a long shot to a full shot in the middle of a discourse, thus tightening the emotional impact. He also discovered the 180 degree rule, which says that a camera must be kept on one side of the axis of action, just like an eyeline would be, to avoid problems with continuity. These tips are important for the edit of a film because they allow the filmmaker to incorporate different angles in an accepted fashion that doesn't take away from the cinematic feeling, but only enhances it.