Media Homework Film Sequence (Continuity)

Casino Royale Construction Site Sequence (Extract) (Martin Campbell, 2006)

This short extract from the parkour sequence of Casino Royale has lots of different examples of continuity editing.
At the start of the clip we see a middle aged black male jump from a crane onto a roof before rolling onto the ground. There is instantly an example of continuity editing as there is a cross cut to a middle aged white male on the next crane. However, we cut straight to a MCU of the white male from an Establishing LS, which means the audience isn't taken across the space steadily.
It then cuts back to the black male jumping off the rooftop, hitting the ground and rolling. This sequence of actions takes place over 3 different shots. There is good use matched cuts and match on action between these shots as the action flows smoothly, as it would in real life.
It then cuts back up to the white male, who looks at the rooftop again before jumping off of the crane. The action here also takes place over numerous shots, but because of good continuity editing the action flows smoothly. Also, when the white male jumps it cuts back to the Establishing LS. This shows the audience how far the gap between the cranes is and gives them a sense of position.
As the white male lands, it cuts to a MS of him clinging to the edge of the crane . It then cuts to a CU of him clambering back up to jump from the second crane onto the roof. This use of shot order steadily takes the audience across the space with the character and gets them involved in the action more. This is also helped by the match on action between shots.
We then get a seqeunce of cross cut shots, which imply that the action we can see from the separate characters is happening simultaneously, as it is a chase scene. These shots have been edited in parallel with one another, and eventually the two characters meet up again, as implied by the cross cutting.
The sequence then cuts to a quick cutaway shot of the lift shaft, where the black male jumps across and then back again to the next floor. It then cross cuts back to the white male sliding down a hole in the floor onto the lower level, and the sequence flows smoothly with the right use of matched cuts and match on action.
After more cross cutting between characters, to show the audience that it is a chase scene and the action is taking place simultaneously, we get another Establishing LS of the exterior of the site, showing that the characters have now moved to another location. The balck male jumps from the building onto a blue lift and down. This is shot in 3 shots once again, which gradually take the audience closer to the character. It cuts back up to a MS of the white male in the building, before cutting to a POV shot of the balck male jumping down. The POV then pans over to the lift controls, which implies to the audience that the white male will use the lift.
There is then a LA shot featuring both men jumping, and this is a good continuity shot as it is a matched cut. This is the final shot in this sequence, and the match on action shows that the black male has got down the builiding in a realistic time, compared with how fast the white male went across the space.

This sequence uses a wide range of continuity editing techniques to a good standard, to realistically show the audience the action as it is happening and the cross cutting also shows the two characters are running simultaneously to one another.