Intensified Continuity

The term of intensified continuity is the description of traditional continuity amped up and raised to a higher-pitch of emphasis.  Elements of intensified continuity vary greatly from traditional continuity. Bordwell suggests that continuity has intensified in Hollywood cinema because of technological innovations in film making. Techniques and innovations that lead to the creation of intensified continuity include changes in shot length, varying lens length, and framing and cinematography techniques.

Bordwell is saying that over the years, American films have begun to develop faster paces of editing in their films, compared to traditional films from the 1930's to 1960's. Back then, the average shot lengths of Hollywood feature were around 8-11 seconds. One would be commended for maintaining an ASL of 6 seconds or less. In modern Hollywood films however, films have hit up to 3000 shots and the ASL's have gotten surprisingly low. Some films averaged around a 2 second ASL. Bordwell asks, "Has rapid cutting therefore led to a 'post-classical' breakdown of spatial continuity?" This question suggests whether the rapid cutting can keep the viewer contained and understanding throughout the film. This can be true in some cases, where action sequences get cut too fast and one loses coherence. However, many film directors nowadays have adapted and developed spatially coherent forms of capturing fast-paced action sequences.

Traditional film makers would take a lens length they would deem suitable to rely on for certain shots of their movie. For example, if a traditional film maker wanted to rely heavily on close ups and long distance shots, they would choose a 100mm-500mm lens for the entire film. They would use shorter lenses if they wished to capture wide or full shots. What intensified Hollywood films' concept of continuity was how directors decided to "freely mix long-focus and wide-angle within a single film." Directors that adapted this technique pushed the limits of relying on only certain shots to create successful films. They adapted all types of shots incorporated with their varying lens sizes.

The third element highlighting the change to intensified continuity is the use of close framing in dialogue scenes. In traditional films, an actor was hired for their entire body. Close ups were frowned upon, for the audience believed they payed to see an entire person, not a part of them. Directors later realized that the full body shots didn't entirely capture the audience. This introduced the creation of medium-shots and close-ups. Bordwell stated “If a scene relies on rapidly cut singles, the filmmaker must find fresh ways to emphasize certain lines or facial reactions.” The use of long shots versus close ups depends on the director's perspective, but the simple fact that Hollywood has learned to accept both styles of filming supports the acceptance of intensified continuity in American mass-audience films today.