This week’s project invited me to step out from behind the camera and really think about what it takes to keep a video feeling smooth, intentional, and continuous, especially when it’s filmed from multiple angles. Learning the principles of continuity, from the 180-degree rule to linear action flow, turned out to be both fascinating and surprisingly meticulous. My challenge? Taking a simple how-to tutorial of drawing a frog and transforming it into a cohesive, multi-angle learning experience without a single distracting jump cut.
Before I knew it, I was recording the same drawing sequence three different times, checking hand placement, pencil positioning, and even the direction my paper faced to make sure every take lined up. It was an interesting and very hands-on introduction to continuity in action.
Let’s dive into how I created the video, one angle at a time.
Reading + Writing
Chapter 3: Basic Sequences
In The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, Tom Schroeppel breaks down the idea of a basic sequence as the backbone of visual storytelling. A basic sequence starts with a wide shot to establish the scene, followed by medium shots to bring the viewer closer, and then close-ups to highlight important details. Schroeppel emphasizes that an establishing shot doesn’t need to show everything; just everything that matters. When the viewer understands the setting, the editor can move between different shot sizes to create visual variety and maintain interest. He also explains the importance of cutting on the action, which keeps movement fluid and continuous, making transitions feel natural instead of abrupt. Clean entrances and clean exits, which are moments when a subject fully enters or leaves the frame, help editors hide cuts more effectively and avoid jarring visual gaps. Cutaway shots, such as zooming into a detail or shifting briefly to a new angle, are another essential tool to smooth transitions and avoid jump cuts.
These principles became the foundation of how I structured my “How to Draw a Frog” video. Even though the content was instructional rather than narrative, I still needed to build a clear visual sequence. I started with a wide shot of my workspace so viewers could get oriented—where the paper was placed, how the lighting looked, and where my hands would be moving. From there, I alternated between medium shots and close-ups to focus attention on the frog’s outline, shading, and finer details. Each angle change involved a shift in both image size and camera position, just as Schroeppel recommends, which kept the video dynamic without feeling chaotic. I also shot clean entrances and exits of my pencil strokes so I could cut directly on the motion of drawing. This helped maintain continuity when switching between angles and avoided the jarring “jump” that can happen when a line appears half-drawn suddenly. Understanding these fundamentals shaped how I approached each take and, ultimately, how the video flowed.
Chapter 4: Screen Direction
In Chapter 4, Schroeppel introduces screen direction, a principle built around the idea that audiences rely on consistent orientation. Screen direction refers to the direction people or objects appear to be facing or moving on screen. To keep this consistent, filmmakers must avoid crossing the line, also known as the axis of action. This imaginary line runs through the scene, and when a camera is positioned on one side, it should stay there. Crossing to the opposite side reverses the direction of movement or orientation on camera, confusing viewers because actions will suddenly appear mirrored. Schroeppel notes that you can cross the line if you “stop on it,” meaning the camera moves to a neutral, straight-on view first. This neutral shot resets the viewer’s orientation so the camera can then shift to the opposite side without disorientation. As long as the axis remains respected, the camera (and the objects in the scene) can move freely without breaking continuity.
Even though my project involved drawing rather than actors walking across a set, screen direction played a huge role in keeping my frog tutorial coherent. My “axis” ran across the table between me and the paper. When I chose which side of the table my camera would film from, I committed to that side for all three angles. If I had switched sides midway, the frog would have appeared flipped, and the direction of my hand’s movement would have reversed, making the drawing process much harder to follow. Keeping the axis consistent ensured that viewers always knew where they were in relation to the drawing. This principle, though subtle, helped avoid confusion and reinforced the continuity I aimed for throughout the video.
Research to Inform
To better understand what strong continuity looks like in professional film and television, I explored several examples across genres. Watching how filmmakers maintain consistency across multiple angles helped me think more critically about how to construct my own multi-angle “How to Draw a Frog” video. Below are three pieces that demonstrate excellent continuity, along with one famous slip-up that shows just how noticeable it can be when continuity goes wrong.
Example 1: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Divination Class Scene
In the Divination class scene, the film repeatedly cuts between wide shots of the classroom and medium or close-up shots of the students’ faces, but spatial orientation remains consistent. For example, when we see a wide angle of the classroom showing several desks and students in their positions, and then cut to a close-up of one student (Harry, Ron, and Hermione), their position in the room retains logical consistency relative to the wide shot.
What makes this scene a strong example of continuity editing is how it balances variety and clarity. By switching between wide, medium, and close-up frames, the film keeps the viewer’s attention while still grounding them in the classroom’s layout. There’s no confusion about who is where; the “line,” or axis of the room, remains consistent.
Example 2: The Office (U.S.) – Table Scene with Dwight, Michael, and Jim
The Office is very careful about continuity and screen direction when cutting between different camera angles. In this scene where Dwight, Michael, and Jim sit at a table, the camera stays on one side of them. When it cuts between close-ups and medium shots, each character remains oriented the same way: left stays left, right stays right, and each face continues to look in the same direction relative to the frame.
This consistency in screen direction helps maintain the illusion that the viewer is observing a real conversation. Because the camera never “crosses the line”, the sense of space stays stable. That stability is essential because it helps the audience follow dialogues and reactions without disorientation.
Example 3: The Hunger Games – Training Center Sequence
In the Training Center scene from The Hunger Games, continuity is used to create clarity as the camera cuts between multiple tributes practicing their survival skills. Although the sequence showcases a wide variety of activities, like climbing monkey bars and solving memory puzzles, the filmmakers keep the camera positioned on one consistent side of the training floor. When the angle shifts from a wide shot of the whole space to a close-up of a specific tribute, or different shots of one tribute, the direction of movement remains visually consistent.
For example, the tribute climbing the monkey bars is always shown moving in the same on-screen direction, even as the camera switches from a front angle to a tighter close-up. The same is true for Foxface solving her puzzle: no matter the shot size, the camera maintains the same viewpoint, keeping her orientation consistent. Because the editors never cross the axis of the room, the viewer doesn’t have to “remap” the space with every cut.
Break in Continuity: Pretty Woman Breakfast Scene
One example of continuity going wrong appears in Pretty Woman during the breakfast scene. Julia Roberts’ character is eating a croissant in one shot, but when the camera cuts to a different angle, it has magically become a pancake. Then, in another shot, the croissant reappears. This kind of mistake happens when props aren’t carefully tracked across takes, and the result is immediately distracting even for casual viewers.
Seeing this reminded me how small details can unravel continuity. In my project, something as simple as the length of a pencil line, the angle of my hand, or the placement of my paper could create that same kind of inconsistency. To avoid my own “croissant-to-pancake moment,” I was extra intentional about replicating my drawing motions across each angle.
Create
After I fully understood the principles of continuity and how multi-angle shooting works, I started to create my own “How to Draw a Frog” video. My goal was to build a clear, easy-to-follow tutorial while using a variety of camera angles to make the video more engaging and visually dynamic. I filmed from three angles: a wide establishing shot, a medium shot focused on the paper, and a close-up shot highlighting the finer details of the drawing. The establishing shot served as the anchor for viewers as I used it to introduce each new step of the drawing. The medium and close-up were used to show the drawing, allowing the audience to see each pencil stroke clearly.
One of the most important decisions I made early on was choosing one consistent viewpoint and committing to it for every angle. By staying on the same side of the table, I ensured that my hand, the frog’s outline, and the direction of the drawing all appeared consistent, no matter which camera angle I cut to. This was especially crucial during close-up shots: if the orientation flipped or the paper suddenly rotated, the viewer would feel disoriented. Filming on the same side helped maintain a smooth visual rhythm and kept all of the camera transitions feeling intentional rather than distracting.
Beyond the visuals, I also incorporated audio and motion design to enhance the tutorial. I recorded narration explaining each step, paired with on-screen text to signal transitions throughout the video. I added a background music track to create a warm, encouraging atmosphere and included playful sound effects, such as a frog ribbit at the beginning and a typewriter click to complement the opening animation. To make the introduction stand out, I designed a short animated sequence in After Effects.
While I loved the creative freedom of this project, it also presented some challenges. Drawing the same frog multiple times from different angles meant I had to think carefully about everything: from how I held the pencil to how dark or light I shaded certain areas. Even small inconsistencies could break continuity, so I had to stay mindful throughout the entire process. It was definitely a test in precision and patience, but it helped me practice my skills in filmmaking. This project gave me a deeper appreciation for how video creators use continuity throughout their projects, and it was rewarding to follow those principles in this project.
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