Space Continuity

According to Mascelli(1965), telling the story as the action moves from one place to another involves space continuity. An expedition documentary, an auto trip or a travel picture are typical examples. To be acceptable, a logical pattern of movement must be shown. It is also possible- as with time continuity- to move back and forth in space, to speed or slow travel, or to be instantly trasported to another location; providing that the abrupt change in continuity is understood by the audience. Viewers should always be aware of location of action, and the direction of the movement. That is the only way the audience will know "from where the moving players or vehicles are coming, and to where they are going."

Space is rarely portrayed in a motion picture as it actually exists, except in a single setting; and then it may be condensed or expanded by physical, optical and editorial techniques. Illusions of space may be created in various ways. Space may be stretched or shortened through employment of optical transitions. This result can be attained by simply skipping unimportant areas; by altering spatial relationships; by ingenious editing and by imaginative story-telling. A simple dissolve may cover hundreds of miles. Filming only areas of special interest, or different types of terrain, may give the audience the impression they are seeing the entire trip- although only highlights are actually shown.

The pictures above are from Wall-E made by Pixar in 2007. From them the audience will have the impression that they are seeing the entire trip, the earth's atmosphere, the moon, the sun, then go out of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Choice of lens focal length may drastically change perspective, the distance between objects or the relationship of the players and the background. Clever editing may convince the audience that they are viewing all the travel. Inventive story construction may provide means of moving about in space, so that a great deal of territory is covered; while the viewer is unaware that much of the travel is really missing.

Audiences have been conditioned to accept the removal of needless travel, so for instance, that a player may be shown leaving his office on the tenth floor and immediately dissolve to the street entrance. There is no need to show him walking down the hall, taking the elevator, emerging and walking through the lobby.

Reference:

Mascelli, J. V. (1965). The Five C's of  Cinematography. The United States: radstone publications.

The pictures above are from Wall-E made by Pixar in 2007.