Invisible Editing/Casablanca- Emily Mortensen

The classical Hollywood style of editing emerged during the Golden Age of Cinema, between 1929 and 1945. Even after a colossal amount of time, the exceptional films produced are still studied and remade today. Continuity editing is one of the most influential elements that characterize hollywood cinema. The purpose of continuity editing is to make the cuts invisible and captivate the audience without them being distracted by the editing. To make the cuts invisible editors use the 180 degree rule. This can be done by matching eye lines, which allows the audience to see what to character is seeing. Or by using shot to reverse shot, which makes the audience assume the characters are looking at one another. 

Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1943) uses continuity editing because the cuts shown convey more than the plot alone. This scene from Casablanca is an example of continuity editing. This dialogue scene uses match cuts. Match cuts make sense spatially and ensures the audience will not be shocked or confused when the shot changes. The scene begins with a close-up shot then zooms out to establish the setting and characters. In other shots, the camera steadily zooms to the character until the close-up. The match cuts contribute to the continuity, making the scene aesthetically pleasing to the viewers eye.