Which editing technique aims for a seamless narrative flow?

Continuity editing is a technique designed to create a smooth and coherent narrative flow within a film or video. This approach emphasizes maintaining consistency in the story's time and space, ensuring that transitions between shots are logical and facilitate the audience's understanding of the narrative. Through techniques such as matching eye lines, maintaining the 180-degree rule, and using shot-reverse-shot, continuity editing helps guide viewers through the narrative without drawing attention to the editing itself. The goal is to make the editing invisible so that viewers can immerse themselves in the story rather than noticing the mechanics of film production.

In contrast, other choices such as jump cuts intentionally disrupt the continuity to create a jarring effect, montage emphasizes thematic juxtaposition rather than a smooth narrative progression, and split screen often conveys multiple perspectives or simultaneous actions, which can fragment the viewing experience rather than enhance fluidity.