I’m a movie geek and very interested in how movies are made. During college, I also wrote and directed two short films. So I’m passionate about this topic. However, I chose the path of Software Engineering and am now pursuing photography and videography as a hobby.
Recently, I’ve been intrigued by why even the best movies have continuity errors and why the top directors and editors often don’t care about them. This seems like something easy to avoid, right? With so many people working on sets and script supervisors whose job it is to prevent these errors, how do they still make it to the final cut? But when errors are found, the acting and pacing often win over the continuity.
All of our favorite movies have these errors, and we hardly notice them. Even when we do, we don’t really care. But why is that? And what can we learn from this when building a great product or startup?
In this article, I’ll explain how I see a connection between movie-making and building products. Let’s dive in!
What is a Continuity Error?
A continuity error in movies is when something doesn’t match between scenes, even though it should. For example, a character might be holding a nearly empty glass of soda in one shot, but in the next, it’s suddenly full again, without ever being refilled. Or perhaps they take a sip, but in the next scene, the drink hasn’t gone down at all.
These errors happen because movies are shot over days (or even months), and sometimes people forget to keep things consistent. Most of the time, we don’t even notice, but when we do, we might wonder, “Wait, wasn’t that door open just a moment ago?”
Imagine being an actor, delivering the most emotional line of your career, and then the director says, “We need to redo it; your left thumb was in the wrong position!”
Take this scene from Pulp Fiction, for example. There’s an obvious continuity error: bullet holes are visible before Jules and Vincent get shot. However, no one cares because nothing overshadows the stellar performances of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, or how Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece.
Thelma Schoonmaker is often called the greatest film editor of all time. She’s been nominated for nine editing Oscars and has won three, which ties her for the most wins. Her editing style is consistently engaging and inventive.
She tells a story about attending the Oscars when Goodfellas was nominated but lost the "Best Editor" Oscar to Dances with Wolves. The editor of that film, Neil Travis, came up to her and asked, Why did you make that bad continuity cut?
to which she replied, Which continuity error? We have tons of them.
She explained that if the audience is fully immersed in the story and emotionally invested in the characters, they won’t notice or care about minor continuity errors. Her experience working on some of the greatest films in cinema history taught her that storytelling is about crafting an experience, not achieving technical perfection. This philosophy has helped her shape iconic films like Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Irishman.
Another legendary film editor, Walter Murch, discussed his “Rule of Six” for an ideal cut in his book, In the Blink of an Eye:
- Emotion - 51%
- Story - 23%
- Rhythm - 10%
- Eye-trace - 7%
- Two-dimensional plane of screen - 5%
- Three-dimensional space of action - 4%
The most important element on the list is Emotion, while physical continuity ranks at the bottom.
What Can We Learn From It?
Just like a movie editor chooses to focus on storytelling and emotion, entrepreneurs, engineers, and product managers must focus on solving the right problems and delivering value to users. Let’s dive into what this means for building products and startups.
Prioritize What Matters
In startups, the 'continuity errors' might be minor bugs, a less-than-perfect UI, or a missing feature. These things are important, but they shouldn’t come at the cost of solving the core problem or meeting a pressing user need.
For example, Slack didn’t start as a messaging app. It was initially developed as part of a gaming platform, but the team realized the real value was in their internal communication tool. By focusing on solving a bigger problem—team collaboration—they created a product that transformed the way people work.
Just as editors focus on emotions and storytelling, entrepreneurs should prioritize delivering value to users over perfection.
Launch the MVP
A Minimum Viable Product is like a rough cut of a film. It’s not polished, but it’s enough to capture the essence of the story—or in our case, the problem you're solving for users.
Instagram for example, when it first launched, wasn’t the feature-rich platform we know today. Instead, it focused on doing one thing exceptionally well—photo sharing. That simplicity helped it gain early traction and allowed it to grow into the giant it is now.
An MVP isn’t about having all the features; it’s about having the right features to solve the problem and gather feedback.
Embrace Imperfections
Airbnb’s first website had design flaws and looked far from professional, but it solved a critical problem: helping people find affordable short-term housing. That focus on the core value allowed them to scale into the company they are today.
Users often forgive imperfections if the product solves their real problems. As you iterate, you’ll have the chance to fix those ‘continuity errors’ and make your product better.
Conclusion
Whether you’re building a product, directing a film, or launching a startup, the lesson is clear: focus on what truly matters. Perfect is the enemy of good. Build, launch, listen, and grow.
Great movies and great startups both thrive when their creators focus on the big picture. Storytelling in movies and value creation in startups is what truly captivates audiences. The small details—continuity errors or minor imperfections—can wait. Keep iterating, keep improving, and trust that your audience will forgive the rest if you deliver what matters.
So, what’s your biggest ‘continuity error’ today? Could it wait while you focus on delivering the story your users truly care about?
This was the topic that I’ve been thinking about for a while and I’m happy that I wrote this blog and shared this with you. I hope it was an interesting read and can help people to learn or think.
Whether you’re building a product, a company, or just your next big idea. Let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear them!
