More problems seem to arise over costume than almost anything else, but maintaining costume continuity should not be difficult providing the following points are adhered to.
The costume designer, in advance of shooting, will have worked out the scenes with continuity of costume in mind. These details will probably appear on the script breakdown in the form of days, i.e. Day 1, Morning; or Day 1, 10.00 am, etc. But during the actual shoot there may be changes of costume which are unplanned. For example, the director might decide that an actor should take off his coat in the middle of one scene. This had not been pre-planned by the costume designer and might well have a knock-on effect with costume continuity in later scenes. This is where your notes and photographs become essential.
At the start of shooting a new scene, i.e. one with no prior continuity, take Polaroid pictures of the artists involved.
Always write down exactly what the artist is wearing at the start of each fresh scene, and make your notes as full as possible.
‘Mrs Bold: coat, hat, dress’, does not convey very much. Is the coat done up or undone? Are all the buttons done up? What sort of coat is it? What colour? Likewise with the dress. Is the hat on her head or in her hand? What about her hairstyle? What about shoes? Does she have any accessories, such as handbag, gloves, etc?
Having taken photographs and made extensive notes, then use this information to check when matching continuity of costume. This is the absolute key to all good continuity. It is not enough just to make notes and take photographs whether of costume, props or sets. Those notes must be used intelligently to match continuity from shot to shot and scene to scene.
My first continuity error was over a scarf that was being worn in one scene and not in the next. My second was over a pair of Wellington boots. No one may notice these mistakes, or they might achieve unwelcome fame. With a little care and trouble you need never make them.
Make a note or take a Polaroid photograph of costume. You can easily mislay a few items of clothing – especially with period costume.
Not only has the soldier lost his hat – he has also lost his bag, his sword, and the top of his bayonet. It’s obvious when the pictures are placed together as these are, but you could easily make the same mistake in the real situation if you had not made copious notes or taken a photograph.