Thein Han (C) goes over a script during filming. Continuity errors are common in Myanmar films, although directors refuse to admit it. Pic: Moe Moe Oo.

DON’T you just love those moments when you’re watching a movie and suddenly the penny drops?

"Wait, wasn’t that guy holding a sword two seconds ago? And is that a wristwatch? I thought this was supposed to be 192 CE?"

It happens more often than you think. Some of Hollywood’s biggest block-busters have been caught out with embarrassing blunders.

Take Spiderman, for example. In one scene, Peter shoots a web at his bedroom lamp, pulls it across the room and smashes the lamp against a wall. Seconds later, when Aunt May is talking to Peter from the door, the lamp is back on the dresser in one piece.

Or Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones, when Anakin hands Amidala a piece of fruit. When the camera cuts to a close up of Amidala, a bite mark can be seen in the fruit before she even has a chance to nibble on it.

For film directors, continuity is no laughing matter. They’re the ones who have to fess up and apologise for the errors. But the responsibility usually lies with a person or team of ex-perienced professionals hired to pick up and prevent mistakes in the consis-tency of persons, plots, objects, places and events in a film.

This requires excellent attention to detail and a tremendous amount of patience.

“I hire a continuity person for every film I make,” said director Thein Han. “This person is responsible for eliminating any embarrassing stuff ups we might have missed in the editing process. It’s difficult to shoot a scene in one day, so we have to pick up where we left off, making sure that every little detail is exactly the same as the day before. This is where the continuity person comes in.

They must keep a record of everything — it isn't good enough going by memory.”

Although many Myanmar directors insist that they use these professionals, director Kyi Phyu Shin said it is actually quite rare.

“It’s a shame when directors don’t hire a con-tinuity person,” she said. “It’s so time consuming to go over everything yourself, es-pecially when you’re not specialised in that area. That’s how mistakes are made. But I don’t know many directors who use them in Myanmar.”

Though the role of a continuity person is not considered to be as important as a director’s, Kyi Phyu Shin said they need to know just as much about filmmaking and it is not unusual for them to end up in the director’s chair later in their careers.

Like so many Hollywood films missing vital details, Myanmar films must also have their fair share of bloopers.

And indeed they do.

“I’m a big Myanmar movie fan,” said university student Thiri Khin. “But it’s frustrating watching your favourite actress’ hairstyle change three times in one scene. It makes me wonder how long it takes to finish a whole film! I’ve also seen the clothing change a lot, like long pants to shorts and back again in one scene. It’s sloppy and embarrassing.”

Funnily enough, all of the directors The Myanmar Times spoke to denied there were any continuity errors in their films. One even went as far as to say that continuity people are not necessary in the filmmaking process today.

Myanmar director Mike Tee said the director can always see what is happening on the screen during filming and can rewind and reshoot the scene immediately if necessary, therefore eliminating the need for a continuity person. He also suggested that the number of these professionals used in Myanmar films is decreasing, but said he is one of the few who does use one on occasion.

“I don’t think a specialised continuity person is crucial. If they are hired, they do things like editing and helping out onset. It is really up to the actors to make sure there are no mistakes.

“I do have a regular continuity man with a great memory. He could list off every dress every supporting actress has worn in the films he has worked on. I haven’t made any mistakes so far, but one time my lead actress left an earring in Yangon when we were reshooting some scenes in Chaung Thar, so we had to style her hair to cover one of her ears.”

Actress Myo Thandar Htun said she thinks it’s a problem when directors don’t seek help for continuity.

“Sometimes I work on two different films at the same time and I can’t remember the colour of nail polish or clothing I was wearing in the scene. It’s easy to make mistakes if someone doesn’t take notes. A small mistake for us is often a big mistake for fans.”