What books have you purchased for inspiration on aestetic and craft of editing

[Mark Raudonis]

The number one “must read” for any editor is “In the blink of an eye” by Walter Murch. This little book (less than 100 pages) is the best, most understandable explanation of what an editor does. I’ve probably given away dozens of copies to junior editors looking for inspiration. Walter’s “top ten reasons” for making a cut is fascinating. You may be surprised to see that “continuity” is WAY down the priority list. Reading this book absolutely changed the way I approach an edit decision. The title references his discovery that when editing actors in a scene, their natural “blinking” correlates to where you want to make an edit. Great stuff.

Mark

[Mark Suszko]

Yep. Anything by Murch would be a great start. “The Conversations” is one such. You know there are more great editors out there than Murch; I feel like he predominates in our awareness because he’s taken the time to put out more books and better P.R. This takes nothing at all away from his genius, it’s just that we could stand to have more books out by pros on this subject, but Murch is all you ever hear about because it’s right there in your face.

I don’t know if Michael C. ever wrote a book about editing “Raging Bull” or “Casino”, that would be a good book. Spielberg is a very good editor, or at least was. Reading about JAWS and DUEL is always a treat. People like Tarantino or they don’t, I like him more than not, and a book on the ediitng and structure of “Pulp Fiction” would be useful.

[Chris Bové]

Google “Murch Transitions”.

For “feel”, I read literature by authors that wrote in the “voice” that I believe will apply best to the style I want to cut. Right now I’m cutting a doc that is written similar to the gruff, hard-hitting, unveiled critical tone that Mark Twain’s essays on literature are. I read a page or two just before bed and at breakfast.

[Une Harstad hansen]

What a great tip! It’s like Method editing!

I’ll join in on the praise of “Blink…”. Reading it is like having a relaxed conversation with a friend over a glass of cognac.

I also found Audio Vision by Michel Chion an inspiration. He is genius, and although his profession is sound, he talks about film, in a brilliant way. It gave a new dept to understanding film.

[Richie Edelson]

when i first started editing, i was really inspired by “when the shooting stops, the cutting begins…” by ralph rosenblum. i also enjoyed the murch books, i just read “the conversations” recently and really got a lot out of discovering all of the external things that inform his film work.

oh yeah, i also liked the sam o’steen book “cut to the chase,” although i didn’t find it as interesting or inspiring as the other books. more fun from just a ‘behind-the-scenes’ perspective on the films he worked on.

i’m curious as to whether anyone out there has read “technique of film editing” by karel reisz? i’ve had a copy on my shelf for about 5 years and never jumped into it…

[Misha Aranyshev]

I wouldn’t call Reisz’s book very inspirational but it is a good for historic perspective. My favorite though is The Art of the Film by Ernest Lindgren. Somehow it reads as the book on editing though it is not.

[Alan E. bell]

I personally enjoyed “In the Blink of an Eye” but I don’t really think it’s done much for my editing. Frankly I get my inspiration from the footage I am working with and the rest of my life.

It’s all a matter of taste anyway. There is no right or wrong of it.

Alan