Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

The one and only!

Customer Rating:

If you're going to edit a film or music video or any kind of media like that THIS IS THE ONLY BOOK YOU NEED TO READ. I don't make that statement lightly. Murch's book is without a doubt the best book I've read on the theory, thought-process and intention behind WHY an editor makes an edit. There are a multitude of boring books (I know because I bought many of them) on editing and why you should do this and that. Whatever. Murch has won loads of awards for his work and even directed a feature himself (Return to Oz) so he knows a much about the filmmaking process. This book will not be helpful during the edit of your footage. You will not be able to turn to page nineteen and find out when to use a jump-cut to best effect. What this book helped me to see was the approach you need to have towards the editing process as a whole. Maybe not even just as an editor but as a filmmaker and story-teller too. I can't stress enough how useful reading this book was to me. I used to be very frightened of getting into the edit but when I read this I found a new way of looking at my footage and became able to accept that things are different. Murch's writing style is very informal and as a result I think that the book requires a few reads (at least I've read it three times now and I get a better understanding of his ideologies each time). Forget all the other rubbish people charge through the nose for. All you need to teach yourself editing is the software, footage and this book.

A necessity for any film editor in training

Customer Rating:

I found this insight to Walter Murch and the world of editing truly remarkable. Once I'd started the book I wanted to know more, whether it was about the techniques of editing or how to judge audience reactions of screenings or what is going on in the editing world in terms of what software is out there and available with the advantages and disadvantages clearly listed for you. Overall, a truly enjoyable read and a useful insight into the mind of an editor. A must-read for any trainee film editor.

The editing Bible	Customer Rating:
An absolute must for anyone even remotely interested in film and film practice. If you haven't read it, read it! and if you have read it, read it again!

A bit too simple

Customer Rating:

Although this book starts well it ends with a wimper. The advice and information in the first few short chapters is precise and to the point and so obviously written by someone who knows his art. However the main theory of the book, that you can edit on an actors blinks is too simple and banal. The theory is based on some ad hoc anecdotal evidence that is lacking in credibility or any scientific rigour. The idea that we finish each idea with a blink is a good undergraduate psychology project but not much else. The idea is used to explain Murchs' whole philosophy of editing and soon wears very thin. Otherwise a great little book!

SUPERB	Customer Rating:
If you want to get into video / film editing then buy this book as its a wonderful insight into the editing process - this guy has been editing since the 60s-present and its written in a really freindly, matey sort of way - very ingrossing and intriguing. The book is also fairly short so can be read quite quickly.