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 On
Film Editing :
An Introduction to the Art of Film Construction
by Edward Dmytryk
Focal Press - ISBN: 0240517385
The second volume in
Dmytryk's four book series, On Film. This is the closest anyone has come
to describing the mechanics of film editing in an almost scientific
manner. A good place to start if you know nothing about cutting film,
and full of interesting anecdotes from nearly fifty years in the
industry.
 In
the Blink of an Eye :
A Perspective on Film Editing
by Walter Murch
Silman-James Press - ISBN: 1879505231
Based on a lecture given by the great
Walter Murch, this is a very personal insight to the world of film
editing. The main focus concerns using the blink of an eye as both an
analogy for and an emotional cue for a cut. He also discusses multiple
editors working together, test screenings and the pros and cons of
Steenbeck/KEM cutting vs. digital systems. It feels like having
an intimate conversation with one of the world's greatest Editors.
 When
the Shooting Stops, the Cutting Begins :
A Film Editor's Story
by Ralph Rosenblum & Robert Karen
Da Capo Press - ISBN: 0306802724
A fantastic memoir that is intensely
interesting to read if you are an editor. It's an intriguing mixture of film
history and criticism, personal experience and demonstration, with a good dash of Hollywood gossip. It's fascinating to read how films like
Take The Money and Run and Annie Hall were basically
'discovered' in the editing process.
 First
Cut :
Conversations With Film Editors
by Gabriella Oldham
Univ California Press - ISBN:
0520075889
A book that takes the form of
Question and Answer with some of the leading TV / film documentary and
drama editors of our day. It's a host of personal war stories from
people who love their craft and have worked with the finest directors
in the business. All kinds of theories are discussed, but nearly
everyone agrees good editing comes down to unquantifyable intuition and
gut-reaction.
 The
Film Editing Room Handbook:
How to Manage the Near Chaos of the Cutting Room
by Norman Hollyn
Lone Eagle Publishing Company - ISBN: 1580650066
You want to know literally everything
about being an assistant editor in the States? Read this superbly
thorough book that starts with getting hired, runs through the complete
process of working as an assistant on film and in the digital domain,
and ends with locking the cutting room when the movie's finished. Very
well written and illustrated, every prospective editor should read it.
Bear in mind there is no discussion of the art / aesthetics of film
editing.
 The
Avid Digital Editing Room Handbook
by Tony Solomons
Silman-James Press - ISBN: 1879505487
If
you work on Avid Film Composer in a feature film environment this is an
extremely worthwhile read. Technically detailed but littered with
personal insight, it covers everything from setting up your hardware to
Cut Lists and EDLs, with a good section on preventative maintenance. If
you're based outside the US, the chapter on Editing Unions is
informative. It doesn't yet include Windows NT Avids or Symphony, though
I'm sure a 3rd edition will put that right.
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