Absolutely helpful for everyone who wants to edit a film An excellent book for everybody who wants to edit a film, either a professional or a student if a Film School. Written in a simple way and with lots of easily understood examples.
A little grandoise, not the first book you should read I may be spoiled from reading other editing books (i.e Murch etc.) but from the high brow tone of this book, I expected the author to have a much more impressive film background. There are good bits mixed in there which is why I gave it three stars, but you have to wade through an apparently unedited and not fully developed mess to get there(my opinion). This is particularly ironic in a book that is supposed to show you how to seemlessly integrate something. Read this book because you have to for the few essential concepts that it does bring across, but I bet you won't enjoy it. It appears as a series of half formed lesson plans. I found it a very taxing read and should be read as a last of a series of editing books not only for comprehension but so you are not discouraged from the field altogether. Perhaps another edition with a coauthor and an editor would be in order. Also, too long by half. Again you should read this book, but maybe try and borrow it from somebody.
Maybe the best... Many books are written on filmmaking, yet far too few are written by those who can bridge the gap between theory and application. In this book, you get both.
Anyone who does not appreciate the INVALUABLE education that this book is, simply does not have enough experience with editing to understand the value of the insight.
As a professional filmmaker, I nearly butchered my first feature, only to ressurrect it by applying what I learned in this book. The author references many films I had not seen, but the lessons were clear, and the illustrations more than clarify the cut points he is referencing.
This book is written by an editor, for filmmakers, with the lessons being most profound to someone who can nod there head, and say, "yes, I too have experienced that challenge, and / or made that mistake."
This book is not formulaic but an in-depth look at the principles of not only good editing, but good story-telling from the perspective of the editor. It is the principles and techniques learned in this book that allow the reader to come away with an arsenal of tools and check-points. When you are stuck and frustrated, you have to understand good fundamentals, and be able to check your work against those principles. Without an understanding of these principles, a filmaker is left with only instincts, opinions, and guess-work. OR, even worse, become reduced to chasing his/her tail in a vain attempt to make a film that pleases people.
If you are a filmmaker looking to learn the science of good editing, then this book is for you. Once you learn the science, the art is up to you.
Mike Reilly
did anyone edit this? There are a few great concepts that Pepperman barely manages to get across but for the most part this Ivy League educated reader was lost. Pepperman uses scenes from films not just as examples, but as the jumping off point for his theories. Yet he doesn't give enough detail that if you haven't seen a scene you can still follow what he's saying (his chicken scratch drawings do little to help). Rather, he provides you every page with a "hint!" or a "tip!" or if you're lucky a "hint & tip," such as "ask a lot of questions!" or "a study in asymmetrical beats." (Seriously, I pulled those two at random and they mean little more in context than out). I began to ignore these diversions but holy god, did anyone edit this book?
edit for story Loads and loads of analysis on the art of editing. Not just edits that don't jar, but edits that adds emotion and builds the story. Best book on editing I've yet found. I give it 4 rather than 5 stars because sometimes it's a little unclear.
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