This book is a treasure chest of knowledge about the art of editing and how that art can not only suck people in—but literally affect PHYSICAL changes in them (one incredible passage talks bout how, through artistry, one filmmaker managed to take an audience of 1500 sick people and suppress their coughing for two hours—now that’s powerful editing!!!) Murch even breaks down what elements are most important to an edit:
- 1. Emotion 51%
- 2. Story: 23%
- 3. Rhythm: 10%
- 4. Eye-trace: 7%
- 5. Two-dimensional plane of screen: 5%
- 6. Three-dimensional space of action 4%
- 2. Story: 23%
Seem insane? I thought this guy was nuts, at first. But his explanations of his theories are so intriguing and entertaining at the same time that I find myself thinking differently about every edit, and feeling more like an "artist" on things as simple as industrial machinery videos. Well, maybe that’s pushing it, but hey, the point is that for a mere $11.16, you can take this Academy Award Winning editor’s thoughts on the fine craft of editing and filmmaking and incorporate them into your own work. Come on, go count your pennies and get this book. And when you win your Oscar, don’t forget to thank Biagio at Access DV for turning you on to this road map to editing excellence.
ANY editing system, from Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere to and Avid Symphony are just TOOLS—a talented editor could cut the same movie on the highest-end SGI Octane or on an IMac with IMovie, and get basically the same results. The program is just a tool. So, great, you get all these books that teach you every single facet of the tool, and then what? Knowing the ins and outs of every carpentry tool there is won’t make you a great carpenter. It’s the way you USE the tools that counts.
This is where EDITING TECHNIQUES WITH FINAL CUT PRO comes in. While it does teach you about FCP, the real value in this book is that it attempts (we believe successfully) to make the reader a better EDITOR. This book isn’t just showing you what buttons to push, but why and when to push them.
Aside from a deep knowledge about FCP (which, admittedly, won’t help Premiere or Avid users) the book has intriguing information on 'standard' editing patterns, which are a unique series of cuts that subconsciously make viewers have specific reactions—fear, suspense, nostalgia, etc. Wohl also educates the reader on good shot composition, and why certain shots should be chosen over others by the editor to achieve a specific reaction in the viewer. The importance of choosing the best shots and editing 'invisibly' is a big message Wohl imparts.
So, if you’re looking not just for a book that talks about how great Final Cut Pro is, but a book that teaches you to be a better editor, elicit heightened responses from viewers, and become a better filmmaker in general, look no further. This is a great book that no serious indy filmmaker should be without.
Ah, yes, it seems like it wasn't that long ago when Final Cut Pro seemed like a somewhat scary program. The manual was ah--so, so. Then Lisa Brennis came out with her book, and a lot of things got cleared up.
There's lots of pictures and screen shots, and it's really easy to follow. And let me tell you, as someone that's used the Final Cut Pro Quickstart CD (you know, the expensive one?) this book is a much better way to go. Every part of FCP is covered from head to toe (you know, capture, advanced capture, transitions, optimizing the system, etc., etc.)
Peachpit Press (who put this book out) specialize in publishing good, helpful, useful books and low prices, and they succeeded here. Yeah, this is a huge program, and a nice, user friendly book, really helps to navigate it. Check it out, you won't be dissappointed.
