Customer Reviews

Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film or Video

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I am an assistant (and sometimes still an apprentice) editor. When my Academy Award winning editor/boss told me to get this book, I didn't believe him. I knew how to run the Avid in my sleep and was getting jobs. But he was using it and recommending it to everyone he knew and then it was reviewed in this month's (July/August) Editors Guild magazine by a guy I trust. So I ordered it. Now ­I am recommending it. It covers everything you want to know about editing but were afraid to ask. It talks about the process and why editor's cut, not just how to digitize (it covers that generally) and how to get a job (I agree.) It has lots of useful charts and tables of all the stuff that you forget to remember such as formats, aspect ratios, film-to-tape conversion and vice versa. The author has clearly been in the editing trenches. I like her humorous tidbits and historical references like how R2D2 got his name. She also covers film - syncing, cutlists, neg cutting, etc. thoroughly which freaks the computer generation like me sometimes just as much as digital stuff can freaks older editors and directors. The film information as well as the digital, Web, DVD, and tape processes she so thoroughly details, have been invaluable to me in my work, paid and non. Speaking of which, gotta get back to my web film!

The book is very well written. It is well organized, clear and consise. It gives an excellent overview of the entire workflow of editing in both the digital and film realms. It also does a nice job comparing the two mediums. The tables scattered throughout the book are quite helpful and an effective way at allowing one to compare and contrast the items being discussed.

The limit too the books potential though is that most of its discussions are in a summary nature. Its like a tasting menu at a fine restaurant. Everything presented to you is wonderful, but it leaves you unsatisifed and wanting more. There is just not much there to entice one to return to this book later. The technical materials it does cover are those you would hope most people who call themself an editor would be know; as a result it does not serve much function as a reference material. Thus, this book is best served as an introduction to editing for the novice editor. But in that role it does a fine job. Especially by including discussions of job finding strategies, web sites, and dealing with bad situations in the workplace.

So if you're an experienced editor looking for an interesting read about editing (which so many are because its so rare to find one) stick to Walter Murch and Gabriella Oldham. If you're looking to break out into the editing world though, definitely give this book a read through (especially all you digital only folks, this will help you appreciate the film end of the spectrum). I also highly recommond this book, or at least parts of it, for producers, directors and cinematographers. Maybe then the production end might be a little more mindful of their demands on the post production end (though probably not).

Cut By Cut
Reviewed by Jack Tucker, A.C.E.

As one who teaches editing at several universities, including Long Beach State and UCLA, I am familiar with a number of books, both current and otherwise, on the subject. Some of them I have used in conjunction with my courses. Gael Chandler's book is a welcome addition to this library of editing lore. Besides describing the details of the editing process, the book also features many quotes and tips from established editors. Finally we have a comprehensive text on the subject for every student of editing, written in an understandable manner without sacrificing content. It is what God and DeMille intended.
I met Gael Chandler several years ago when she was teaching a Final Cut Pro class. She is a pioneer of electronic editing dating back to the Ediflex. After getting to know me, she asked if I would review a couple of chapters to the book she was writing, and give comment, on working on film since Film Editing on the Moviola is one of the classes that I teach. This I was happy to do and I allowed her to shoot stills of my editing equipment. Since that time I have been eager to see if the finished book would pass muster and I'm pleased to report that it does.
Beginning with her forward that describes the significance of "persistence of vision," the anomaly to which we all owe our careers, and continuing with Director Brian Levant's comment that "...editors are the most skilled, happiest people I've ever known," Chandler goes on to describe in detail our craft which she notes, "...is both magical and mundane." She demonstrates an extensive knowledge of the post production process.
The book is geared towards the beginning editor, but the more seasoned professional can still make use of its many charts and tables. The fact that she includes both film and video makes her book comprehensive. There is a lot of film information included that is not readily found anywhere else and for novice editors this is important.
In describing the three video systems (NTSC, PAL and SECAM) in a footnote she recounts the joke among the techs as to what each system represents. NTSC is Never Twice the Same Color, while PAL equates to Pay A Lot and SECAM is reduced to System Essentially Contrary to American Method. This humor adds to the readability of the volume.
Chandler also goes into why we make cuts, though many current filmmakers seem to think one should cut merely for the sake of cutting. She recounts the late Edward Dmytryk's comment, "...cutting should always be conceived to show the viewer what he should see at every point in the film." As anything we do in editing does, this book is written from the heart by someone who cares about the craft they have pursued for a lifetime.
For the beginner there is advice on how to find work, join the union and make contacts. She lays it out as methodically as she does the steps of the editing process and emphasizes that, "...it's not what you know, but who you know."
Gael Chandler sums it up beautifully with this paragraph. "Editing is not for the wimp, space case, or the indifferent. You need stamina and desire to see you through. Keep your passion for your career, loved ones, and pursuit of happiness in balance when following an editing path and you'lll be surprised where it leads you."

We teach Final Cut Pro at our Weekend Film School in New York City. Too many books focus only on which keystrokes and buttons to push. This book doesn't just tell you "how" to edit but "why" to perform certain tasks. We recommend it highly.

When I received my copy of Gael Chandler's book on film and video editing, Cut by Cut, a quick scan told me she has created a very complete book, with clear explanations of the details of editing (both technical and aesthetic), great illustrations and tables, and fun to read. Now, I have read much of the book, and my opinion has changed little. She has covered the rich heritage of film editing terminology and equipment choices over the past century - from scissors to the latest in digital editing equipment. While the weight of the content leans toward the technical, Gael has successfully interwoven editing principles and the editor's concerns for visual communications and audience interest with clear descriptions of procedures.
I think Cut by Cut is the perfect text for all students of film and video production. Entertainingly easy to read, her narrative is supported by comprehensive reference tables and charts, templates for managing editing projects, and clear instructions on the setup and use of equipment. I can also imagine experienced editors benefiting from the book as a handy reference for navigating this field's increasing complexity

Cut by Cut: Editing your Film or Video is fantastic for college students, aspiring film makers, and anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of editing. It provides detailed step-by-step instructions through the entire editing process. Starting with the decisions that must be made before the footage arrives in the cutting room, it delineates the editor's entire path until the show appears on the screen, tube, or web. Along the way it de-mystifies how an editor adds narration and music, creates fade-ins and other visual effects, and what sound editors and mixers do. The book goes far beyond the craft of editing, telling filmmakers all they need to know to edit their project, be it a drama for the cinema, a documentary for TV, or a short for the Web.
Cut by Cut also informs the reader about how to survive and succeed as an editor in the real world of the cutting room. It discusses the editor's working relationship with the director, producer, clients, or other "powers that be." It supplies budget forms with a comprehensive list of items required for each phase of editing which the reader can use on every project. Lastly, it provides a resource list of helpful books, training facilities, websites, etc. and a section on how to look for editing jobs.
The book contains many diagrams, photos and tables to drive home its points and make it a-can't-do-without-it reference book. It is written in a warm style so the reader often feels like they are having a conversation with an expert editor rather than reading a textbook. It is divided into three sections corresponding to the three stages of post-production. It contains checklists, budget forms, suggested exercises, and illustrations that range from photographs and diagrams to charts and drawings. Seasoned with observations from respected editors and filmmakers, it also offers anecdotes from the author's years in the cutting room.

Gael Chandler's Cut By Cut: Editing Your Film Or Video is simply a 'must' for any film or video editor: it's a reference non-specific to any brand of gear and offers all levels a solid course on turning raw footage to polished productions. From editing action and montage to editing comedy, commercials and other genres, CUT BY CUT is packed with forms, tables, illustrations, examples, streamlining tips, options, and common practices. So invaluable that it's recommended as a basic text.

I work in Europe and across the US on shorts of all kinds:commercial,docs,and music videos and occasionally on film.
Cut by Cut is the only book I've found that lays out how to edit all types of project from beginning to end.I higly recommend it to all who do their own editing whether they're beginners or experienced like me.I take it wherever I go and have been sharing it with colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic.
Babi,Videographer

I do not work in the entertainment industry, nor do I ever intend to be a film, video, sound or any other type of editor professionally. My interest in "Cut by Cut" came from wanting to learn just a few editing basics. I have a closet overflowing with scores of VHS home videos that I'm transfering to DVDs. Soon after beginning this project, I realized it would be possible and fun to do something creative with the miles and miles of my footage. Something better than just a direct transfer. Something polished. But I didn't know where or how to begin. "Cut by Cut" told me exactly what I needed to know. I learned the hows and whys of film editing in a way that was clear and readable for a novice like me. Sure, this book has tons of information for industry professionals and wannabees--stuff I'll never use. But it has the basics, too. The stuff I was looking for. Who could ask for more than that?

I usually don't review "how to" books but because I love film/movies, I decided to review this book. I have consumer experience with video so can strongly say that if you've thought about making or editing your own film, start with this book! No matter how much or little experience you have, Cut by Cut, Editing Your Film or Video adds to your knowledge. With its superb organization, layout, illustrations, and detail it's as "hands on" as a book can get. It demystifies editing and all the tools to go with it. Highly recommended.