Customer Reviews

The Film Editing Room Handbook, Third Edition: How to Manage the Near Chaos of the Cutting Room

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very comprehensive overview of all the details that a prospective assistant editor should be aware of.

But the field of digital editing has changed tremendously since the book was last updated in 1999, and I found the sections on digital editing dated to the point of being useless.

Hopefully the author will update the book soon to include current processes for telecine and handling digital film and audio sources.

If you want a book that takes you through EVERY procedural aspect of assisting (film or NLE) then this is probably the book for you.

One drawback is that it might not be as specific as you may like, as it caters for Film, AVID, Lightworks... and it won't tell you which buttons to press. But conversely this adds to its longevity, as it isn't version specific, and so doesn't out date.

What it does tell you is how to work in the edit suite, what work practices are important and how to establish them.

It hundreds (and hundreds) of pages can seem a bit dense and imposing at first, and without some hands on experience you might get lost in the explanations, but this book isn't meant for a casual reader, it is a professional document that will widen your understanding. It might even help you blag your way into a cutting room.

Buy this book if you are serious about starting a career in drama editing (or any type of editing for that matter) as it will lay good foundations,

Well worth the cash.

As this book currently stands it is hopelessly outdated and not even remotely relevant to modern editors. While some of the information presented is interesting, it offers little to an assistant editor who is seeking to know what to expect in an editing room past 2006. This book was last updated in 1999 and that should give you some indication of how out of date it is. Too much has changed in the past 10 years for this book to be helpful, I sincerely hope the author updates it as it is well written. However as it stands I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is an editor getting into the industry today.

This is the third and extensively updated version of Norman Hollyn's fantastic in depth review of what really goes into both working on and in the film editing industry. Presented in a format that puts you in the role of an apprentice editor, it covers so many of the details that one would learn only with on the job experience. This is more than just a how to book, it is also a "how it is" book with practical information from first starting out, to first job.

Mr. Hollyn (Editor of "Hair", "Network", and others) provides essential insights into the world of cinematic editing and how it will apply to a prospective Assistant Editor. The third edition includes additional chapters on digital editing.

This was a great book! You should write more.