Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures: A Guide to the Invisible Art (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: dialogue premix, picture cutting room, new soundfile, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro, File Name Shot Scene Take (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The premise of the book is true: it is a necessary but usually overlooked part of film sound." - Larry Blake, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer: films include "Traffic", "Erin Brockovich", "Ocean's Eleven", etc.

"John Purcells excellent book is a concise and detailed text on the aesthetic and techniques of dialogue editing in the digital age. He brings a wealth of knowledge of the entire production sound arc and how dialogue editing significantly contributes to the process. Any filmmaker who follows Mr. Purcells methods will have gone a long way to producing a very polished and professional sound track for their film." - Bill Dannevik, Professor of Digital Media, USC Cinema-TV/Savannah College of Art & Design and Technical Manager of World Wide Dubbing, Disney Character Voices International

"John Purcell's book is a comprehensive and detailed guide to the arcane craft of dialogue editing. Both instructors and students will benefit from his thoughtful examination of each stage of the post production sound process as it relates to this crucial component of the soundtrack." - Harry M. Cheney MPSE - Supervising Sound Editor - Associate Professor; Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

"This is a great subject matter and I and my colleagues would have loved to have had a book like this 10 years ago...there is very little information on the specifics of dialogue editing available." - Todd Hooker, film editor --Larry Blake, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer; Harry M. Cheney MPSE - Supervising Sound Editor - Associate Professor; Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

Review

"The premise of the book is true: it is a necessary but usually overlooked part of film sound." - Larry Blake, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer: films include "Traffic", "Erin Brockovich", "Ocean's Eleven", etc.

"John Purcell's excellent book is a concise and detailed text on the aesthetic and techniques of dialogue editing in the digital age. He brings a wealth of knowledge of the entire production sound arc and how dialogue editing significantly contributes to the process. Any filmmaker who follows Mr. Purcell's methods will have gone a long way to producing a very polished and professional sound track for their film." - Bill Dannevik, Professor of Digital Media, USC Cinema-TV/Savannah College of Art & Design and Technical Manager of World Wide Dubbing, Disney Character Voices International

"John Purcell's book is a comprehensive and detailed guide to the arcane craft of dialogue editing. Both instructors and students will benefit from his thoughtful examination of each stage of the post production sound process as it relates to this crucial component of the soundtrack." - Harry M. Cheney MPSE - Supervising Sound Editor - Associate Professor; Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

"This is a great subject matter and I and my colleagues would have loved to have had a book like this 10 years ago...there is very little information on the specifics of dialogue editing available." - Todd Hooker, film editor

"I am very happy to endorse this book. I have not previously seen a book that has realistically dealt with the professional responsibilities of a dialog editor. Dialog is the focus of a successful soundtrack. It not only contains the majority of the intellectual arch of the film but the timbers and tempos of the actor's voices are instrumental in establishing the critical relationship between the audience and the viewer. Without the Dialog editor's well-prepared session it is difficult and costly, (in terms of time spent in the dub) if not impossible, for the mixer to do what is necessary to establish or enhance that relationship. I look forward to being able to use this book as a required reading for my students." -Professor John Sisti, Savannah College of Arts and Design/Department of Sound Design. Formerly with Columbia Pictures/Sony Entertainment Supervising Sound Editor and Dialog Editor "Mad About You"

"Purcell has written this book for people who need to edit production sound for narrative films but were 'never taught how to do it.' Unlike music and effects editing, dialogue editing operates under a different set of rules. There are certain fundamental procedures that are absolutely essential to know and, unless one has been fortunate enough to work with an experienced editor in different situations, the information is not available. Purcell's book will fill in the gaps." - Editor's Guild Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press (May 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240809181
• ISBN-13: 978-0240809182
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,809 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book!, May 30, 2007

By	Bruce Tambling (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures, by John Purcell is an opportunity to learn a HUGE amount about dialog editing and audio post production in general. This is the type of information that can only be acquired through years of professional experience in the motion picture industry. From practical techniques of file management and workflow to the creative aesthetics of the art of sound design, Purcell delivers an incredibly dense book that will be helpful to both students and seasoned pro's.

I am not aware of any other book on the market that presents this advanced level of information on dialog editing and sound for picture. I am looking forward to using the book as a required text for my upcoming college classes, because I believe these skills are essential for success in today's digital audio job market.

Two Thumbs Way Up!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good professional book for aspiring film professionals., July 27, 2007

By	Doron S (Tel Aviv, Israel) - See all my reviews

Clearly phrased, easy to read, concise and extremely useful, this book is a step by step guide to every pop, crackle and roll of the core part of sound editing - making the dialogue heard. It also has a great overview of the context - how to transfer production sound from the picture editing room, what you'll need from production as well, favoured/time saving procedures and the required contacts in other departments of production (a crucial though rarely covered issue).
The basic feel is somewhere between a 'how to' guide and a master-class. The book covers a lot more than which plug-in gives you what or how to use your mouse. Anyone with a few basic concepts in editing would probably be able to give it a go him/herself, or at least have a very good clue on what should be done in order to get the job done, and done well.
It's also packed with illustrative materials of most dialog boxes and written materials you should run into while working.
I'd recommend it to editors (both picture and sound) and post production facilities (in case a producer might wander in and wonder what's the big deal with dialogue).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dialogue Editing on a professional level., September 18, 2007

By	Brad Semenoff (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the best book I have ever read on dialogue editing! It explains everything from budgeting time for a project all the way up to the final mix. John Purcell clearly loves his job and his enthusiasm comes through in his writing. I highly recommend this book to all filmmakers as a way to learn exactly what goes into the dialogue editing process and I consider it a must read for all sound editors.

John uses pictures and examples to demonstrate what he is talking about. He shows how to organize EDLs and how to use them to find alternate takes and locate wild sound for a particular scene. Though every film has its own quirks, John also demonstrates how to handle common problems with matching rooms tones from different angles in scenes. Those two aspects alone make the book worth getting, but there is a wealth of information in this book that makes it an excellent purchase.