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In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, 2nd Edition Paperback – August 1, 2001

by Walter Murch (Author), Francis Ford Coppola (Foreword)

4.7 1,899 ratings

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In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition's lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book's pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Walter Murch is the winner of multiple Academy Awards for his work as a film editor and a sound designer. Among his many notable credits are The Conversation, American Graffiti, Julia, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather (parts II and III), The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Ghost, Crumb, Romeo Is Bleeding, First Knight, The English Patient, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Silman-James Press; 2nd edition (August 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 146 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1879505622
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1879505629
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #11,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3 in Video Direction & Production (Books)
- #4 in Movie Direction & Production
- #12 in Movie History & Criticism

Customer Reviews:
4.7 1,899 ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable and entertaining. They appreciate its insights and valuable information about editing concepts. The book provides classic editing tips and guides readers through the world of film editing. Opinions differ on the length - some find it brief and thorough, while others consider it too long or too short. There are mixed views on the dated content - some find it original when first published, while others feel it's slightly outdated.

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Readability Insight Editing tips Length Dated content

113 customers mention "Readability"106 positive7 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and interesting. They say it's a must-read for anyone interested in film production, entertaining, and useful for movie lovers. The book provides anecdotes and advice for film editors.

"...It's a very interesting read and I just love the way the author thinks, writes, and shares his ideas...." Read more

"...Recommended by many film courses, this is a great read, full of anecdotes about films and directors...." Read more

"...book contains both interesting film making anecdotes and useful advice to film editors...." Read more

"...This book is a must-read for anyone interested in film production!" Read more

83 customers mention "Insight"83 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and interesting. It provides valuable advice and insights into film editing. They appreciate the anecdotes and useful advice for film editors. Overall, readers find it inspiring and a great read.

"...His thoughts and tips for editing are insightful and great reminders for anybody who wishes to learn or understand editing better...." Read more

"...This book contains both interesting film making anecdotes and useful advice to film editors...." Read more

"...deep (but approachable and easy to understand), theoretical and philosophical (but still practical), and authoritative (but not condescending)...." Read more

"Love this book. So insightful. 10/10 RECOMMEND." Read more

82 customers mention "Editing tips"82 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for learning editing tips. They say it provides classic insights into film and digital editing, guiding them through the world of film editing. The book helps readers understand the history of editing and improve their video editing skills. Readers appreciate the complex artistic process detailed in the book.

"...His thoughts and tips for editing are insightful and great reminders for anybody who wishes to learn or understand editing better...." Read more

"...As a grand master of editorial and sound (7 Oscar noms and 2 wins), I'm only sorry he couldn't put more of his knowledge into this volume...." Read more

"...of the pitfalls introduced by the immediacy and convenience of digital shooting and editing - a lack of planning, a failure to look into and through..." Read more

"...Anyway, yes, same guy. This is an amazing book, a quick read. I happen to be shooting video recently and used to teach film theory...." Read more

10 customers mention "Length"4 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the book's length. Some find it concise and valuable, while others feel it's too long or repetitive at times. The brevity seems to make it more valuable for some readers.

"The only bad thing I can say about this book is that it's too short, and the technical detail are slightly dated...." Read more

"...The reason is simple - it ticks all of the boxes - brief (but thorough), deep (but approachable and easy to understand), theoretical and..." Read more

"It's short, but his examples based on his real experience aren't just technical...." Read more

"...look into the past, this book is interesting, and it's brevity makes it much more valuable...." Read more

9 customers mention "Dated content"3 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the book's content. Some find it new and original when first published, while others feel it's outdated and too old-school to be relevant. The technical details and insights are also criticized as being outdated.

"...can say about this book is that it's too short, and the technical detail are slightly dated. (Hey - it's a printed book.)..." Read more

"Excellent and original when first published and maybe when republished, but there is only one point...." Read more

"...Particularly the last third felt pretty rambley to me, and unavoidably outdated...." Read more

"...Even the second half of the book, which is about digital editing, seems a bit dated. '..." Read more

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Stephen Schlager
I definitely recommend for any film editor.
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a fantastic book! I am somewhere between a novice and intermediate film editor. The author writes simultaneously with great clarity and eloquence. His thoughts and tips for editing are insightful and great reminders for anybody who wishes to learn or understand editing better. I am sure expert editors would also enjoy this book written by someone who has had years in the industry and whose career has spanned various emerging technologies. He talks about the movement to digital, and points out that although better in many ways, he gives good advice about the things digital editors give up that the analog systems provided.
It's a very interesting read and I just love the way the author thinks, writes, and shares his ideas.

As a final thought, I didn't find the last section on digital editing very useful since it was written when digital was just coming onto the scene and much of it is projections the author makes for what is in store for film due to digital editing. The problem with this section is it is now 16 years old and many of the projections have come to pass or are obsolete thoughts. But the first part of the book is worth buying the book as it is laden with conceptual editing practices and ideas.

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6 people found this helpful

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Calkid817
Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2024
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Bought this for my son. He needed for a class. It was easier to find it on Amazon than it was to find at the school. Great value. Would recommend buying it on Amazon for the class.

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Anthroposaurus
Don't blink now!
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2009
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At the start, let me point out that this is not BY Francis Ford Coppola, it is BY Walter Murch. Sponsored initially as a lecture by the Australian Film Commission in 1988, there are many reasons to engage a love-hate relationship with this book. One is the continuous references to film. If you were ever a 35mm film editor (I spent much time with 35mm sound stock beetling along at 30"per second, a threat to all!) then his nostalgic recall of how things used to happen will have you settling comfortably. If you are a newby with a digicam, most of this may pass you by.

The fundamental premise is that eye-blinks are key to audience involvement. An editor who cuts without reference to these will leave his audience unmoved. Get the blinks right and the cuts make themselves and subliminally draw the audience in. I am now on a fascinating hunt for the truth. I may never make an equal of "The English Patient", Murch's double-oscar triumph, but I certainly am trying hard not to blink as I attempt to use his insights into the business of editing.

Recommended by many film courses, this is a great read, full of anecdotes about films and directors. Every editor should know its thesis, every digicam owner can learn much about the infinitely painstaking effort of good editing.

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2 people found this helpful

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Boingo
Informative and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2011
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The only bad thing I can say about this book is that it's too short, and the technical detail are slightly dated. (Hey - it's a printed book.)

This book contains both interesting film making anecdotes and useful advice to film editors.

He also gets into planning post-production workflows and using single vs. multiple editors.

He correctly predicted the overwhelming rise of digital editing, and was an early adopter of digital NLEs. In fact, he was the first editor to win an Oscar cutting digitally.

As a grand master of editorial and sound (7 Oscar noms and 2 wins), I'm only sorry he couldn't put more of his knowledge into this volume.

Interesting if you are not in the business, highly recommended if you are.

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One person found this helpful

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MB
Wisdom from the disciplines of the Golden Age...applied to the Digital Age
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
As others mentioned, this book always makes the list in discussions about learning how to edit effectively. The reason is simple - it ticks all of the boxes - brief (but thorough), deep (but approachable and easy to understand), theoretical and philosophical (but still practical), and authoritative (but not condescending). Murch's advice is rooted in his experience as an Oscar-winning editor-in-chief on dozens of films. He shares the wisdom of his experiences freely and incisively, including his transition from pure analogue to the film/digital hybrid approach much in use at the start of this century. He explains why cuts work (and why they don't), how any editor can use the information of the material to find the "right" cut, and an immensely practical set of guidelines for evaluating any edit (the Rule of Six).

Ignore the gainsayers' comments about the "outdated" section on film versus digital. Murch's description of his adoption of a digital workflow and his examination of its strengths and weaknesses are invaluable today. I particularly appreciate his observations of the pitfalls introduced by the immediacy and convenience of digital shooting and editing - a lack of planning, a failure to look into and through the film (as the audience will see it in a theater), and the increasingly solitary nature of production (versus the intensely collaborative world of the film age). The Golden Age was great for a reason, and he gives good advice on keeping those higher principles in your work while you edit on your Mac or PC the footage shot on your sub-$10,000 camera.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in film production!

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37 people found this helpful

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CD in DC
The most potent book on the language of film editing.
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
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It's short, but his examples based on his real experience aren't just technical. He explains some of his actual philosophy of film editing, which makes you think about *why* you're cutting where you are, what it means, what it will feel like.

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Carlos
Um clássico e de leitura muito fácil
Reviewed in Brazil on March 13, 2022
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Esse livro é muito gostoso de ser lido e nos coloca dentro da cabeça de um dos gênios do cinema.

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Kiril Kirkov
Excellent reading
Reviewed in Germany on December 12, 2024
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I use this book in my documentary filmmaking courses. Highly recommended.

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Harmo
Parfait
Reviewed in France on November 28, 2024
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Au top

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Graham
Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2024
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Great book and fast delivery like always.

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Ravan
Best Editing Technic book
Reviewed in India on June 14, 2024
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This book helps me a lot in my editing journey ✊

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