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

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,906 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.
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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
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,906 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,906 global 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.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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.

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

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

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

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

"...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

"...While it was fascinating, the only thing I think was really missing was everything that has happened in the film industry since 2001...." 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.

"...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

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

"...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

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

Really good book!
5 out of 5 stars
Really good book!
Husband says it’s really good but can’t comment on much since he just started it. It looks good to me when scanning and the reviews seemed legit when I bought it. It seems like everything still is relevant even in 2021. Maybe rudimentary but it goes into Kubrick’s and Coppola’s styles, little bits about Apocolypse Now. Stuff that’s always interesting. Took a pic of the front/back covers and TOC. Seems s’well.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
    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!
    37 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017
    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.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018
    I had just read a strange book written by an Italian during WWII and translated into English by this author, when someone said, "Have you read In the Blink of an Eye?" I couldn't believe it when she told me the name of the author. 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. Somehow this book got by me. It is a great book not only for people who make movies but for people who are really into movies. A nice companion to other film theory books. I would also recommend the book "Understanding Comics." That might seem random but the two forms share a lot of principles, something that can be appreciated when you consider the function of storyboarding.
    15 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2011
    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.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
    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.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2024
    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.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Carlos
    5.0 out of 5 stars Um clássico e de leitura muito fácil
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 13, 2022
    Esse livro é muito gostoso de ser lido e nos coloca dentro da cabeça de um dos gênios do cinema.
  • Kiril Kirkov
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading
    Reviewed in Germany on December 12, 2024
    I use this book in my documentary filmmaking courses. Highly recommended.
  • Harmo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait
    Reviewed in France on November 28, 2024
    Au top
  • Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2024
    Great book and fast delivery like always.
  • Ravan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best Editing Technic book
    Reviewed in India on June 14, 2024
    This book helps me a lot in my editing journey ✊