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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 out of 5 stars 1,941 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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  1. Print length
    146 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Silman-James Press
  4. Publication date
    August 1, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.5 x 8.4 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1879505622
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1879505629
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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
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2001
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 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 out of 5 stars 1,941 ratings

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4.7 out of 5 stars
1,941 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this book a must-read for film and television professionals, praising its thought-provoking content and in-depth exploration of editing techniques. The book receives mixed feedback regarding its instructional value, with some appreciating its simple explanations while others find it lacking in practical guidance. While some customers find the content practically brand new, others note that it seems somewhat dated.

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ReadabilityInsightEditing tipsInstruction levelDated content
112 customers mention "Readability"106 positive6 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a must-read for those in film and television production, and consider it one of the best books on filmmaking.

"...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

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

86 customers mention "Insight"83 positive3 negative

Customers find the book insightful, describing it as thought-provoking and full of great information, providing a look into the mind of a great editor.

"...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

"Great resource if you want to learn about the history of video editing and the process behind editing feature films...." Read more

"...There are a few good anecdotes and the final section on digital editing is kind of useless...." Read more

83 customers mention "Editing tips"83 positive0 negative

Customers find this book to be an excellent guide to film editing, with interesting introspective takes on the craft.

"...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

"...the art and craft of film, this book is indispensable and an easy read to boot. In other words, start here...." Read more

13 customers mention "Instruction level"5 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the instruction level of the book, with some appreciating its simple explanations while others find it lacking in practical editing guidance.

"...It’s purely historical, and teaches nothing about the process...." Read more

"...The reason is simple - it ticks all of the boxes - brief (but thorough)..." Read more

"...He goes on and on about how it was difficult to edit on computers back in the day as they didn't have the power to edit, and now they do...." Read more

"...This is not a manual on how to edit using this or that. This is a memoir. Read most of it on a two hour train ride...." Read more

10 customers mention "Dated content"3 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's content, with some finding it practically brand new while others note it seems a bit dated.

"...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

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

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

  • Calkid817
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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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  • MB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom from the disciplines of the Golden Age...applied to the Digital Age
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified 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!
    38 people found this helpful
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  • Stephen Schlager
    5.0 out of 5 stars I definitely recommend for any film editor.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified 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.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Andreas T.
    4.0 out of 5 stars A (Different) View to An Edit.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Exceptional. Possible recommendation even as a course study reference.
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  • CD in DC
    5.0 out of 5 stars The most potent book on the language of film editing.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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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  • Anthroposaurus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't blink now!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Teacher of Teachers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging and concrete.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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.
    16 people found this helpful
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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
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Esse livro é muito gostoso de ser lido e nos coloca dentro da cabeça de um dos gênios do cinema.
    Report
  • Giorgio Perrig
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written but last chapter sadly dated
    Reviewed in Italy on June 2, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book Is very well written. Sadly, the last chapter in 2023 can no longer be a reference point for wannabe editor, but it's still a nice dive into the past!
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  • Jose Cadaveira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabuloso
    Reviewed in Spain on May 26, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    He leído muchos libros sobre cine y este, sin duda alguna, la sitúo entre los 10 mejores.
    Razones? Sencillo: aporta información realmente interesante desde el punto de vista del montador pero extrapolado a las demás funciones...
    Compuesto por múltiples capítulos de reducidas dimensiones; te dejará meditando mucho rato... muy posiblemente te cambie el enfoque creativo si eres de los que escriben guiones.
    Altamente recomendado!!
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  • Harmo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait
    Reviewed in France on November 28, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Au top
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  • Martin Weidner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Die wahren Werte des Filnschnittes - kurz und knapp
    Reviewed in Germany on March 4, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Obwohl ich schon ein paar Jahre private dokumentarische Filme mache, ist der Inhalt dieses Buches von 2001 lehrreich und vermittelt mir als Anfänger des professionellen Filmschnitts die grundlegenden Fakten, mit dehnen Weltklassefilme z. .
    B. Apokalypse Now bearbeitet wurden, die mit 35mm Film gedreht und auf Linearen Schnittmaschinen geschnitten wurden - lange bevor das NON LINEAR EDITING auf Conputer möglich war und mit EFFECTS allerlei Dinge kreiert werden konnten, die vorher unmöglich waren.
    Trotzdem oder vielleicht gerade deswegen entstanden Oskar nominierte Filme und deswegen betrachte ich das im Buch vermittelte Wissen als wertvoll und keineswegs veraltet - The Old Movie Cutting School.
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