Best Editing Theory books?

[cgustav]

Hi there,

I'm very interested in the theory of editing.
I'm doing some early simple works, I'm not too concerned about the technical aspects of editing apps. I'm fairly good to do basic things. Where I know I've to work a lot is on the theory.
Even though practice is probably the best teacher, I believe there are things that can help tremendously: a very good workshop, having the chance to work with the best, or a good book.
A few times ago I've read "In a Blink of an Eye" and I found it really useful. It's been a great introduction as well as a glimpse of how deep and fascinating the editing can be.

Long story short, I'd love to hear your favorite books about editing. This is what I did spot so far, not sure which one to buy yet:

On Film Editing: An Introduction to the Art of Film Construction
The Eye Is Quicker: Film Editing: Making a Good Film Better
Grammar of the Edit
Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production
Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film or Video
The Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques
The Film Sense (A Harvest Book)

Any recommendation?

Best

 

[Sweetie]

I haven't found one or two great all-encompassing editing books yet. Most of the good ones have some decent insights. Different books focus on different areas.

My suggestion is grab them all (and others) and read them all.

At the same time, I'd also pick up some of the better directing (which I see you have one on your list) and even some storytelling books. They'll help round out your thought process and make you a stronger editor. A book or two on cinematography theory, color grading and visual effects can also help.

Practice lots and pay attention to performances, story telling and editing while you're watching movies and TV. Always think about work flow.

Becoming a good editor is a process. It takes time. It's quicker for some than others.