The Technique of Film and Video Editing

This seventh edition of The Technique of Film and Video Editing provides a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound. Industry veteran Ken Dancyger puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice across a range of genres, including action, comedy, drama, documentary, and experimental forms, featuring analysis of dozens of classic and contemporary films. This seventh edition includes new chapters on the developments of different genres and how these changes have affected editing decisions. This includes the recent predominance of biopic films, such as Oppenheimer (2023) and Maestro (2023), which will both be compared with earlier precedents, such as The Life of Emile Zola and Elizabeth. Then the book will also consider the changes and movements with melodrama, comedy, and soft satire. This is an essential resource for students and professionals seeking both a contextual background as well as a practical guide for the best editing tips and tricks.

Ken Dancyger is Professor Emeritus of Film and Television at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, as well as the author of numerous books on screenwriting, editing, and production, including Alternative Scriptwriting (with Jeff Rush) and Writing the Short Film (with Patricia Cooper), The Director's Idea, and Global Scriptwriting, all published by Routledge/Focal Press. Ken also conducts scriptwriting and editing workshops internationally.

Acknowledgements Introduction to the Seventh Edition Section 1: History of Film Editing Chapter 1 The Silent Period Chapter 2 The Early Sound Film Chapter 3 The Influence of the Documentary Chapter 4 The Influence of the Popular Arts Chapter 5 The Influence of Other Arts Chapter 6 Editors Who Became Directors Chapter 7 Experiments in Editing: Alfred Hitchcock Chapter 8 Experiments in Editing II: Robert Altman Chapter 9 New Technologies Chapter 10 International Advances Chapter 11 The Influence of Television and Theatre Chapter 12 New Challenges to Filmic Narrative Conventions Chapter 13 The MTV Influence on Editing I Chapter 14 The MTV Influence on Editing II Chapter 15 Changes in Pace Chapter 16 The Appropriation of Style I: Limitation and Innovation Chapter 17 The Appropriation of Style II: Limitation and Innovation Chapter 18 The Appropriation of Style III: Digital Reality Section 2: Goals of Editing Chapter 19 Editing for Narrative Clarity Chapter 20 Editing for Dramatic Emphasis Chapter 21 Editing for Subtext Chapter 22 Editing for Surprise Chapter 23: Editing for Aesthetics Section 3: Editing for the Genre Chapter 24 Action Chapter 25 Dialog Chapter 26 Comedy Chapter 27 Documentary Chapter 28 Imaginative Documentary Chapter 29 Innovation in Documentary I Chapter 30 Innovation in Documentary II Chapter 31 Innovation in Documentary III: The Experimental Documentary Section 4: Changes in Genre Chapter 32 The Deep Dive Chapter 33 The Biopic Chapter 34 The Melodrama and Celine Sciamma Chapter 35 The Melodrama: Identity, Diaspora vs Tradition Chapter 36 The Reimagining of the Screwball Comedy Chapter 37 The Soft Satire Chapter 38 The Minimalist Approach Section 5: Principles of Editing Chapter 39 The Picture Edit and Continuity Chapter 40 The Picture Edit and Pace Chapter 41 Ideas and Sound Chapter 42 The Sound Edit and Clarity Chapter 43 The Sound Edit and Creative Sound Chapter 44 Innovations of Sound Chapter 45 Nonlinear Editing and Digital Technology I Chapter 46 Nonlinear Editing and Digital Technology II Chapter 47 Conclusion Filmography Glossary Selected Bibliography Index